Lost places exude an almost magical attraction for many people and this mill is no exception. However, attempts to restore the building and breathe new life into the site have failed time and again. What is the story behind the imposing mill and what will happen next?
The end of a centuries-long history?
There had been a mill on the Paar River since around 1400, and a castle was built in its immediate vicinity in 1572. Shortly before the end of the Thirty Years’ War, the French devastated the castle, which the then owner had rebuilt. It was home to an extremely valuable art collection. Over the decades and centuries, the castle changed hands again and again. In 1808, the castle was sold again, whereupon the site gained importance as an industrial location.
This was followed by the construction of the two-storey main building of the paper mill in 1826. The castle was demolished in 1849 and the mill was converted into an artificial grinding mill in 1864. From then on, it was used to grind rye with six grinding gears. After the end of the First World War, a grain silo was added, which today is particularly characteristic of the mill due to its mansard roof with the decorative, crowning tower tops. The mill finally ceased operation in 1996 and has been derelict ever since.
Attempts to revive the Stockau mill
For seventeen years, the mill was a victim of decay, but then came the ray of hope: in 2013, the German Property Group, formerly Dolphin Trust or Dolphin Capital, bought the post-baroque building. This investor specializes in listed buildings and apparently planned to renovate it. But more years passed and nothing happened. Then, in 2021, came the disillusionment: the investor filed for bankruptcy. The following year, the mill was put up for sale again and funding from a development project such as Landstadt Bayern was on the cards.
A decade after the purchase by the investor, the Reichertshofen citizens’ assembly finally discussed a possible forced sale of the Stockau mill. The auction is still pending and anyone can place a bid. Today, the mill is a popular lost place for urban explorers and geocachers. From Munich, you can reach Stockau Mill in the direction of Ingolstadt in around 45 minutes by car or by train and bus in around an hour and 15 minutes. You shouldn’t enter the mill, but you can take a look at it from the outside and take some great photos.