Pfalzmühle Mannheim

THE MILLS OF THE INDUSTRIAL MONUMENT

PFALZMÜHLE

GOLD POWDER is the brand and quality seal of the Pfälzischen Mühlenwerke (Palatinate mill) which moved from Schifferstadt (17 km from Mannheim) to the industrial harbour in 1907. A Pfalzmühle advertisement from 1910: The site in Schifferstadt had only been used for 14 years. Not being on a river was a disadvantage. As well as this, the Bavarian state government had imposed high taxes.

The dark red historic brick building is six storeys high. The 150 windows of the well-lit work and production rooms makes it look more like an office building. New architectural ideas of the time, as well as the Art Nouveau influence, can be seen in the style of the mill and the old silos. The architect was Gustav Uhlmann who had previously been head of the municipal Building Department. The Pfalzmühle is particularly impressive when seen from the waterside. The original mill is flanked by a concrete grain silo (left) and high modern flour silos that were built after the Second World War. The magnificent water front of the mill is a popular motif on advertisements such as this one from the 1950s. The brand „Gold Powder“ has been known to customers since 1915.

The Pfalzmühle developed into an important southwest German wholesale mill. By 1928, they employed 170 workers and 46 clerks. In 1975 the mill was bought by the company Wilhelm Werhahn KG. In 1948, representatives drove lorries round the country in order to advertise and sell Goldpuder semolina and flour. Since 2013, the small packets for end users are no longer filled in Mannheim, but the mill continues to supply industry and bakeries.

Converting grain to flour involves complex steps. When the grain arrives by ship, rail or truck it is tested in the laboratory. During the milling process the grain passes through all storeys, from the top to the ground floor of the mill. Oscillating sieves, air ducts, as well as machines to remove stones or discoloured grains are used to clean the grain. After this, it is wetted and scrubbed, and the grain ground and sieved up to 20 times. To ensure a consistently high quality, the flour is re-examined in the laboratory.

As mills are vulnerable to flour-dust explosions, they usually have their own fire water towers. The water tower of the Pfalzmühle now serves as a reservoir for the sprinkler system. Inside the old mill, which is an officially protected building, the highly polished hardwood floors have been preserved. Machines, storage and work areas, however, are of the highest technological quality.

Now in 2014, 37 employees work in the Pfalzmühle and the production process is highly mechanized. About 100 sorts of flour – for bread, cake and semolina – are stored in the silos. By creating special mixtures, up to 70 different products can be made. The Pfalzmühle mainly supplies customers in Southwest Germany.

MOULIN A BLE DANS UN MONUMENT HISTORIQUE

LE MOULIN „PFALZMÜHLE”

GOLDPUDER (poudre d'or) est l'appellation et la garantie de qualité des Moulins  Palatins qui, en 1907, venant de la ville de Schifferstadt s'installent dans le port industriel. Le bâtiment historique de brique rouge comprend en tout six étages. Avec ses 150 fenêtres, garantissant des locaux de travail et de production bien éclairés, il ressemble plutôt à un immeuble de bureaux. L'architecture du moulin à blé et des anciens silos reprend les idées réformatrices et de l'art nouveau allemand. L’architecte est Gustav Uhlmann, l'ancien directeur du Service des Bâtiments municipal.

Le Moulin Palatin devient un des plus importants moulins à blé du sud-ouest de l'Allemagne. Aux alentours de 1928 on y emploie 170 ouvriers ainsi que 46 cadres supérieurs. En 1975 le moulin est racheté par la société Wilhelm Werhahn KG.

La transformation des céréales en farine passe par des étapes de traitement très complexes. Dès l'arrivée des céréales, par bateau, train ou camion, leur qualité est vérifiée en laboratoire. Lors d'un seul passage, une charge de céréales traverse presque tous les étages du moulin, du haut en bas. Les grains sont nettoyés à l'aide de tamis vibrants, d'injecteurs d'air, de trieurs de cailloux et d'impuretés. Ensuite les grains sont mouillés et frottés. Les grains peuvent passer jusqu'à vingt fois dans les broyeurs et les tamis. Afin d'obtenir une qualité égale et de haut niveau, la farine obtenue est une nouvelle fois analysée en laboratoire.

En 2014 le Moulin Palatin emploie 37 salariés, le processus de production est désormais un travail de haute technologie. Dans la centaine de compartiments des silos on stocke des farines pour faire du pain, des gâteaux et de la semoule. En les mélangeant savamment on peut obtenir jusqu'à 70 produits différents. Le Moulin Palatin fournit essentiellement des clients dans le sud-ouest de l'Allemagne.