This mill was one of many wood sawing mills in this area, that facilitated the mass production of tall ships in the 17th century, enabling Holland to develop into a powerful merchant nation.
Windmill De Otter is one of the 5 surviving windmills of this type. Centuries ago there were about 85 of these windmills in this area.
With the completion of an apartment building project in 2006, the mill does not get enough wind any more, which deteriorates its condition.
The then owner of the windmill therefore decided not to operate the windmill any longer, which lead to further deterioration of the windmill.
The owner tried to move De Otter to a location outside Amsterdam, in an industrial heritage park in Uitgeest. However, for this move to happen, a special 'monument license' was necessary, to be issued by the City of Amsterdam. Amsterdam refused to do so, also after a series of court cases.
To complicate matters further: the industrial heritage foundation where De Otter was planned to be moved went bankrupt.
Since then, the windmill has stood still, until, in October 2019, the news came out that a new owner has restored the windmill. De Otter is currently back in its original splendour. The current owner wants to make the windmill publicly accessible again, but a concrete plan has not yet been made.
As Amsterdam's oldest windmill, and also the only Amsterdam windmill that still stands on the original location where it was once built, it is worth having a look.
Windmill De Otter
