Roosdonck Windmill, Eindhoven

De Roosdonck (The Roosdonck) is one of Nuenen's most important symbols. It is also a working, round-stone, Bovenkruier-type windmill that is still in use as a corn mill.

From a landscape standpoint, the mill is very beautifully located, reaching a height of 26 meters, north of the built-up area. Vincent van Gogh, who lived in the town from 1883 to 1885, had featured De Roosdonck a total of seven times in his works. Also, perhaps the most famous painting of his Nuenen period, The Potato Eaters, was created in the neighboring cottage.

The mill was built in 1884 by Antonius van Himbergen from the nearby town of Bladel and was initially planned to be a smock (or tower) mill. However, following a tragic accident, during which part of the hull had collapsed, killing one person, it was then remodeled as the current "beltmolen" [belt mill] type. A pile of sand was put around the structure to make it higher. It was also made somewhat narrower than usual, using fewer stones, because of the lack of funds prompted by the accident. The last remaining trace of its first design is the two bricked-up windows in the walls of the drive-in area.

From 1887 to 1930, the mill was used to press oil (using the machinery fitted from the mill of Sint Victor in Heeze). After the Second World War, its wheelwork was replaced with the mechanism removed from the Hoogeind mill in Sint-Oedenrode, which was heavily damaged by the war.

In 1959, due to industrialization and the introduction of other sources of energy, the mill stopped professional production of flour and fell into disrepair. However, after the municipal government bought it in 1970, the subsequent restoration works in 1972, 1984, and 1996 brought the mill back to life.

Since 1995, it has been in private hands once again, simultaneously overseen by the Friends of the Roosdonck who pay for its maintenance. The mill is now open to the public and has on the site a shop that sells a wide range of organic flour products.

Curious fact: a life-size replica of the Roosdonck was built in 2011 for the 'Van Gogh Friendship Park' in Nanjing, China.