Lighthouses of Germany: Hamburg Area

Hamburg City Lighthouses

Southern Hamburg Lighthouses

* Estemündung (Este) (1)

1967. Inactive since 1995. 6 m (20 ft) round white concrete tower with semicircular lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete pier. Werning has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was replaced with a modern post light (focal plane 10 m (33 ft), white, red or green light depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s). The Este is a creek that enters the south side of the Elbe at Cranz, just below Hamburg. Located on the pier at the east side of the entrance to the Este. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-349; ex-Admiralty B1569.

* Bubendey-Ufer Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup by Wolfgang Warncke, Wikimedia has several photos, and Google has a satellite view. Ufer is the German word for a riverbank. This is the rear light of an upstream (eastbound) range guiding ships into Hamburg harbor. The front light is on a 20 m (66 ft) post about 1 km west northwest. Located on the south bank of the Norderelbe on the west side of the entrance to the Parkhafen, near a petroleum tank complex. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-287; Admiralty B1581.71.

Ellerholzhafen (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Hafen)

1902. Active (?); focal plane 19 m (62 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) octagonal brick tower with lantern and gallery, extended by a octagonal "dunce cap" topped by a rotating radar antenna. Trabas has a great photo by Wolfgang Warncke, Wikimedia has Gerhard Kemme's photo, Jenšíková has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view of the lighthouse with its original lantern, and Google has a satellite view. The radar antenna was added in 1969, and the lighthouse may have been inactive for some period after that. In September 2009, the city of Hamburg listed the lighthouse as a historic site. Located at the end of the broad quay separating the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Hafen to the north from the Ellerholzhafen to the south, in the middle of Hamburg harbor. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-295; Admiralty B1593.96.

Altenwerder Unterfeuer

2001?. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); red light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup by Wolfgang Warncke, Werning has a photo, Wikimedia has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located south of the Altenwerder Container Terminal, about 300 m (1000 ft) west of the Ellerholz range lights. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-278; Admiralty B1594.65.

Altenwerder Oberfeuer 2001?. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); red light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 27 m (89 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup by Wolfgang Warncke, Werning has a photo, Wikimedia has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located south of the Altenwerder Container Terminal, 165 m (540 ft) south of the front light. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-279; Admiralty B1594.651. Ellerholz Unterfeuer 2001. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); red light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup by Wolfgang Warncke, Werning has a good photo, Wikimedia has a photo, and Google has a satellite view of both Ellerholz lights. The range guides vessels bound upstream on the Süderelbe through Hamburg harbor. Located on the south side of the Süderelbe near the Kattdykdamm. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-293; Admiralty B1594.7. Ellerholz Oberfeuer 2001. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); red light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 27 m (89 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Malte Werning's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup by Wolfgang Warncke, and Google has a satellite view of both lights. Located on the south side of the Süderelbe near the Kattdykdamm, 110 m (360 ft) south of the front light. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-294; Admiralty B1594.71.

Ellerholz Oberfeuer, Hamburg photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

** Bunthäuser Spitze

1914. Inactive since 1977. 7 m (23 ft) hexagonal pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery; an external stairway provides access to the gallery. Tower painted green, lantern red, gallery railing white. Mark Max Henckel's photo is above, Werning has a good photo, Jenšíková has a photo, Wikimedia has several photos, and Google has a satellite view. The Bunthäuser Spitze is a narrow point of land dividing the Norderelbe and Süderelbe, the northern and southern branches of the Elbe, on the southeast side of Hamburg. The lighthouse marked this point for boats bound downstream. The tower now houses equipment used for monitoring the flow rate of the river. The building was restored in 1989 as part of the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Hamburg harbor, and it was repainted and repaired in 2007. Located near the point, beyond the end of the Moorwerder Hauptdeich; accessible by a short walk from the end of the road. Sit open, and visitors can climb the external stairs to the gallery. Owner/site manager: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-059.

