De Roosdonck is a

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...

located at the Gerwenseweg 2 in

Nuenen Nuenen () is a town in the municipality of Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten in the Netherlands. From 1883 to 1885, Vincent van Gogh lived and worked in Nuenen. In 1944, the town was a battle scene during Operation Market Garden. The local dialect i ...

, in the province of

North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the w ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Built in 1884, the windmill was initially planned to be built as a

smock mill The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. This typ ...

. After the structure collapsed soon after completion, the mill was rebuilt to the current "beltmolen" type, with a pile of sand put around the mill allowing it to be built higher.

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

, who lived in Nuenen from

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

to 1885, painted and drew De Roosdonck a total of 7 times. The most famous painting in his Nuenen period,

The Potato Eaters ''The Potato Eaters'' ( nl, De Aardappeleters) is an oil painting by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh painted in April 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands. It is in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The original oil sketch of the painting is at the Kröl ...

, was painted in the neighbouring cottage. The windmill was built by Antonius van Himbergen from nearby

Bladel Bladel () is a municipality and town in the province of North Brabant, Southern Netherlands. In 2019, it had a population of 20,175. Population centres Topography ''Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Bladel, 2013.'' Notable residen ...

, who has also built the Annemie windmill in Acht, and other similar type windmills in the area. From 1887 to 1930 the windmill was also used as an

oil mill An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

, with the machinery bought from the miller of Sint Victor in

Heeze Heeze is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Heeze-Leende, about 9 km southeast of Eindhoven. The Heeze Castle is located east of the town. Further east and to the north lies the Strabrechtse ...

. Due to industrialisation and the introduction of other sources of energy, professional production of flower stopped in 1959. The mill deteriorated. After purchase by the

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

in 1970, the windmill was restored in 1972, with further restorations in 1984 and 1996. Since 1995 the windmill has been in private hands once again, with the son of the last professional miller as its owner. Also since that year the windmill has been open for visitors, selling a wide range of organic flour products. File:Exterieur IN BEDRIJF - Nuenen - 20290106 - RCE.jpg, The mill in 1985 File:Nuenen molen De-Roosdonck B.jpg, Detail of the beard, depicting "DE-ROOSDONCK" File:Nuenen molen De-Roosdonck A.jpg, The windmill in stormy weather File:Vincent van Gogh 0141.jpg, Van Gogh's 1884 painting "Weaver, Seen from the Front", with the mill visible through the window

External links

Website of the mill, with full list of products

Bilingual Facebook page with additional info and pictures
{{Dutch Windmills Windmills in North Brabant Rijksmonuments in North Brabant Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten