The Folk Industries Complex of Rebrișoara, Bistrița-Năsăud County

This industrial complex, comprising a mill and carding machines, originates from the village of Rebrișoara, which is situated at the foot of the Rodna Mountains near Năsăud. Built at the end of the 19th century, the mill is a sturdy stone structure set over a water channel, equipped with two grinding stations. The chute, whirlpool basin, mill bridge and miller’s room complete the space that, for generations, has turned the village’s grain into flour.

Next to the mill stands a shed housing carding machines, a lighter wooden structure dedicated to processing wool. Here, visitors can observe the transition from manual labour to the mechanisation of the craft. First, the wool was loosened using a 'teasing wolf', a simple traditional tool that fluffed and aerated the fibres. Later, carding machines with drums covered in metal teeth took over this task, initially powered by water and later by electricity. The equipment on display, manufactured at the Rieger workshops in Sibiu in the first half of the 20th century, illustrates this evolution.