Hamburg Lightships

*** Trinity House Lightship 13 1952. Decommissioned 1989. 42 m (138 ft) 2-masted steel lightship, painted red; light tower with lantern and Fresnel lens mounted amidships. Klempau also has a page for the vessel, a 2010 photo is available, Jenšíková has 2008 photos, and Google has a satellite view. Built by Philips & Sons, Dartmouth, England, the ship served many stations off the English coast. In 1991 the ship was sold to the German captain Wulf Hoffmann and sailed to Hamburg; since 1993 it has served as a floating restaurant, pub, and hotel in the city harbor in Hamburg. Located on the Vorsetzen, the waterfront in downtown Hamburg. Site open, ship open daily. Owner/site manager: Das Feuerschiff. ARLHS FED-144. * Lightship Elbe 3 1888. Decommissioned 1977. 45.1 m (148 ft) lightship, originally 3-masted but now 2-masted. Hull painted red, superstructure white. Hans-Jürgen Becker's photo is at right, Klempau also has a page for the ship, Christoph Bellin has a 2011 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Built by Johann Lange in Vegesack and launched as the Weser, the ship served on that station until World War II. It was overhauled in 1936, and its current diesel engines were installed at that time. After World War II the ship served ten years as the Bremen, ten more as the Weser, and then, beginning in 1966, as the Elbe 3. Since 1979 the ship has been based in Hamburg as a museum and excursion ship. It is believed to be the world's oldest operational lightship. Berthed at the Museumshafen Övelgönne on the north bank of the Elbe at Neumühlen, just west of the center of Hamburg. Site open; ship open for tours on Sunday afternoons except when it is on tour elsewhere; check locally for current information. Owner/site manager: Förderkreis Elbe3. ARLHS FED-275.

Lightship Elbe 3, Hamburg, September 2008 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Hans-Jürgen Becker

Western Hamburg Lighthouses
* Holtenau Süd (lantern)

1895. Cast iron lantern and gallery from the Holtenau Süd lighthouse at the north entrance to the Nord-Ostsee Kanal in Holtenau, near Kiel. The lantern is to the left of the ship in H.-W. Schlieper's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lantern was replaced in 1998 by a larger lantern capable of carrying a radar antenna. The original lantern is on display outside the International Maritime Museum on the Elbchaussee west of downtown Hamburg. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg.

* Blankenese Oberfeuer

1984. Active; focal plane 84 m (276 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. 40 m (131 ft) round cylindrical tower with a funnel-shaped topmark, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup photo by Manfred Schüler, Werning has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was scheduled for replacement in 2008-09, and the new lighthouse was to be Germany's tallest at 70 m (230 ft); we do not know if this replacement has occurred. Located atop a hill in Hirsch Park, on the north bank of the Elbe in the Blankenese neighborhood just west of Hamburg, 1350 m (4430 ft) east of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-040; Admiralty B1568.71.

* Blankenese Unterfeuer 1984. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 42 m (138 ft) round cylindrical tower with a funnel-shaped topmark, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower's base is surrounded by two circular observation platforms. A photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a closeup photo by Wolfgang Warncke, Werning has a photo, a good view from the river is available, Wikimedia has photos, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was scheduled for replacement in 2008-09, but an October 2009 photo shows no change. Located on a concrete pier just off the north bank of the Elbe in the Blankenese neighborhood just west of Hamburg; accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-039; Admiralty B1568.7. * Wittenbergen Unterfeuer 1900. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal skeletal tower with a large circular lantern and gallery, enclosed 2-story watch room, and central cylinder. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands, lantern white with a black roof, gallery railing black. A photo is at right, Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup photo by Wolfgang Warncke, a 2009 photo is available, Wikimedia has additional photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is the front light of a downstream (westbound) range marking the channel for ships leaving Hamburg. The initial placement of the tower was incorrect, so it was moved 8 m (26 ft) south in 1905. The lighthouse was restored and modernized in 1979. Located on the north bank of the Elbe at Wittenbergen; Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-038; Admiralty B1568. * Tinsdal (Wittenbergen) Oberfeuer 1900. Active; focal plane 56 m (183 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. 42 m (137 ft) hexagonal skeletal tower with a large circular lantern and gallery, enclosed 2-story watch room, and central cylinder. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands, lantern white with a black roof, gallery railing black. Trabas has a closeup photo by Wolfgang Warncke, Werning has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Sibling of the Grünendeich Oberfeuer (see the Cuxhanven and Stade page). The light was named for the nearby Tinsdal gunpowder factory. Located off the Tinsdalerweg near Wittenbergen, west of Hamburg, 800 m (1/2 mi) west of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-237; Admiralty B1568.1.

