Windmill in Holland Historically, windmills in Holland served many purposes. The most important was pumping water out of the lowlands and back into the rivers beyond the dikes, so that the land could be farmed. In the fourteenth century, hollow-post mills were used to drive scoop wheels to drain the wetlands. In Amsterdam, we can see the “Molen de Otter” , the only wind-powered sawmill left in operation. Today, the 250-year-old windmill park is a fascinating open-air museum. The five biggest windmills in the world are located in the centre of schiedam. “Kinderdijk”
one of the best-known places for ‘windmill watching’. Its 19 windmills, almost all “grondzeilers” are on the UNESCO world heritage list. These mills, which pumped up the polder water, played an important part in shaping the Netherlands.