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Johann Bessler’s Windmill is for sale
It seems pretty clear from these pictures that a lot has happened to the windmill since Bessler’s death. The porcelain factory must have acquired the building and made some changes to it for their own purposes and the addition of the second floor looks relatively new.
Inside one can make out the original brickwork underneath the plaster in some areas and that implies that it wasn’t plastered by Bessler. The walls are massively thick in order to support the verical axis windmill but little else can be assumed.
The roofing beams look like they might be the original ones and are massive but appear to be suffering from some damp problems and might even have to be replaced at no small cost.
The roof and walls of the upper story and their windows all look new and must have been restored not long ago. This may have been done as a first step in protecting the inside from further deterioration due to damp. However the major problem appears to lie with the inner walls and consideration will have to be given to deciding what changes, if any, to make to the internal arrangements. Should the windmill be restored to something like Bessler’s plan - or should the changes made by the Furstenberg porcelain factory be included? One thing is certain - if someone somewhere succeeds in replicating Bessler’s wheel, then there is no doubt that the building should be restyored to its former glory as a veretical axis windmill.
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