Wittenbergen Unterfeuer, Wittenbergen, June 2006 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Staro1

Schleswig-Holstein: Pinneberg District Lighthouses

Wedel Area Lighthouses
* Pagensand Nord (1)

1933. Inactive since 1992. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Leuchtturm-Atlas has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. This is one of three identical towers built at Pagensand during 1932-34. The deactivated lighthouse was relocated to the WSA Hamburg buoy depot in Wedel, a town on the north side of the Elbe about 16 km (10 mi) west of downtown Hamburg. Located on Deichstraße on the Wedel waterfront. Site open, tower closed.

Juelssand (2) 1896 (station established 1873). Inactive since 2010. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery rising at one corner of a 1-story brick keeper's house. Building painted white; lantern roof is black. A photo by Gunnar Ries is at right, Trabas has a nice photo by Wolfgang Warncke, and a 2010 photo is available, but clouds obscure Google's satellite view. This light guides downstream (westbound) traffic. Juelssand is a marshy island off the north bank of the Elbe. Located on the north side of the Elbe at a bend in the river, about 7 km (4 mi) west northwest of Wedel. There does not appear to be any land access to this location. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-120; ex-Admiralty B1528. Pagensand Lighthouses Note: Pagensand is a 6 km (4 mi) long island in the Elbe south of Kollmar. Most of the island is artificial, built with dredge spoil from the river in the early 20th century. Today much of the island is set aside as an ecological reserve. Pagensand Süd 1934. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical steel(?) tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a hexagonal stone base. Lighthouse painted red. E.J. Herrmann has a fine closeup, Wikipedia has a view from the river by Uwe Barghaan, Trabas has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the southern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-186; Admiralty B1506. Pagensand Mitte Oberfeuer (2) 1992 (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. E.J. Herrmann has a photo, Trabas has a distant view of the range, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides upstream (eastbound) traffic as it approaches the island. Located in the middle of Pagensand. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-183; Admiralty B1498.1. Pagensand Mitte Unterfeuer (2) 1992 (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 20.5 m (67 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and two galleries, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. Located on the west bank of Pagensand. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-181; Admiralty B1498.

Juelssand Light, Wedel, September 2009 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Gunnar Ries

Pagensand Mitte (1)

1933. Inactive since 1992. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery mounted on a hexagonal stone base. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. The light was deactivated in 1992, but the tower functions as a daybeacon and is floodlit at night. A 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal northwest of its replacement, the Pagensand Mitte Unterfeuer (previous entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-185.

Pagensand Nord Unterfeuer

1986. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and two galleries, painted red with a white horizontal band. Trabas has an excellent closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light and the Kollmar Oberfeuer form a downstream (westbound) range guiding ships around the west side of the island. Located on an artificial islet in the river off the northern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-182; Admiralty B1501.

Pagensand Nord (Leitfeuer) (2)

1992 (station established 1932). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 6 s; also a directional light, white, red, or green, occulting once every 6 s. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery mounted on a hexagonal stone base. Lighthouse painted red. Trabas has a photo by Ronald Wöhrn, and Google has a satellite view. This light is a near-copy of the original lighthouse, which was relocated to the WSA Hamburg buoy depot in Wedel (see above). Located on a stony artificial islet in the river northwest of the northern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-180; Admiralty B1500.

