Lighthouses of Germany: North Frisia

Germany has two coastlines, one facing northwest on the North Sea and the other facing northeast on the Baltic Sea. This page lists lighthouses of the northern part of the North Sea coast, in the area known as North Frisia. This coast faces westward on the North Sea between the Elbe estuary and the Danish border.

Interest in lighthouses is strong in Germany, and most of the towers are in good condition. A federal law provides blanket protection to historic lighthouses. There is concern, however, that many of the lights may be deactivated in the coming years as navigators depend less and less on them.

In German, a lighthouse is a Leuchtturm ("light tower"), plural Leuchttürme. The front light of a range is the Unterfeuer and the rear light is the Oberfeuer. There are many modern range lighthouses, and most of these towers are crowned by a topmark: a large, distinctive structure that serves to mark the range clearly in the daytime. Some topmarks are conical, others are funnel-shaped, and some consist of one or more gallery-like rings around the tower.

Germany is a federal republic with 16 member states called Bundesländer. North Frisia is part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state. Schleswig, including what is now the Nordfriesland district of Schleswig-Holstein, was ruled by Denmark until 1864. There are three surviving Danish lighthouses on the island of Sylt, and several other light stations in Schleswig-Holstein were established under Danish rule.

Lighthouses in Germany are operated by the regional harbor authority, called the WSA (Wasser- und Schiffahrtsamt). The WSA's are linked to and regulated by a federal agency, the Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamtverwaltung des Bundes (WSV).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume B of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from NGA Publication 114.

Leuchtturm Westerheversand
  Westerheversand Light, Westerhever, May 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Bernd Möhle
General Sources
Leuchtturm-Atlas
A large site with excellent photos and information on nearly all German lighthouses, maintained by Frank and Birgit Toussaint.
Leuchtfeuerindex B: Deutschland
Photos of North Sea lights posted by Alexander Trabas.
Leuchttürme.net - Deutschland
Outstanding photos by Malte Werning.
Lighthouses in Germany
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Lighthouses in Schleswig-Holstein
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Dirk's Leuchtturmhomepage
An large collection of photos and much additional information.
Leuchtturmseiten von Anke und Jens - Germany
This site has photos and information on many of the lights.
Deutsche Leuchttürme/Feuerschiffe
Photos posted by Klause Huelse. Huelse also has a large collection of historic postcard views.
Leuchtturmgalerie
Photos and brief but informative accounts by Jürgen Linge.
Leuchttürme
Lighthouse information and photos from WSA Tönning.
Interessengemeinschaft Seezeichen e.V.
Germany's national lighthouse preservation organization.
Feuerschiffe in Deutschland
An outstanding site on German lightships, maintained by Iris Klempau.
Leuchtturm Hörnum
Hörnum Light, Sylt, October 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Ivonne

Helgoland Lighthouses

Note: The territory of Helgoland (sometimes spelled Heligoland in English) includes a pair of small islands (Hauptinsel Helgoland and Düne) in the North Sea about 50 km (30 mi) west of St. Peter, a similar distance north of Wangerooge, and 70 km (45 mi) northwest of Cuxhaven. Controlled at various times by the Duchy of Schleswig or by Hamburg, the islands were seized by Denmark in 1714 and then by Britain in 1807. The British remained in control until 1890, when they ceded Helgoland to Germany in return for a favorable settlement of colonial claims in Africa. Helgoland has a permanent population of about 1700. It is a popular tourist attraction accessible by ferry from Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wedel, and Cuxhaven daily from late March through late October. For administrative purposes, Helgoland is attached to Pinneberg District, a district on the north side of the Elbe just below Hamburg. The lighthouses of the mainland portion of Pinneberg are listed on the Hamburg Area page.
* Helgoland (3)
1952 (station established by Britain in 1811). Active; focal plane 82 m (269 ft); white flash every 5 s. 35 m (115 ft) square 9-story steel and concrete building with brick veneer, lantern and gallery. The top of the building is also crowded with communications and radar antennas. Sebastian Courvoisier's photo is at right, Werning has a good page for the lighthouse, Leuchtturm-Atlas has a great photo, Trabas has a good photo by Joke Reijnen, Wikimedia has a 2010 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The British lighthouse agency Trinity House built the first lighthouse here, an 18 m (59 ft) stone tower, in 1811. In 1870, Trinity House installed a new first-order lantern and lens. In 1901, the Germans replaced the British lighthouse with a 36 m (118 ft) stone tower and transferred the 1870 lantern and lens to the Staberhuk lighthouse on the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic, where they are still in service today. Unfortunately, the 1901 lighthouse was destroyed during a World War II bombing raid in 1945. The present lighthouse was actually built in 1941 as an antiaircraft observation tower; somehow it escaped the bombing and survived to be converted into a lighthouse in 1952. The brick veneer was added in 1965 during a renovation of the building. The building serves as a ship traffic control center for WSA Tönning. Huelse has postcard views of the first and second lighthouses. Located on Leuchtturmstraße on the western side of Hauptinsel Helgoland. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-101; Admiralty B1312; NGA 10136.
* Düne (2) Oberfeuer
1936 (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off, synchronized with the front light. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical steel tower with lantern, mounted on a circular concrete base. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Leuchtturm-Atlas has a good closeup photo, Trabas has a photo by Joke Reijnen, Werning also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built from prefabricated segments. The range light is shown to the south southwest, and a directional light is also shown to the northeast; both lines guide ships bound for the harbor on the Hauptinsel. The range front light is on a simple post. Located 120 m (130 yd) behind the front light, on the beach on the south side of Düne. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-103; Admiralty B1326.1; NGA 10152.
Leuchtturm Helgoland
Helgoland Light, Hauptinsel Helgoland, December 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Sebastian Courvoisier

