Millers Crafts

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Milling is one of the oldest crafts in the Czech lands, with the construction of water mills being known since ancient times. Over the centuries, the mechanism was perfected, and by the Middle Ages, a mill was present in almost every village. There were also windmills and mills powered by oxen, known as “jentour”. Milling was one of the so-called free trades, and millers also ensured trade in the village.
With the increasing number of water mills and other water-powered devices, it became necessary to establish relationships between individual millers. As early as the mid-14th century, a board of sworn millers – experts in water law – was established. They were primarily tasked with measuring watercourses, determining the levels of mill weirs, assessing the technical condition of mills, and so on. They also established a set of principles that millers had to follow to ensure that the use of water for milling did not harm others.
Since mills were often located away from other rural buildings, millers frequently became the subject of gossip and were attributed many negative side activities – from cheating customers on flour to witchcraft, theft, and trafficking in stolen goods. These last accusations are particularly abhorrent and completely unfounded.

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