The oil mill as a sideline

Some of the timbers used for the oil mill building itself were so-called second timbers, as can be seen from the signs of use. They date from the middle of the 18th century, perhaps from a demolished house in the neighborhood. In addition to cooperage, agriculture with livestock farming and schnapps distilling, oil milling was one of the Jung family's sidelines. As a customer mill or toll mill, it processed the oilseed delivered by the Ottersdorf farmers into oil. The wages were paid in money, but more often in oil or oil cake, which - depending on the fruit - was used as supplementary feed for the cattle or as fuel.

The steps involved in oil extraction - cleaning - crushing - pressing - have basically not changed to this day. The oil fruits, such as rapeseed, poppy, linseed, walnuts and, in times of need, beechnuts, were pre-ground in the crusher (grist mill) and then finely ground by two large millstones. The ground fruit was heated and the oil pressed out in the beater press.

Peter Jung and his daughter Kunigunde, who worked in the oil mill until her marriage in 1911, gave up oil milling at this time. The invention of the steam engine meant that oils were now produced industrially and in some cases imported, making the previously very lucrative seasonal sideline unprofitable. The oil mill fell into a deep slumber until the architect Josef Seitz from Ottersdorf drew attention to the impressive technical monument, which had become a rare cultural monument in the region, in 1963. It was to take over 30 years before the completely untouched oil mill, which had fallen into disrepair, was restored and opened to the public in 1994.