Story No. 13 WINDMOLEN

'The ‘Windmolen’ is a recognizable symbol of The Netherlands (NL) with 1.200 windmills all over the country – and is a part of the Dutch national identity with its own National Mill Day. The oldest is the ‘Grafelijke Korenmolen’ in Zeddam, 1441.

Millers used the blades as a code, by placing them in a certain position, when they were on vacation, grieving or as warning signs during WWII.

Almost a third of NL is situated below sea level, so the power of the windmills is used to make the Dutch polders, for keeping NL dry. The highest windmill in the world is 260 m and situated in NL, saving up to 52,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. In 2022 Denmark is building a 280 m windmill.'

Photo: “Windmolen”, Jordaan District, Amsterdam, NL, 2018.
Photographer and storyteller: Jeanet Lang Bolvig

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