Dithmarschen District Lighthouses

Brunsbüttel Lighthouses
Note: Brunsbüttel, a town on the north side of the Elbe estuary, is the southwestern terminus of the Nord-Ostsee Kanal (often called the Kiel Canal). Since 1895, this 98.7 km (61.3 mi) canal has provided a shortcut from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea via Kiel. In 1914, the entrance from the Elbe was shifted slightly west by the construction of new and larger entrance locks, but the older locks also remain in service. A special WSA, WSA Brunsbüttel, operates the southern half of the canal.
* Brunsbüttel Oberfeuer (2)
1975 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white light 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, synchronized with the front light. 49 m (160 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery forming a funnel-shaped topmark, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup by Schüler, Larry Myhre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of the original lighthouse, which was a hexagonal skeletal tower of the Grünendeich class (see the Hamburg Area page). This is the rear light of the range guiding ships to the canal entrance. Located off the Fährstraße in an industrial park 1.6 km (1 mi) northeast of the canal entrance. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-052; Admiralty B1416.1; NGA 10532.
* Brunsbüttel Mole 1
1895. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous light, white or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal cast iron tower with lantern and upper and lower galleries, mounted on an octagonal stone base. Upper 2/3 (above the lower gallery) painted white with a large black numeral "1", lower 1/3 painted black. Werning has a view from the land side, Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, Larry Myhre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the south mole at the original canal entrance. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse is easily viewed from shore. Operator: WSA Brunsbüttel. ARLHS FED-054; Admiralty B1444; NGA 10572.
* Brunsbüttel (Schleuseninsel) Unterfeuer
1975. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, synchronized with the rear light. 23 m (76 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery forming a funnel-shaped topmark, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a fine photo by Schüler, Larry Myhre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the Schleuseninsel, the island between the old and new locks. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Hamburg. ARLHS FED-053; Admiralty B1416; NGA 10528.
* Brunsbüttel Mole 2
1895. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous red light. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal cast iron tower with lantern and upper and lower galleries, mounted on an octagonal stone base. Lighthouse painted red with a large white numeral "2"; lantern dome painted white. Werning also has a good photo, Trabas has a photo by Schüler, Larry Myhre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north mole at the original canal entrance. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse is easily viewed from shore. Operator: WSA Brunsbüttel. ARLHS FED-055; Admiralty B1442; NGA 10568.
* Brunsbüttel Mole 3 (2)
1992 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two continuous green lights, one above the other. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical tower with 2-story lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one black horizontal band bearing a large white numeral "3"; lantern roof painted black. Fog horn (blast every 10 s). Werning also has a good photo, Trabas has a nice photo, Larry Myhre has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1992, but the double lantern is the 1914 original. Located on the south mole at the newer canal entrance. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse is easily viewed from shore. Operator: WSA Brunsbüttel. ARLHS FED-056; Admiralty B1436; NGA 10564.
* Brunsbüttel Mole 4
1977. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two continuous red lights, one above the other. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical tower with 2-story lantern and double gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Larry Myhre's photo is at right, Werning also has a good photo, Trabas has another closeup, Wikimedia has Joachim Müllerchen's panoramic view of mole lights 2, 3, and 4, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north mole at the newer canal entrance. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Brunsbüttel. ARLHS FED-057; Admiralty B1438; NGA 10552.
Brunsbüttel Mole 4 Light
Mole 4 Light, Brunsbüttel, June 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Larry Myhre

