Wind wheel with noise generation, Deutschfeistritz

Wind wheels of this type were mainly erected in the vineyards of southern Styria. It was hoped that the rattling of the devices would keep the birds away from the grapes. The windmill reached considerable diameters of up to 8 metres. The rotating axle moves the mallets of the beater, which fall onto the beater board. Even today, numerous Klapotetze (Klapotetz, slang for rattle or windmill) can be found, especially in the wine-growing areas of southern Styria. These are usually 8-bladed and have a striking board, a striking mechanism and a wind vane.