Mühlhofe Bone Mill

The Mühlhofe bone mill is idyllically situated in the Ihne Valley in the village of Mühlhofe, east of the Valbert district. The rubble-stone mill was built around 1849 on the site of a Kornmühle that had existed as early as 1548. Along with the facilities in Fretter and Eslohe, it is one of the last surviving bone mills in Westfalen.

The mill’s purpose was to crush animal bones to produce bone meal as fertilizer for agriculture. The Ihne stream provided the driving force: Water was diverted about 250 meters upstream from the mill, dammed in a pond, and channeled through a millrace to an overshot waterwheel. Inside the mill, this drives a thumb shaft, which in turn moves several crushers suspended in a wooden frame. These crushers pulverized the bones in a trough-shaped recess.

The bones came from butcher shops and slaughterhouses in the surrounding area and were partly delivered by horse-drawn cart via the Kraghammer train station. The first owner was Wilhelm Stamm, who ran a thriving trade in bone meal. Until the start of World War II, the product was used exclusively as fertilizer. Starting in 1939, this use was prohibited by decree; for a short time, the bones were used to make soap and glue.

In 1944–45, the mill was shut down and gradually fell into disrepair. Extensive restoration work in the 1980s—with support from the city of Meinerzhagen, the Märkischer Kreis, and the historic preservation authorities—restored the facility to working order. The bone mill has been a designated historic landmark since 1986 and has been operational again since 1989. The adjacent residential building dates back to 1892.

Tours & Information

• Outside tour: available at any time

• Interior tours:

  • Every first Wednesday of the month (May through the start of winter) from 3:00–5:00 p.m.,

  • on Open Monument Day and German Mill Day,

  • or by individual arrangement with the Meinerzhagen Local History Association

• Contact: Mr. Pätzold, Tel. 02358 / 1624

• Tourist Information: Tel. 02354 / 77-132

Please note: Temporary closures are possible; check for current information before visiting.

All information is provided without guarantee.