Büsum Lighthouses
Note: Büsum is a fishing port and resort town about 5 km (3 mi) north of the mouth of the Elbe.
* Büsum Ostmole (Südmole) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1929). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, occulting three times every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted green. Trabas has a closeup photo by Schüler, Werning has a photo, and Google has a satellite view of both mole lights. The lantern of the original lighthouse is on display on the town waterfront (see below). Büsum is a fishing port north of the Elbe entrance and about 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Tönning. Located on the end of the east mole of Büsum harbor. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-060; Admiralty B1610; NGA 10592.
* Büsum Westmole (Nordmole) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1929). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, occulting three times every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Werning has an excellent closeup photo, Trabas also has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view of both mole lights. Located on the end of the west mole of Büsum harbor. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-061; Admiralty B1609; NGA 10584.
* Büsum (2)
1913 (station established 1878). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 3 s off. 22 m (72 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and double gallery. Lower half of tower painted white, upper half red, lantern black. Werning's photo is at right, Leuchtturm-Atlas has a good photo, Trabas has a great closeup, Wikimedia has several photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The light guides ships toward Büsum in two channels, one from the west and one from the south. The present red and white pattern was applied in 1952; previously the lighthouse was painted black. Located onshore near the foot of the west mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-271; Admiralty B1606; NGA 10580.
* [Büsum Ostmole (Südmole) (1) (lantern)]
1929. Inactive. 4 m (13 ft) round cast iron lantern mounted on a round stone foundation. Lantern painted white with a green band around the window. Located on a plaza at the west end of the Fischerkai in Büsum; Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Museum am Meer.

Büsum Light, Büsum
photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

Nordfriesland District Lighthouses

Westerhever and Husum Area Lighthouses
* St. Peter-Böhl
1892. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two long (2 s) flashes every 15 s, white or red depending on direction. 18 m (60 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is unpainted dark red-brown brick; lantern painted black. Fresnel lens in use. Larry Myhre's photo is at right, Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a photo by Joke Reijnen, Leuchtturm-Atlas has a closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The lantern was added to this tower in 1914. In 2001, Anke and Jens found the tower being restored. The lighthouse stands at the southwestern corner of the Eiderstedt peninsula marking the entrance to the Eider estuary. Located about 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Sankt Peter-Ording and about 30 km (19 mi) west of Tönning. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-231; Admiralty B1624; NGA 10596.
** Westerheversand
1908. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 15 s. 40 m (131 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and double gallery, mounted on a 1-story concrete base and flanked to either side by two 1-1/2 story keeper's cottages. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern, watch room, and galleries painted black. A large Fresnel lens is on display. Bernd Möhle's photo is at the top of the page, WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Werning has an excellent photo, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, Wikimedia has many photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This beautiful tower is one of the best-known lighthouses of the German North Sea coast. It is such a popular site for weddings that one of the keeper's cottages is a registrar's office; the other is a national park office. Located near the beach at the northwestern corner of the Eiderstedt peninsula, west of Osterhever. Accessible by a short walk from the dike. Site open; tower open for climbing Mondays and Wednesdays during the summer season. Operator: WSA Tönning. Site manager: Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer. ARLHS FED-260; Admiralty B1652; NGA 10600.
* Hörnum Unterfeuer (2) (lantern)
1939. Inactive since 1979. Originally a 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red with one white horizontal band. A small photo shows that only the top of the tower has been preserved. Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built at Hörnum in the southern part of Sylt. Overthrown by beach erosion during a storm in March 1979, it was salvaged and relocated for display outside the maritime museum in Husum, the capital of the district of Nordfriesland. The museum is located on the Zingel Damm in downtown Husum, at the head of the harbor. Site open, museum open daily, tower closed. Site manager: Schifffahrtsmuseum Nordfriesland. ARLHS FED-116.
St. Peter-Böhl Light
St. Peter-Böhl Light, Sankt Peter-Ording, June 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Larry Myhre

