Schweinheimer Mühle

Early records mention mills at Schweinheim belonging to the abbey. In 1582 the grinder Johann zu Schweinheim ran a grinding mill here. In 1647 it was converted into a fulling mill, and four years later it passed by lease to the masters of the Cologne Wool Guild. Around 1773 it operated as a grain and oil mill, at times housing a grain distillery.

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, a packing paper works was established on the grounds. In 1873 the mill was converted into a small factory, first producing cardboard and later flypaper rolls. These were hung in homes and stables and made the summer plague of flies reasonably bearable for people and animals alike. In 1896 a major fire destroyed the mill, which was rebuilt soon afterwards.

In 1900 the Martin brothers took over the business and set up a cotton bleaching works to produce bandage cotton. After 1905 the old undershot water wheel was replaced by an iron one. After both brothers died, a long-serving employee, Behrendt, ran the business toward the end of the First World War.

The business went bankrupt in 1934. As its main creditor, a Swiss textile company took it over, and it was subsequently known as Bastfaser GmbH. During the Second World War, machine-gun belts were made here from flax and hemp waste products.

From 1950 the works again produced bandage cotton and other dressing materials. The last company on site was a manufacturer of specialty paper, which shut down operations in November 2009. The site has stood abandoned ever since.