4. Genk's aragricultural-economic life

The entire agricultural-economical life in Genk was centred around mills and breweries. Each Genk family had access to beer and flour. There were no less than eight mills in Genk.

The ban mill banmolen was the most important (and also the oldest) and stood at the Molenvijver. This corn mill had the monopoly on milling in Genk. The miller tenanted the mill which was the property of Genk's landlord. Everybody from Genk was obliged to mill there. The miller was paid in kind: using the measure molster, the 24th part of the grain to be milled.

Moreover, there were watermills on the Stiemerbeek, the mill at the Hostaert among others, which disappeared into the swamp because of the establishement of the Winterslag mine.

From the seven water mills, only this one at the Molenvijver is left and the Slagmolen in Termien.

Behind the Sint-Martinus church there used to be a windmill up to 1910. From as early as the 14th century the ban brewery de banbrouwerij was next to the church. Because he was the landlord, The count of Loon was the owner of this brewery and everyone was obliged to have their beer brewed there. The bench of aldermen had its meeting there as well.