The Schillermühle was first mentioned in 1596 and was one of three mills belonging to the Lords of Bartensleben. From 1755, Count Friedrich Gebhard Werner von der Schulenburg was named as the owner of the Schillermühle.
The Schillermühle was a water mill that was initially used to grind grain. In 1630, the Schillermühle was leased again to the miller Hans Joachim Müller. This record shows that the mill was the largest mill in the area due to its two water wheels for grinding and milling. The other two mills were windmills. One of these windmills was located "Am Krähenhoop" and was in operation until 1910. The other windmill on "Butterberg" was only operated until 1862. All three mills were located in what is now the city of Wolfsburg.
In 1689, the Schiller mill and the Schiller pond were first recorded on the map "Grundriss des Adelichen Hausses Wolfesburgk". The location of the Schiller mill was referred to as "Am Schiltdeich". This "Schiltdeich" refers to a mounded embankment that dams up water, in this case the water of the Hasselbach, to form a pond. The water dammed up in this way to form the "Schildteich" was very suitable for fish farming. The "Schildteich" was necessary for the operation of the watermill; by damming the Hasselbach, there always had to be enough water to operate the mill.
Noble landlords did not always obtain permission from their respective rulers to build mills. Time and again, such as in 1602, Duke Ernst von Braunschweig-Lüneburg demanded that the mills of the Lords of Bartensleben be demolished. Anyone who owned or operated a mill generated income and was able to exert influence, for example over the landowners or farmers, thus creating an additional relationship of dependence. The princes were all too aware of this. Owning a mill under good conditions, which was also operated by a competent miller, was also a way of collecting taxes and obtaining income from grinding grain, which rulers such as Duke Ernst von Braunschweig-Lüneburg were not prepared to forego. This led to threats of penalties and increased fines, including the demolition of the mill in the event of non-compliance.
Mills were indispensable for farmers and landowners. Harvested grain was ground or milled into flour according to the respective needs. Yields in excess of their own consumption were sold.
A report to Count Friedrich von der Schulenburg, dated 1858, states that the poor condition of the mill did not allow it to be leased out at this time. However, this flaw seems to have been rectified in the following years. In 1863, the Schiller mill was granted a license as a sawmill. A steam engine was installed to maintain output, as the water power was too low, especially in summer. Unfortunately, the steam engine exploded due to overloading. From 1866 to 1871, the grinding mill ran smoothly and profitably. In the following years, the sawmill and the grinding mill were repeatedly rebuilt and mechanically improved: in 1899, the sawmill was so badly damaged during a thunderstorm that a new centrifugal machine had to be installed. In 1901/02, the sawmill finally received a new steam engine. A new boiler house and an engine house were also added.
In 1913, the workforce was able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sawmill in the "Brandenburger Adler" in Hesslingen. During the First World War (1914-1918), around half of the workforce was conscripted. Nevertheless, the business was able to continue.
In 1930, the capacity of the sawmill was 3000 cubic meters per year.
In 1935, the number of employees rose to 50. A major change occurred in 1938/39 when the water wheel was dismantled due to a lack of water.
Even in the post-war period, the Schiller mill did not lose its importance. A new sawmill hall was built in 1950, while the annual capacity increased to 10,000-12,000 solid cubic meters during this time. By 1966, the Schillermühle complex included a sawmill, a grinding mill, mill buildings, an engine house, two storage sheds, office and recreation buildings as well as 13 new and three old company apartments. Both the sawmill and the grinding mill were operated exclusively with steam power at this time. Around 40 workers were employed in both mills at the time.
The sawmill processed 90% wood from Count von der Schulenburg's forest. The grinding mill processed 30% grain from the Count's farms, the rest was bought in and sold to the surrounding bakeries under the name "Allergold".
In 1968, the grinding mill had to cease operations. At the beginning of the 1970s, the Schiller mill was finally shut down completely and demolished.