Kazandmolen

Kazandmolen is a historic brick windmill standing in Rumbeke, part of Roeselare in Belgium — the sole survivor of thirteen mills that once operated in this area.

When was the mill first built?

The story begins in May 1773, when Jacob Emmanuel Matthys was granted a charter by the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa to build a wooden oil mill in Rumbeke. The name is thought to derive from Caeslant, a plot of land located near the site where the mill was raised. In its earliest form the structure was built entirely of wood and was used mainly for pressing oil.

How did ownership and naming change over time?

In 1785 the mill property was sold to Hilarius Demets, who ran it for more than fifty years and gave it the name Metskens-mill. That set a pattern that would repeat for over a century: the mill's name shifted with each new owner or operator. Over the decades it was successively known as Metskens mill, Braemstampkot, Dumoulinsmolen, D'Hondts mill, and Joyensmolen. Only in 1936 did the name Kazandmolen become the generally accepted one, and it has carried that name ever since.

What happened after the fire?

In 1810 the mill and its adjoining house burned down completely. Reconstruction followed in 1813, this time in brick rather than wood, and that brick structure is essentially what still stands today. Once rebuilt, the mill operated as an oil mill fitted with three sets of crushing stones, and over time it also took on grain milling alongside oil pressing.

Why was a chimney added?

In 1872 a tall chimney was erected at the Kazandmolen to house an 8 horsepower steam engine. This addition let the owner at the time, Henri Dumoulin, keep milling grain and pressing oil even on windless days, when the sails would otherwise sit idle. This kind of hybrid setup — traditional sails paired with a steam backup — was a practical fix common among windmills adapting to changing technology in the late 19th century.

How did the mill survive to the present day?

On 7 November 1928 the mill was bought by the local society "Eigen Heerd" from Rumbeke, which stepped in specifically to save it from demolition — the fate that had already overtaken the other twelve mills once scattered across the area. Thanks to that purchase, Kazandmolen remains standing as the last physical trace of what used to be a dense local milling tradition, and it continues to serve today as a landmark for anyone interested in the rural industrial history of the Roeselare area.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Kazandmolen located? The mill stands in Rumbeke, a village that forms part of the municipality of Roeselare in the West Flanders province of Belgium.

Where does the current name come from? The name Kazandmolen only became the commonly used one in 1936 — before that, the mill went through several different names tied to its various owners and operators.

Is it the only surviving mill in Rumbeke? Yes. Of the original thirteen mills that once operated in Rumbeke, Kazandmolen is the only one still standing today.

What material is the current structure made of? The mill standing today is built of brick, dating from 1813, when it was rebuilt following a fire in 1810 that destroyed the earlier wooden version.