♦ Turn of the 19th/20th century. Rundāle watermill was a single-storey stone building with a steep tile roof with slanting edges and spacious roof construction. It is believed that the Rundāle watermill was reconstructed this way after a devastating fire in 1891.

♦ The oldest written sources refer to the Rundāle watermill since 1825, reporting the construction of a new spillway at the Lielrundāle mill.

♦ Newspapers write extensively about the fire of 1891 where the watermill building was almost completely lost together with the majority of the mill equipment. The publications mention that the manor mill was rented out to a certain Mr Keller. At the time, the mill was powered by water and an additional steam engine was set up. Along with the processing of grain, the mill was used to comb and spin wool, as well as for other works.

♦ 1914. Before World War I broke out, a newspaper publishes a critical article about the operation of the Rundāle mill. Here we learn that the Rundāle manor administration has sold the windmill for demolition, but the watermill is unable to provide milling of grain for all local farms at the necessary volumes. Thus, in addition to the water powering the mill, a steam engine or a locomobile is set up, which is mainly used to power wool combing and spinning equipment, because milling flour is not profitable to the renter of the mill.

♦ There are only indirect references to the destruction of the Rundāle watermill during World War I, found in later documents.

♦ 1921. Rundāle watermill is now state property. It is mentioned that it has been fully destroyed in a fire. Only the ruins of the brick building remain, as well as the mill dam and sluice. The mill equipment has been fully destroyed. Only the 12 HP two-cylinder steam locomobile made by “R.Garret” remains, although heavily damaged by the fire, as well as the “Pirwitz & Co” water turbine built in 1904 in Riga.

♦ August 1921. The ruins of the Rundāle watermill, owned by the Rundāle manor owner, Duke Andrey Shuvalov, were taken over by state ownership and soon after the mill was put on sale again. An advertisement was published, looking for entrepreneurs who would be ready to renew the mill.

♦ 1922. Based on the Agrarian Reform Law, the new owner of the Rundāle watermill was the Kārlis Rubenis, Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) of the Latvian Army. After several unsuccessful attempts to extend the mill land property, Rubenis sold the property.

♦ 1925. The mill is sold to Jēkabs Siliņš, who undertook to renovate the property. It is not clear how the mill was renovated and what was its operation, however, it is known that soon after the renovation, in 1928, there was a fire in the Rundāle water and motorized mill and the roof of the engine room burned down.

♦ 1930. Similar to the previous owner, Siliņš unsuccessfully attempted to expand the land plot that was a part of the mill property. It can be inferred that the Siliņš’s business at the Rundāle mill was not particularly successful.

♦ 1931 – 1933. The mill is put up for auction.

♦ 1934. The mill is purchased by Voldemārs Bergmanis (1898-1942) and Žanis Bergmanis and Oskars Bergmanis are mentioned as co-owners of the mill.

♦ 1935. V. Bergmanis renovates the Rundāle watermill and fully outfits it with the “O.J.Keller” grain processing machinery, the most advanced at the time.

♦ 1935. V.Bergmanis receives the permission of the Trade and Industry Department for operating an industrial company in the mill and starts the operation immediately. The concession was received in three industrial areas: textile production (wool combing and spinning), food and spice production (milling and grinding grain and producing groats) and timber production (sawmill and wood processing), employing up to 15 workers.

♦ 1936. In the report on the company’s operation, it is mentioned that the Rundāle mill uses a 75 HP water turbine and 70 HP suction gas engine. In addition, the mill was used for electricity production by a 3.5 kW dynamo machine generating 5600 kW/h per year.

In the first year after renovation, the mill was mainly used to process grain, so two millers and a machinist were employed. This year new buildings were built for processing wood and wool and wood processing machinery was bought from JSC “Sēklu eksports”. The report of 1936 also mentioned the operation of fruit mill and juicer equipment.

♦ 1937. V.Bergmanis requests a permit for business operations also in fruit processing or juice production. In the report for this year, it is mentioned that now two water turbines and two suction gas engines are used to power the mill. It is also noted that carpentry machinery, wool processing equipment and mechanical loom are in operation.

♦ 1940. Rundāle mill employs seven workers and two workers are engaged in carpentry.

♦ 15 July 1940. After the occupation of Latvia, the workers’ representative is proposed as the manager of the Rundāle watermill.

♦ October 1940. With the order of the People’s Commissioner of Food Production, a state representative of commissioner Elmārs Ruņģis is appointed as the manager of the Voldemārs Bergmanis’ company (the Rundāle mill). Thus, the mill was nationalized and became a nationalized company “Bergmanis Voldemārs, labības dzirnavas un vilnas apstrādāšana” (“Bergmanis Voldemārs, grain mill and wool processing”).

♦ 14 June 1941. The owner of Rundāle mill Voldemārs Bergmanis, son of Žanis, is deported to Siberia.

♦ 1943. During the German occupation, the Rundāle mill, owned by Oskars and Žanis Bergmanis, and the absent Voldemārs Bergmanis, is re-privatized again.

♦ 1945. After the war, the Rundāle mill is included in the Bauska food production complex.

♦ 1949. Rundāle mill is powered by a 65HP water turbine and two gas generator engines are used for additional power. At the same time, it is planned to build a power plant to provide electricity to the nearby collective farms.

♦ 1950. A dynamo machine or a generator is set up in the Rundāle mill and the electricity production is started.

♦ 1956. Rundāle mill is still a part of the Bauska food production complex and also has a carpentry workshop.

♦ 1959. A gas generator engine is still used as an additional engine for the mill, instead of electrical engines.

♦ Since 1963, the Rundāle mill is subordinated to the Bauska regional public services complex.

♦ 1973 The administrative centre of the local state farm is being built next to the Rundāle watermill pond.

♦ 30 December 1992. The individual company “Rundāles dzirnavas un galdniecība” (Rundāle mill and carpentry) is registered by Indulis Bergmanis. The mill is managed by Jānis Mucenis, a descendant of generations of millers. He accepts orders, mills rain, produces grout and ground flour, and regulates the water level but is unable to compete with modern technology and equipment. Processing grain becomes unprofitable.

The Rundāle watermill is powered by a turbine manufactured by “VEF”. The excess electricity produced is transmitted into the joint network, as the mill cannot consume it all.

♦ In 1999, Ivans Bergmanis sets up the first VEF K84A turbine for electricity production. Electricity is produced.

♦ In 2003, the individual company “Rundāles dzirnavas un galdniecība” is wound up.

♦ 2018. Ivans Bergmanis, with daughter Irina and son Vladislavs, plan to turn the Rundāle watermill into a museum with an intention to renew the historical building and the set of engineering structures, highlighting the principles of the watermill construction and its historical, economic, social and technical importance.

♦ 2019–2021. Design, reconstruction and restoration works are underway. The mill is turned into the Rundāle mill museum.