Love at windmill and bridge in Leiden (b&w) by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Love at windmill and bridge in Leiden (b&w)"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

Windmill De Put on the Galgewater in the Dutch city of Leiden is a 1987 replica of Jan Jansenzoon Put's standerd mill.

This original mill dated from 1619, after which the first mill burned down in 1640. After the wooden corn mill was subsequently rebuilt, it had to make way for a stone standing mill like mill De Valk in 1729. This mill, which bore the name The Korenbloem, was demolished in 1817. Archaeologists discovered the foundations of the octagonal mill bulwark in 1982. In 1983, as part of the 25th anniversary of the Rijnlandse Molenstichting (Rhineland Windmill Foundation), the idea was mooted to build a standerd mill on the old bastion.

Next to the mill is the Rembrandt Bridge, also a replica from the same time period, built in 1983. The double wooden drawbridge is named after painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who was born and grew up in Weddesteeg, an extension of the bridge on the south side. On the north side is standerdmolen De Put, a replica of the mill that stood here in Rembrandt's time. Rembrandt's family had a similar mill near Weddesteeg.

Standerdmolen De Put is a special type of mill. It is the oldest type of mill in the Netherlands and the second rebuilt in South Holland. The mill is usually opened on Saturdays by volunteers and there is also a flour sale. When weather conditions are good, the mill is also in operation. Molen De Put is one of nine windmills in Leiden.