Post Mill Bergeijk - Bergeijk

The mill is the former compulsory mill of the Norbertine abbey in Postel. This means that local residents were obliged to have their flour ground at this mill, giving the abbey a steady source of income. The oldest mention of a mill at this location dates back to 1330.

The current mill dates from the second half of the 18th century and was owned by private millers between 1829 and 1955. After a lightning strike in 1896, the mill was restored and in 1970 it was covered again. In 2003 the mill had to be stopped due to its poor technical condition. After a thorough restoration in 2006, the mill can turn again.

The mill also plays a role in the legend of the Dancing Cats of Bergeijk. In the past, there would have been a lot of witchcraft in the forests of Bergeijk, by witches who disguised themselves as cats. Every night they danced around the Kattenberg, an old burial mound. Especially men were unsafe: if a man walked past alone, he was attacked.

Miller Dorus had to grind the grain at night in his mill, the Standerdmolen of Bergeijk, because the wind only blew at night. The cats attacked him during his work. He ran outside and did not dare to work at night anymore. His miller’s helper, Jan, did not believe a word of it and would grind the grain the next night.

The night went quietly, until a black kitten came walking up. Jan stroked the cat. Nothing to worry about, he thought. Suddenly the other 40 cats appeared from all corners. He grabbed an old sabre and lashed out around him. He managed to chase the cats away. But the cats had left something behind: the chopped off finger of the missing wife of Dorus. Had she become a witch?

Photos: ©Visit Brabant