History

A severe wind spout that caused major damage to ‘De Zoeker’ in 1925 was the immediate cause for the founding of the Association ‘De Zaansche Molen’ at the time. The mill was restored, but 40 years later it stood in the way of Zaandijk’s expansion plans, so the municipality handed it over to the Association for one guilder to have it moved.

The spectacular transport took place on the night of August 1 to 2, 1968. The mill body (weighing over 18 tons) and the cap were lifted over the catenary of the railroad in Zaandijk, to be transported further by road and water to the Kalverringdijk. There the mill body was placed on the prepared substructure on the spot where the burned down mill ‘De Wind’ had once stood; the transport of oil mill ‘De Zoeker’ was world news in 1968. The whole move eventually took more than 24 hours and on the old spot the district ‘Nieuw Rooswijk’ could then be built.