Oil mill De_Ooievaar (The Stork) was moved from her original place to Zaandam in 1669 and re-assembled on her present location. After 1897, the mill was used to grind husks and thereafter cocoa waste until it finally fell still. The Zaan area used to have hundreds of this kind of mills. De_Zaansche_Molen Society is owner of three other oil mills: Het_Pink, De_Zoeker and De_Bonte_ Hen. These mills are used to produce various sorts of vegetable oils, such as linseed- and coleseed oil. In 1936, De_Ooievaar was finally closed down. The mill gradually fell into disrepair until there was nothing left of it. That is until the Society decided to embrace this wreck 1955. A restoration plan was drawn up immediately and it was fortunate enough to receive the necessary approvals from the authorities. A year later, the mill looked like new and was once again taken into use.

The last few years a good overhaul was necessary. De_Ooievaar is gazing out over the river Zaan towards its nextdoor neighbour - the flour mill De_Bleeke_Dood (The Pale Death).

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Kalverringdijk • Zaandam • North-Holland • The Netherlands • You find us 15 kilometer north of Amsterdam along the river Zaan • Easy access by train