The Animal Powered Mill from Sânpetru Mare, Timiș County

     Animal-powered mills, especially those with oxen or horses, played an essential role in milling, being documented in Romania since the 16th century. In lowland areas, which are waterless and extremely dry, these installations dominated the milling industry until modern technologies took their place in the 20th century. 

     The mill from Sânpetru Mare is in fact a reconstructed mill on the basis of vestiges: the milling wheel sections were discovered in Lenauheim and the milling installation in the household of a Danube Swabian farmer from Sânpetru Mare. The building dates back to 1829, but was dismantled in 1940. With a huge wheel, ranging from 10 to 18 m in diameter, and an ingenious power transmission system, animal-powered mills were a revolutionary innovation in pre-modern technology. The exhibit in the museum is unique in Romania, having been reconstructed on the basis of the survey of original mills from Hungary and Yugoslavia and using original parts acquired from the two villages of Câmpia Banatului (The Banat Plain).