Schleswig-Holstein: Steinburg District Lighthouses

Kollmar Area Lighthouses

* Kollmar (Pagensand Nord) Oberfeuer 1986. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. 40 m (131 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with a white horizontal band. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located beside the riverside highway on the north bank of the Elbe at Kollmar, 1330 m (0.8 mi) north of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-184; Admiralty B1501.1. * Steindeich (Leuchtturm Elbe) Early 1960s. Inactive since 1994. 33 m (108 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern, equipment room, and double gallery, rising from the center of an octagonal 1-story brick control building. Tower painted with narrow red and white horizontal bands. Werning's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. This tower carries a radar antenna that formerly played a key role in monitoring ship traffic on the Elbe. It was deactivated when the advent of satellite navigation made it unnecessary. The lighthouse was sold into private hands. Located behind the dike on the northwest bank of the Elbe at Steindeich, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Kollmar. Owner/site manager: Leuchtturm Elbe. ARLHS FED-229; Admiralty B1490. Glückstadt Area Lighthouses Bielenberg 1907. Inactive since 1969. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square tower rising from one corner of 1-story keeper's house. Lantern removed. Building painted white with gray trim. Werning has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse has been refurbished as a private residence. The light was moved to a fiberglass tower, which remained in service until the new Kollmar lighthouse was commissioned in 1986. Located on the northeast bank of the Elbe at Bielenberg, roughly opposite the Ruthensand lighthouses. Site status unknown. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS FED-283.

Steindeich Light (Leuchturm Elbe), Steindeich photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

Rhinplatte Süd

Date unknown (modern). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); flash every 6 s, white or red depending on direction. Approx. 42 m (140 ft) round cylindrical tower topped by communications equipment; a wide gallery at the 15 m (50 ft) level carries a radar antenna and the navigation light. Tower painted white. Trabas also has a photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Rhinplatte is a long, narrow island on the northeastern side of the Elbe just off Glückstadt. Located in the river just off the southern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat, but the lighthouse can be viewed from Bielenberg or from the other side of the river at Krautsand. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. Admiralty B1489.

* Glückstadt Nordmole (3) 1995 (station established 1846). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical tower with round lantern and gallery, mounted on a square stone and concrete base. Entire lighthouse painted white. Werning has a photo, Trabas has a good closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, built by Denmark and seen in Huelse's postcard view, was replaced in 1914 with a square skeletal tower seen in a second postcard view. The modern light stands on the stone base of the 1914 light, and its lantern was designed as a replica of the 1914 lantern. Located at the northern entrance to Glückstadt harbor, on the northeast side of the Elbe. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-090; Admiralty B1476. * Glückstadt Oberfeuer 1937. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. 33 m (108 ft) tapered round concrete tower with triangular lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands, lantern painted white with a black roof. A photo by Charles Hutchins is at right, Werning has a photo, Trabas has a great photo by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. This is the rear light of an upstream (eastbound) range leading ships to Glückstadt. The lighthouse was refurbished and modernized in 1995. Located on the Neuendeich road at Jahnstraße in Glückstadt. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-091; Admiralty B1456.1. * Glückstadt Unterfeuer 1937. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the rear light; also a directional light, white, red, or green, occulting once every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with triangular lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands, lantern painted white with a black roof. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a photo by Schüler, and the shadow of the tower is seen in a Google satellite view. The directional light leads ferries eastward across the river from Wischhafen. Located on the northeast bank of the Elbe 1250 m (0.78 mi) northwest of the rear light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-089; Admiralty B1456 (range light) and B1457 (directional light). * Stör Unterfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white flash every 3 s, synchronized with the rear light. 7 m (23 ft) round brick tower. The lantern has been removed and the light is now shone through a small opening in the middle of a triangular daymarker. Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The rear light is mounted on a bar supported by two poles; it can be moved laterally to adjust for minor changes in the channel alignment. Located at the mouth of the Stör River about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Glückstadt. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-348; Admiralty B1464.

