The Adriaan in orange for Orange The World by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

In 1778, Amsterdam entrepreneur Adriaan de Boois bought an old defence tower. He received permission from the city of Haarlem to build a windmill. Adriaan builds his windmill on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower. As a result, the sails rise high above the Spaarne and catch a lot of wind. On 19 May 1779, De Adriaan tower mill was put into use. Adriaan de Boois ground tuff into trass there for many years. Trass was added to masonry mortar to make walls watertight.

In 1802, De Adriaan was sold to a tobacco merchant. The mill got new machinery and tobacco rolls were processed into snuff for years. In 1865, the mill changed ownership and function again. The Adriaan is converted into a corn mill. In 1932, the last owner stopped doing so; a corn mill was no longer a dry living. On 23 April 1932, De Adriaan caught fire. Despite resolute action by the Haarlem fire brigade, little more remains of De Adriaan than a smouldering heap of stones and beams. Just one day after the fire, people from Haarlem organise a first fundraising campaign for a new Adriaan. But much more is needed.

On 23 April 2002, seventy years after the fire, Haarlem will have its Adriaan back. As a meeting and wedding venue, but above all as a museum windmill. A reception area with souvenir shop, two floors of fine mill models, and above it a working mill.

Orange The World is the global campaign against violence against women and girls. The campaign takes place every year from 25 November, the International Day Against Violence Against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day. The days in between are the 16 Days of Action. Meanwhile, in more than 100 countries, buildings or other objects are highlighted orange during this period, and debates, exhibitions, demonstrations and all kinds of other activities are organised.