PETRŮV MILL – THE OLDEST PRESERVED WATER MILL IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Introduction
Some monuments are not unknown because they are hidden away from people’s eyes. Quite the opposite. Hundreds of people pass by them every day, yet their true significance often remains unnoticed.
Petrův Mill is exactly such an example. Its ruin stands directly beside the main road connecting Ostrov and Jáchymov, in a place through which one of the most important routes to the mining town passed for centuries. Nevertheless, most pedestrians and travellers have no idea that they are passing a building that remembers the very beginnings of the famous Jáchymov era.
The mill was created at a time when Jáchymov was transforming into one of the most important towns in Europe. Silver was mined in the surrounding mines, the famous thalers were created, and the rapidly growing town needed extensive economic facilities.
History
Petrův Mill, originally known by its German name Petermühle, was built in the first half of the 16th century. Its extraordinary age was confirmed by a dendrochronological survey of the preserved wooden structures carried out by the Dendrochronological Society.
The analysis of tree rings dated the construction period to the years 1525–1530. Thanks to this survey, the building is considered the oldest preserved water mill in the territory of the Czech Republic.
The oldest part of the complex is the lower building of the original mill. It was a two-storey structure representing the most valuable preserved part of the site. A taller four-storey brick building of the new mill was later added to its southern side, and the entire complex was gradually expanded with additional operational buildings.
Petrův Mill was not merely a historical reminder of ancient times. It continued to serve its purpose well into the 20th century. In 1930, Marie Schöfflová is documented as the owner of the mill and the adjacent sawmill. By that time, the operation had already been modernized – in addition to an overshot water wheel, a water turbine had also been installed.
After the Second World War, a new chapter in the use of the building began. The mill lost its original function and served, for example, as a storage facility for medicines. However, after the dam of Jezírko, known in German as Stadtteich, burst, chemicals and medicines were washed into the stream, and the storage facility was closed.
Later, plastic production operated here. After it ended, the entire complex gradually began to deteriorate. Its condition was worsened by the removal of metal elements, damage to the structures, and long-term exposure to weather conditions. The result is the current appearance of the building as a striking ruin.
Description
The original mill used water power supplied from the slope behind the building. Water was brought by means of wooden channels known as vantroky, which carried overshot water to the mill wheel located by the northern gable wall.
The term vantrok comes from the German Wandtrog, meaning a wall-mounted trough, and recalls the technical methods used in similar operations for centuries.
A stone chamber that housed the water turbine has survived from the later modernization. These seemingly modest technical elements prove that the mill adapted over time to new possibilities of using water power.
The original construction corresponded to the period in which it was built. The ground floor was constructed from quarry stone, while the first floor consisted of a half-timbered structure with stone infill. The building had wooden beam ceilings and a gabled roof covered with slate.
Legacy
Today, Petrův Mill is only a remnant of the original building, yet its historical value remains extraordinary. It is valuable not because of its current appearance, but because of the story preserved within its walls.
It bears witness to the period when Jáchymov transformed within just a few years from a mountain settlement into one of the most important mining centres in Europe. While the mines produced silver and the mint struck thalers, technical structures like this enabled the everyday functioning of the town.
The town of Jáchymov, as the owner of the building, has been dealing with its future for some time. There have been considerations about removing newer parts while preserving the historic masonry, as well as proposals for a new use of the oldest section of the building.
Today, Petermühle is one of the stops on the restored Mill Trail, also known as Severin’s Promenade. Together with the former railway tunnel above it, it creates an extraordinary place where two Jáchymov “records” meet within just a few metres – the oldest preserved water mill in the Czech Republic and the former shortest railway tunnel in the country.
Sometimes the greatest treasures do not stand on town squares or behind museum walls. Sometimes we simply pass them every day without realizing what an exceptional story lies right before our eyes.
