Information in English
Who are we?
Although Het Gilde van Molenaars (The Guild of Millers) is a Dutch association, there have been ties with foreign organisations from the beginning. There are mills and millers in many other countries. The Guild has trained foreign millers and helped foreign millers with teaching materials. There have been excursions to other countries and there have been meetings with millers. When the Miller's Craft was placed on the UNESCO list in 2017, one of the spearheads was international cooperation. In this section of the website we provide information about the different ways in which the Guild is active internationally.
The craft of the miller is on the Representative List of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. To support the craft of the miller worldwide we aim to develop an international network of millers and mill societies. Therefore we bring together wind- and watermill parties from all over the world to share knowledge and skills.
Our mission
Our mission is to safeguard and promote the craft of the traditional miller – defined as 'a miller who works with mills driven primarily by wind, water and animal power'.
Our aims are:
- To safeguard the craft of the miller
- To provide an education for people who want to become a miller
- To share knowledge, experience and information amongst our community to promote best practice and the safe repair and operation of our mills
- To encourage all involved with mills to protect and respect the original fabric of mill buildings and machinery
- To promote the protection and repair of our global milling heritage, by helping others see a positive future for that heritage, returning mills, where appropriate, to production, keeping the mill working in its original function
- To create a network of millers and associated societies to deliver our mission
Handbook in English
The Handbook Watermillers has been translated in English.
Craft of the Miller
Are you a miller or interested in safeguarding the craft of the miller, join the Craft of the Miller Network by creating your own member profile. If you have other questions, please send an e-mail to: craftofthemiller@molens.nl.
Look here for the recording of earlier conferences.