The post mill of Kuressaare fortress

The post mill of Kuressaare fortress

In the second half of the 17th century, the windmill of the Kuressaare fortress was located on the Western bastion that was called at the time Mill bastion (Mühlen Bastion). The windmill can be found on some of the maps from that time. It was destroyed at the latest by April 1711 when during the events of the Great Northern War the Russian troops blew up the bastions of the fortress. In 1787, a local merchant built a new windmill on the cannon tower walls of the Northern bastion. The mill was destroyed in November 1795 by a fire.

The restoration of the mill of Kuressaare fortress was sponsored by Altia Estonia and Saaremaa Vodka. The post mill was built by Hiiumaa windmill builders in collaboration with Masters of Saaremaa Windmills. The post mill reconstruction follows the oldest documented tradition of windmill construction in Saaremaa. The prototype for this post mill were the 17th century ruins of the post mill located in Jaagu farm in Kõruse village.