History

Pápa

One of the most beautiful historical town in Hungary is Pápa, the town reminds baroque era. The town lives its great time in 18th century as the center of Eszterházy family estate. By this time were built the main square, surrounding small streets, dwelling houses and baroque Eszterházy castle.

Pápa’s countryside - by means of stream Tapolca – was the Garden of Eden for water–mills. Stream going from source after made 200 metres move first water-mill Forrásfő.

History of this town we can’t inseparate from water-mills. First possible mention of town was in connection with the business of water-mills in 1061. Ottó comes “…molam in Pápa…” make a donation of water-mill by himself establish monastery.

Of course from the beginning water-mills was used not only for milling of corn, but for milling of cloth – mill, water mill – for saw woods – sawmill.

On stream Tapolca were functioned these mills: Mill Forrásfő, fulling mill Forrásfő, noble Comnitz mill by Tapolcafő, mill Simaházi püspök, prebendal or fulling mill Simaházi, mill Döbrési, mill Zavari, mill Papiros , mill Hatkerekű, mill Igali, mill Sávolyi, mill Csingeri, fulling mill Nagyhanta, mill Bogáts, mill Agyagliki camerális, mill Benediktus or Kishanta, mill Hódoska or Uki, mill Kapitány by Szélesvíz, mill Város, mill Tízes, mill Mester or Marok, mill Parochiál or Pap, mill Küllü, mill Fehér, mill Borsosgyőr, mill Asszonyfalvi, mill Börhendi, upper mill Acsád, lower mill Acsád, mill Alsógörzsöny, mill Felsogörzsöny, mill Marcaltő.

At the end of 19th century the water-mills lost competition contrary to cylinder mills in mill industry. Despite of this people keep to grind, store people with milling product. The cause of downfall of these mills in Pápa was second World War following nationalization. A lot of mills were liquidate, from some became grain of agricultural cooperative. Flour as packed large-scale industry product appiered on shelfs of shops, nobody take his grain to grind. Surely people haven’t got grain, everything get to agricultural cooperative.

These large buildings of mills became a store or more families move to this buildings. Nobody take care of safekeeping these mills. A lot of carry away, they use it as firing material, combustible. Some of them crashed over…

Today in the town of mills, in Pápa there aren’t any mills, which we could present in remembrance of milling occupation as industrial ancient monument.

It won’t be so for long time?

Mill Hódoska or Uki is called Edvy mill too, because the last owner was Edvy Károly. His grandchild Sántha Csaba bought this building back and began renovation of mill and construction rest house.

• Heitler László: Régi pápai vízimalmok, Pápa, 1969.
• Nádasdy Lajos: A pápai vízimalmok története, In. Honismereti tanulmányok XII. 7- 41. p.
• Wöller István: A Tapolca vízimalmai Pápán és környékén, Pápa, 1994. (Fejezetek Pápa város történetébol 1.)