Neukirch Mill

The Neukirch Mill - also known as the White Mill - is a historic building in the Werden district of Essen. The building is located directly on the River Ruhr, which is dammed a few meters beforehand by the Baldeney lock to form Baldeneysee . The Neukircher Mühle is located on the lock island next to the Neukircher Schleuse lock and near the Brehminsel. Both structures - the mill and the lock - are registered monuments. The mill is now used by the Folkwang University of the Arts as a university building.

The snow-white walls tower imposingly on the banks of the Hardenberg, reminiscent of a fortress or castle, but certainly not a mill. The history of the Neukirchen mill is varied and shaped by the history of shipping on the River Ruhr and is closely linked to the history of the Neukirchen lock. The Neukirchen harbor was once located slightly above the Ruhr, roughly where the boathouse of the Essen-Werdender Ruder-Club von 1896 e.V. (EWRC) can be found today.

The mill, which was built in the 19th century in the round arch style, was destroyed several times by fire. The round arch style as an architectural style goes back to the era of historicism and is dated to the middle of the 19th century. It clearly distinguishes itself from classicism and combines Romanesque and Byzantine elements with Renaissance architecture and straight lines. The fires are said to have started in 1880, 1898 and 1899. The last fire in particular caused so much damage that the main building had to be completely rebuilt in 1900. The building was given two crenellated, uniform towers, which gave it a castle-like character.

Initially operated as a corn mill, the original turbine was replaced by a steam engine. This also changed the use of the mill, which from then on was used as a factory building for the construction of precision mechanical equipment and the Werdender Metallwerke. The construction of Lake Baldeney and the damming of the Ruhr water by the Baldeney lock shut down the Neukirch lock and the Neukirch mill also lost its importance as an industrial site. It fell into oblivion and remained unused for many years.

Since 2004, the music theater has found a home where once hard work was done. Prior to this, the Neukircher Mühle was renovated and extensively converted from 1999 to 2004. The exterior walls were whitewashed with lime paint and the musical department of the Folkwang University of the Arts moved into the Weiße Mühle. This makes the Neukirch Mill a prime example of the varied history and industrial culture of the Ruhr region. The Weiße Mühle is listed in the city of Essen's list of monuments under the serial number 151 as a registered monument.