The Old Mill – Ebersbach

Alte Mangel: The Historic Half-Timbered “House of the Factors”

The “Alte Mangel” (Old Mandl) factory house is one of the most valuable half-timbered buildings in Upper Lusatia, built between 1767 and 1770. It originally served as a residential and farm building. In 1782, it was completed as a half-timbered factory building, and Christian Conrad Gerathewohl, with the permission of the Saxon Electorate, used it for the processing of linen (fulling and dyeing).

The “Faktoři” were cloth merchants who, at that time, supplied weavers with yarn and equipment. But by around 1800, the attractive building that had once housed a fulling mill was once again being used as a residential building.

In 1992, the town of Ebersbach/Sa., in collaboration with historic preservationists and local craftsmen, began the first renovation and restoration work on the historic building.

In 2000, the local tourism association and the landscape conservation association took over the historic building. Since then, the two associations have been operating the building as a cultural and educational center.

A variety of activities

Throughout the year, the building hosts a variety of public events, tours, and private rentals for celebrations, weddings, conferences, seminars, and similar occasions, thanks to which it has become well-known far beyond the city limits. Visitors to the building are also treated to rotating exhibitions on a wide variety of topics. In addition, guided tours are offered, providing insights into the building’s turbulent history and its current use. The “Alte Mangel” mill house plays a key role in the field of local history and Upper Lusatian customs.