Listed pearls: Historic properties in Fürstenberg sold!

Listed pearls: Historic properties in Fürstenberg sold!

Mayor Michael Weber of Fürstenberg has announced that the municipality is selling three listed properties. These historic buildings are of European rank and are offered for sale through the Freytag Immobilien real estate agency. Among the offerings is a baroque residential complex that was originally built for the workers of the Fürstenberg porcelain factory. In addition, the large windmill designed by the inventor Orffyreus is among the objects for sale, as is the historic still house of the porcelain factory.

The Old Mill in Fürstenberg plays a central role here. The listed building has been an important structure since it was built as a windmill in 1744. As early as 1747 it was converted into a laboratory for the porcelain factory. This makes the Old Mill one of the oldest surviving porcelain factory facilities in Europe. Heinrich Bernhard Schrader von Schliestedt awarded the construction contracts in order to counteract the water shortage in the Fürstenberg district.

History and significance of the Old Mill

The building, located on a property neighboring the Old Brennhaus, about 500 meters from Fürstenberg Castle, was originally built based on design sketches by the engineer Johann Bessler. However, he died in 1745 and the building remained unfinished. From 1747 it was converted for the newly founded porcelain factory by Johann Georg von Langen. The renovation included a two-story half-timbered addition and a laboratory with drying and firing ovens and was used as a laboratory until around 1755.

After the laboratory was closed, the Old Mill served as a workshop apartment until the 1980s. The municipality of Fürstenberg acquired the building in 2006 in the hope of promoting tourism development. However, these ambitions were hampered by the poor condition of the old mill. In 2014 it became known that the municipality was looking for a buyer, while the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation took over the planning and construction supervision.

Current challenges

The Lower Saxony Homeland Association classified the Old Mill as endangered in 2014 and the state government recognized the repair backlog. As a result, a renovation in accordance with listed buildings was called for, which was further discussed until 2021. At this point, the building was still classified as endangered and there were calls for scientific building research and a usage concept. The Old Mill is now considered a technological and historical cultural monument of national importance, with parts of the laboratory and small experimental ovens that have been preserved to this day.

With the community's current sales offers and the background of these unique properties, another chapter in Fürstenberg's history is introduced. Visitors and interested buyers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the region's rich heritage and cultural history, embodied by these buildings. Information about sales and properties can be found on the website Westfalen-Blatt and to the old mill Wikipedia ).