Ševčíkův mlýn

Ševčíkův mlýn (the Ševčík Mill) is a historic watermill standing on Domamyslická street in Domamyslice, a district of Prostějov in the Czech Republic. It is one of the few mills in Moravia whose documented history reaches back to the Middle Ages, and it has stayed in the hands of a single family for close to two centuries.

How old is the mill?

The earliest written trace of a mill on this spot dates to 1365, when land records mention Bedřich ze Stichovic selling the property to Pešek ze Ptění. The building visible today, however, is not that medieval structure — it was rebuilt from the ground up in 1810, following a string of earlier reconstructions on the same site.

Who has owned it over the centuries?

Ownership changed hands several times before the modern era. From 1805 the mill belonged to the Ptáček couple, and it later passed to František Opavský. The decisive turn came in 1846, when the property was bought by Jan Ševčík. From that point on it carried the family name, and regional heritage sources note that the Ševčík family has remained the owner ever since — an unusually long, unbroken link between one family and one mill.

How did the mill work, and why did it stop?

Two vertical wheels mounted outside the building powered the milling machinery, driven by water from the adjacent millrace, originally the right arm of the Hloučela river. In the 1930s the mill underwent a major technical upgrade: roller mills supplied by the Dresden firm Wegmann & Seck were installed, along with new cleaning machinery and new water wheels. Despite this investment, milling operations ceased in 1955.

The early-19th-century reconstruction is still visible on the building's southern and western sides. The northern part was radically rebuilt in 1968, while the rest of the structure has kept its older, historical form.

Is it protected, and can it be visited?

Since 1958, Ševčíkův mlýn — together with its courtyard wing and ice house — has been listed as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic. The building remains private property, and its technical condition is reported to be poor. There is no museum or public exhibition on site; the mill can be viewed from the outside as part of the historical landscape of Domamyslice and evidence of traditional milling in the Prostějov region.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Ševčíkův mlýn? The site's earliest record dates to 1365, though the current building was constructed in 1810.

Who owns the mill today? The Ševčík family, which bought it in 1846 and gave the mill its name.

Is the mill still operating? No. Milling stopped in 1955, despite a technical modernization carried out in the 1930s.

Where exactly is the mill located? On Domamyslická street in Domamyslice, a district of Prostějov, beside the former arm of the Hloučela river.

Is the mill a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as a Czech cultural monument since 1958.