Glückstadt Oberfeuer, Glückstadt, August 2007 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Charles Hutchins

Wewelsfleth Area Lighthouses

* Hollerwettern Unterfeuer (2)

1982 (station established 1911). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, a lower gallery, and two upper galleries forming a drum-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup photo by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the northeast bank of the Elbe near Hollerwettern, about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Wewelsfleth. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-350; Admiralty B1458.

* Hollerwettern Unterfeuer (1) 1911. Inactive since 1982. 18 m (60 ft) square tower with large lantern and gallery rising from a front corner of a 2-story keeper's house. Tower painted red, lantern white; keeper's house painted gray. This light was the front light of a downstream (westbound) range; the rear light was the original Brokdorf Oberfeuer, now demolished. Changes in the river channel made the old range obsolete. Werning's photo is at right, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is in use as a private residence. Located in the village of Hollerwettern on the northeast side of the Elbe, about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Wewelsfleth. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS FED-109. Osterende Oberfeuer 1984. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. 38 m (125 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery forming a funnel-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands, instead of the usual red and white, to distinguish it from the nearby Brokdorf Oberfeuer. Werning has a photo, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The Osterende range is an upsteam (eastbound) range and helps guide ships approaching a major bend in the river. Located in a field east of the Brokdorf nuclear power plant. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-345; Admiralty B1457.51. Brokdorf (3) (Hollernwetter Oberfeuer) 1982 (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two upper galleries forming a drum-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning has a fine photo, Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse also has a postcard view of the 1911 lighthouse, which was demolished in 1982. Located in the midst of the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, 1560 m (1 mi) north of the front light. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. Admiralty B1460.

1911 Hollerwettern Light (also Brokdorf Oberfeuer in left distance), Hollerwettern photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

* Osterende Unterfeuer

1984. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery forming a funnel-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands to match the markings of the Oberfeuer. Werning has a good closeup, Trabas has a good photo by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the northeast bank of the Elbe in front of the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, 1025 m (0.6 mi) south of the rear light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-346; Admiralty B1457.5.

St. Margarethen Area Lighthouses
* Scheelenkuhlen Oberfeuer (3)

1976 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. 47 m (154 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a distant view by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. This is the rear light of an upstream (eastbound) range. The wooden tower built here in 1880 was replaced with a 10 m (33 ft) brick tower in 1887; unfortunately, that tower was demolished in 1976 when its directional light was replaced with the present range lights. Located north of the B431 highway about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of St. Margarethen. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-321; Admiralty B1454.1.

* Scheelenkuhlen Unterfeuer (2)

1976 (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the rear lights. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. This tower carries the front range lights for both the upstream Scheelenkuhlen and downstream St. Margarthen ranges. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the 1897 lighthouse. Located beside the B431 riverside highway on the north bank of the Elbe 1810 m (1.1 mi) west of the rear light and about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of St. Margarethen. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-230; Admiralty B1454.

* St. Margarethen Oberfeuer

1983. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white light 4 s on, 4 s off, synchronized with the front light. 37 m (121 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is the rear light of a downstream (westbound) range; the front light is carried on the Scheelenkuhlen Unterfeuer. Located 1075 m (0.6 mi) northwest of the front light and about 1 km (0.6 mi) west of St. Margarethen. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-347; Admiralty B1453.9.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Billerbeck (1899-1960), Hamburg, near Tinsdal.
• Cranz (1882-1967), Hamburg near the Estemündung. The 6th order lens was transferred to the Estemündung lighthouse.
• Esch (1873-1877), Pagensand area.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northwest: North Frisia | West: Cuxhaven and Stade

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Posted March 30, 2005. Checked and revised January 27, 2013. Lighthouses: 37; lightships: 2. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.