Mills in Moravian Ostrava and Přívoz

Groat mill Samuely & Wechsberg

Mahrishe Ostrauer Graupen & Griess - Dampfmuhle

In Moravian Ostrava and Přívoz there were about eight mills in 1900. We invite you to one of them for a short stroll. Today Mill, in 1886 the Groats mill - Samuely & Wechsberg.
This youngest ostrava´s mill for production of hulled grain and groats was built in 1886 by Samuely, Wechsberg & Co. company. The mill was built between Valchařská gutter running along Nádražní street and the Mill race running somewhere in the middle between Sokolská and Nádražní street and its building in quite an unchanged form is still there today. The groat mill with a steam drive was registered as the number 795 and the today´s address is Nádražní 138. Some kind of a memorial of the groats production is a machine in the basement of the building – a peeler by patent of Mr Kašpar.

Groat mill Samuely a Wechsberg was built in 1886 and milled until the first world war. Although the mill was built between two water flows in the plot 662 (today´s specification between Suchařdova and Myslbekova street) the drive of this mill was a steam one from its very start. In the time when Mr Samuely and Mr Wechsberg decided to build the hulled grain and groat mill they could not rely on the water drive in the existing situation but they had to rely on a modern and effective drive of this mill when they wanted to compete with other 7 Ostrava´s mills. On the ground floor there were: exactly on the left from Nádražní street - Administrative building, the left wing of the "Mill" - containers, the middle wing - cleaning, the right wing - own mill. The steam machine was placed exactly on the right (today it is kitchen and the boiler room next to the steam machine. According to the schematic documentation it was probably one-cylinder steam machine. The drive of all the machines in the mill was transmited and went through all the wings of the building.) The drawing of the mill is accessible in the museum.

In 1893 Wilhelm Samuely left the company and a new owner of the mill became the company Wechsberg & Co., represented by Albert and Josef Wechsberg. Before Albert Wechsberg died he transfered the property shares in the company to all his children. Until the first world war the company was represented by Alfred, Josef and Siegfried Wechsberg.

As Alfred Wechsberg bought the war stocks that had no value after the fall of Habsbursk monarchy he lost out a significant part of the family property of the bank house and the steam mill was sold in the interest of the bank house rescue.

In 1917 according to a documentation of Franz Smolka a new owner rebuilt the premises - Viennese factory for wine and liqueur production. The main building and the administrative building including the wing with the engine room and boiler room were maintained. In the middle of the main building there is a central staircase and a lift. The liqueur company worked in the premises until the forties of the 19th century. During the second world war there were several owners and leaseholders. After the war Jan Karlíček tried to revive the premises the intention of liqueur production and wholesale. But new era stopped his effort and the property was transfered to Technomat state administration. In 1995 present owner - Moravian mortage agency, Ltd. acquired a part of the premises from the people who gained the premises in restitution.
The building is presently used for commercial purpose, since 2000 is in operation a gallery since 2009 a museum.

Current state of the object "Mlejn". The ground floor restaurant, on the first floor commercial spaces, muzeuum and gallery in the attic.