The history of the mill

History

1728
The Kalborn mill was first mentioned at the baptism of the miller's son Cornelius Reuler. The exact date of foundation is unknown. However, the mill is most probably older.

1730
The mill was in the hands of six successive generations of millers over a period of 252 years. The Kalborn mill was a ban mill, i.e. all subjects of a landlord had to have their grain ground here. The farmers came from neighbouring villages in both Luxembourg and Germany. There was a customer service where the mill's own horses transported carts of grain, which was important as not all banned subjects had a carriage.

1800
From this year at the latest, the mill belonged to the Lentz family. Initially, the mill was still owned by the Lord of Ouren and Count Lannoy from Clerf. The millers were tenants.

1824
According to the cadastral plan, the mill consisted of three separate buildings. The mill and the residential building were under one roof. The mill had a stable for pigs and chickens and a separate building for the horses. Oats, rye and buckwheat were ground in the mill. It was driven by a water wheel and the grinding capacity was two quintals a day.

1857
The mill was remodelled under Johann Lentz around 1857. An indication of the conversion is the large reddish stone above the former entrance door of the residential building with the inscription ‘Johann Lentz 1857’. It was extended to three grinding gears with three top-shaft wheels that drove three millstones. An undershot iron mill wheel was used for threshing and sawing.

1941
The milling operation was closed by the German authorities after the Luxembourg countryside was occupied during the Second World War.

1944/1945
The miller's family had to leave the mill in the middle of winter during the Rundstedt offensive. The mill was presumably prepared for the divisional staff to lead the battle for the Clerftal from there. The siblings Marie, Michel and Emile Lentz returned after the war and became the last inhabitants of the mill, which was no longer functional after the war.

1982
The last resident and owner, Marie Lentz, died in March. In her father's time, 15 people had lived here. The mill was auctioned off at the end of the year. After the construction of a campsite and holiday village was rejected, a conversion of the existing buildings was permitted. However, construction work was halted due to ‘non observation des conditions d'autorisation’.

Later (1991), the construction of a restaurant-hotel was also rejected and the land and buildings became uninteresting for the owner and the mill was put up for sale. In 1980, all the buildings were still complete, but the former mill building was demolished during the construction work.

1997
The foundation natur&ëmwelt - Hëllef fir d'Natur bought the very dilapidated property. Since then, two buildings have been completely renovated and repaired.

2008
Completion of the mussel breeding station.

2016
Completion of the water experience centre and Natura 2000 exhibition.

2003 - History - Kalborn Mill
2003 - History - Kalborn Mill
Old mill with mill wheel - History
Family Lentz - History - Kalborn Mill
1982 - History - Kalborn Mill
today - History - Kalborn Mill