There are buildings you walk past every day without knowing their story. The Rathsmühle in Celle is one of them. Soon its familiar yellow façade will disappear behind scaffolding, and that is exactly where an idea takes hold.
More than 600 years of history
A mill on this spot on the river Aller is mentioned as early as 1378, the same year Celle became a residence town. From 1389 the mill belonged to the town, and it has borne the name Rathsmühle ever since. For centuries grain was milled here; the present brick building dates from 1898/99. A fire at the end of the Second World War destroyed large parts of the complex, and it was rebuilt. Milling continued until 2009, after which the mill fell quiet. Today it is a listed monument.
A monument reawakens
Now a new chapter begins for the Rathsmühle. As its owner, Stadtwerke Celle is having the building renovated in keeping with its listed status. The damaged yellow render is being removed, revealing the original brickwork from 1898 beneath. On the roof, a glass structure is to be built that leaves the old timberwork visible. An ageing landmark is set to become an eye-catcher for the town once more.
The building site becomes a gallery
A renovation needs scaffolding. For Denk.Mal, that is precisely an opportunity. While the façade is being worked on, we are turning the scaffolding into a public exhibition. Selected paintings are printed as large-format banners and shown on the façade, clearly visible to everyone passing by. Anyone who would like to take part can apply with their own work through our public call for entries.
According to the town, the scaffolding is expected to be in place from August 2026 to January 2027. For that long, a building site becomes a place where art is met in the middle of everyday life. It would not be the first time: back in 2020, the same team turned a Celle façade into an exhibition. At the Rathsmühle, this idea finds one of its finest settings.