In a 250 year old polder mill in Noord Holland, Eric Zwijnenberg pumps excess water out of the area to avoid flooding. The drainage mill was first rented by his parents as a summer vacation house in 1953…
After two years of renting, the Zwijnenbergs, a family with no milling tradition to speak of, decided to buy the windmill from the local water board, and Eric’s fascination for it grew as the years went by. Eventually a restoration project brought the windmill back to life, and Eric’s fate was sealed. He learned to operate the mill and quickly grew enamoured of the job. He has worked as a voluntary miller ever since, dedicating his life to preserving and operating the Wimmenumermolen.
Filmmakers Kauri Multimedia mark the importance of 1953, the first year he was introduced to the mill, in the title of this video that observes his daily mill-keeping tasks.
Read more about polders and windmills at Wikipedia.
Next: The physics & engineering of windmills in The Netherlands. Plus: The 1,000 year old windmills of Nashtifan, Moving Windmills: The William Kamkwamba story, and more from Kauri, including Life as a lighthouse keeper – They Are The Last.