Papiermühle Plöger
Water-powered paper mill from 1703 in Schieder with an almost complete set of machinery from the late 19th century.
About the museum
On the little river Niese near Schieder, Count Rudolph of Lippe-Brake had a paper mill built in 1703 and leased it to the Plöger family of papermakers, who ran the business for eight generations. Until around 1870, handmade papers for chanceries, the post office and authorities were produced here.
With industrialization the family switched to machine production: a cylinder mold machine, an edge runner mill and other equipment were added, the building was extended to the south, and waste paper increasingly replaced rags as raw material. Mainly file covers were produced – remarkably, until 1989 exclusively with water power via two water wheels and an extensively branched transmission, without electric motors.
After production ended, the newly founded Heimatverein Schieder took over the mill as tenant in 1992. With the support of monument preservation, the NRW-Stiftung, the district, the regional government and the town, it was restored and opened as a museum in 2001. Volunteer mill guides now explain at 18 stations, from the drive room to the drying loft, how cardboard was made from waste paper.
Highlights
- Two overshot water wheels and a king shaft
- Nearly complete machinery from about 1870–1890
- Cylinder mold machine, edge runner mill and Hollander beater
- Drying loft with ventilation dormers
- Tours by volunteer mill guides included in admission
Permanent exhibitions
- Historische Papiermühle – Tour in 18 stations through the drive room, production rooms and drying loft of water-powered cardboard manufacturing around 1900.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Heimatverein Schieder e.V.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1Pupils |
| Children & teens | €1Pupils pay €1. |
Tour included in admission; donations are requested.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bahnhof Schieder-Schwalenberg · 25-min walk
S5 (Hannover–Paderborn) to Schieder-Schwalenberg station, from there on foot through the castle park.
By car
Parking available
Signposted parking lot for about 10 cars directly in front of the mill. The dead-end street "Im Niesetal" cannot be used by large buses: passengers get off at the junction and walk about 300 m; buses park at the neighboring Netto supermarket or at Schieder station.
By car via the L 886 (from Wöbbel) or L 814 (from Schieder/Lügde) into the street "Im Niesetal"; signs on the L 886. Bicycle racks at the mill, batteries can be charged.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | During opening hours, mill guides explain historic papermaking. Additional tours outside opening hours by arrangement. |
