THE MILLS OF JÁCHYMOV
Introduction
Mill Valley is treated in a separate article on these pages. Here, however, we will focus on the individual mills that belonged to Jáchymov or were directly owned by the town. In addition to personal research and the municipal chronicle, the main source for this text is the work of Vladimír Kříž from Jáchymov.
Mills in Mill Valley
Our tour begins in the side valley leading toward Můstek, Neklid or Klínovec. At the very end of the continuous built-up area, above the bed of the Klínovec Stream, a partially ruined vault can still be seen. It is a remnant of the millrace of a former mill. Upstream there once stood a small pond that served as the town’s first public bathing place. The pond, the mill and other buildings disappeared beneath the massive spoil heap of the Bratrství mine in the second half of the twentieth century.
Another mill stood in today’s house no. 1045. In the stream bed, a bricked-up opening marking the axis of the former waterwheel is still visible. Shortly afterwards, the Klínovec Stream disappears underground and re-emerges only near the Agricola Spa Building, after joining the Jáchymov Stream beneath the present roundabout.
On the site of today’s car park below the Radium Palace once stood the flour mill Karl Schneidenmühle. The only surviving feature is a stone bridge that originally led to the mill courtyard. The sophisticated management of water typical of mining operations is evident here as well. The water used by this mill did not return to the stream but was diverted directly by millrace to the next mill.
Herrenmühle (Manorial Mill)
The origin of this mill is dated to after 1520. At that time, a Dominican monastery was to be built in Jáchymov, roughly on the site of today’s Radium Palace. Due to the Protestant orientation of the town, the monastery was never constructed. The building material that had already been assembled was instead used for the construction of the mill.
The mill remained in operation until 1908. In 1910, the buildings were purchased by the operators of the Radium Palace. In 1925, together with the spa facilities, it passed into state ownership, and in 1956 it was transferred to the company Lázně Jáchymov. Today, the premises serve as a maintenance base and spa gardening facility; a mini-golf course is also located on the site.
Madrmühle
This mill also functioned as a brewing mill. It stood below the present wastewater treatment plant, where a remnant of the millrace has been preserved. It was the only mill in the Jáchymov area whose wooden water channels crossed the stream bed. The mill ceased operation in 1930 and was demolished.
Petermühle
Petermühle is considered the oldest water mill in the territory of today’s Czech Republic. A dendrochronological survey dated the structure to the years 1525–1530. It was the most powerful mill in the area, equipped with two waterwheels. Later, one wheel was replaced by a turbine with an output of 15 horsepower, while the second four-metre wheel remained in operation.
In addition to traditional milling production, beer was brewed here, and later a sawmill was added. In 1877, the property was acquired by Josef Schöffel; in 1930, Marie Schöfflová is recorded as the owner of the mill and sawmill. At that time, an overshot waterwheel and a turbine were installed. Remains of medieval masonry and the original stone basin for the turbine have survived to this day.
After the Second World War, the building was converted for various uses, including a pharmaceutical warehouse. After the dam of the Stadtteich reservoir burst and chemicals were washed into the stream, the warehouse was closed. The site later housed a plastics processing factory. After its bankruptcy, the building deteriorated rapidly, accelerated by metal theft and the removal of roof structures. In 2011, the turbine and its supply pipeline were stolen. Eventually, parts of the masonry collapsed spontaneously. In 2015, the town of Jáchymov considered demolishing the complex while preserving the historic masonry.
The Paper Double Mill
The first mention dates from 1546, when one of the two mills – the upper one – was purchased by Adam Abt, who introduced the production of strong paper. This paper was regarded as the highest quality produced in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Production continued until the early twentieth century.
All output was exported to the city of Leiden in Holland, where each sheet was divided into two or three thinner sheets. From this thin paper, banknotes of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy were produced. Analysis of music manuscript paper revealed that Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his works on paper originating from Jáchymov.
The upper paper mill operated until 1931. Afterwards, a sawmill powered by a four-metre waterwheel remained in operation. The former paper mill later became a popular restaurant for spa guests, known as Trinksmühle. After 1989, it was restored and today operates as Restaurace U Vlčků. The lower sawmill continued operating until the mid-twentieth century and was later rebuilt.
The Spekner Mills
The Upper Spekner Mill was originally an iron hammer works, later converted into a grain mill with a sawmill. On a 1715 map of the Cheb region, it is marked as a mill; by 1742, it appears as a wire-drawing works. During the Second World War, it served as a residential building. After the war, it remained uninhabited and was eventually demolished due to its dilapidated condition. A small hydroelectric power plant was later built on its site.
The Lower Spekner Mill was built around 1726. Originally a flour mill, it was converted into an iron hammer works. In 1919, a hydroelectric power plant was added. Initially equipped with two waterwheels, it was later powered by a single five-metre wheel. In 1927, it was acquired by the Jáchymov builder Franz Rehn, who converted the hammer works into a water-powered sawmill.
Mills in Horní Žďár (Ober Brand)
Additional mills stood outside Mill Valley, in the area of Horní Žďár, which belonged to the town of Jáchymov.
On the site of today’s m-tec (Silosystem) plant stood a farmstead with a mill. Here, water was used not only to drive the mill but also to power a large-capacity threshing machine via an overshot wheel.
Grünesmühle comprised a flour mill, a blacksmith’s forge and the inn Karlsbader Hof. The mill was driven by a wheel with a diameter of 4.1 metres. A foreclosure order from 1887 suggests it was not highly profitable. In 1901, a bakery was added, and later even a petrol station. Of the original buildings, only the inn U Václava survives.
The mill U Semeráda stood on the site of today’s Hotel Subterra. In addition to milling, grain was purchased, cleaned and dried there. From 1910, a bakery with a double oven operated on the premises. Initially, two six-cubit waterwheels powered the complex; later, a single 4.8-metre wheel was installed. Ultimately, the facility was driven by a Michel-Ossberg turbine.
Conclusion
The mills of Jáchymov represent a remarkably diverse chapter in the town’s economic history. From early modern grain milling through paper production and metalworking to hydroelectric power generation, they illustrate the fundamental importance of water power in the life of this mining and spa town.