Pellworm Area Lighthouses
Note: Pellworm is a roughly elliptical island off the Nordstrand peninsula west of Husum. The island has a permanent population of about 1200, and it is accessible by ferry from Nordstrand.
Süderoogsand (2)
1985 (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 3 s off. 19 m (62 ft) square pyramidal wood framework tower with lantern. Tower unpainted, lantern painted black. Trabas has a photo. This unusual light tower replaced the original wood frame tower. The lighthouse provides a directional light for ships entering the Hever, the channel north of the Eiderstedt peninsula. Keepers formerly reached the light using a horse-drawn cart at low tide. Located at the south end of the Süderoogsand (a broad area of shallows and sandbars) about 7 km (4.5 mi) northwest of Westerheversand. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. Site manager: Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer. ARLHS FED-235; Admiralty B1672; NGA 10604.
Pellworm Unterfeuer
1907. Inactive since 2002. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a small circular crib. Tower painted white, lantern red with a gray roof. The status of this light is not clear; Leuchtturm-Atlas states that the range line was replaced with a directional light in the Oberfeuer in 2002, and the Unterfeuer was eingespart ("spared" or made unnecessary). It probably remains in service as a daybeacon. Located about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) southwest of the rear light; Google has a satellite view. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-273; Admiralty B1676; NGA 10608.
** Pellworm (Oberfeuer)
1907. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. 41 m (135 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and double gallery, mounted on a 1-story concrete base. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band; lantern, watch room, and galleries painted black. Fresnel lens in use. 2-story keeper's house is used as a registrar's office; this lighthouse, like Westheversand, is popular for weddings. Markus Schmid's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo, Wikimedia has photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is practically identical to the Hörnum and Westheversand lighthouses. Located on the south side of the island of Pellworm, guiding ships into the harbor. Site open, tower open for climbing Monday through Wednesday during the summer season. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-187; Admiralty B1676.1; NGA 10612.
Pellworm Oberfeuer
Pellworm Oberfeuer, Pellworm, May 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Markus Schmid

Dagebüll Area Lighthouses
* Dagebüll (2) (Unterfeuer)
1929 (station established by Denmark, 1845). Inactive since 1988. 15 m (49 ft) square brick tower with octagonal brick lantern room and an unusual "witch's hat" roof. Lighthouse is unpainted; roof is black. Werning's photo is at right, Martin Heise has a closeup photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The small port of Dagebüll is important as the point of embarkation for ferries to Amrun and the other North Frisian islands. This lighthouse was the front light of a range guiding the ferries; the rear tower has been demolished. Anke and Jens visited this site in 2001 and reported the lighthouse seemed abandoned and "without function." Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the ferry terminal in Dagebüll. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS FED-068.
Oland
1929. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); continuous white, red, or green light, depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) square brick tower with thatched roof; lantern with a small Fresnel lens mounted near the top of the front face of the tower. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Yes, this is probably the world's only lighthouse with a thatched roof. Oland is a small island about 11 km (7 mi) south of Dagebüll; its population is about 50. The island is joined tenuously to the mainland by a causeway crossed by a historic railroad line. Located on the village wharf, on the northwest side of the island. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-174; Admiralty B1714; NGA 10652.
* Nordmarsch
1902. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three long white flashes every 20 s, white or red depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is unpainted brown brick; lantern is white with a black roof. Fresnel lens in use. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a great closeup photo by Klaus Potschien, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the western end of Langeneß, a long island that stretches southwestward from near Oland. The island is accessible by ferry from Schlüttsiel; the lighthouse is about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of the ferry terminal at Rixwarft. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-344; Admiralty B1700; NGA 10640.

Föhr Lighthouses
Note: Föhr is a roughly circular island lying between Amrun and the mainland, southeast of Sylt. It has a population of about 8500 and is accessible by ferry from Dagebüll.
* Olhörn (Wyk)
1952. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting four times every 15 s. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is unpainted red-brown brick; lantern and gallery painted white. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, a 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse replaced an 1892 daybeacon. Located on the southeastern corner of Föhr, about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the ferry terminal at Wyk. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-175; Admiralty B1704; NGA 10644.
Leuchtturm Dagebüll
Dagebüll Light, Dagebüll
photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission
* Nieblum (Föhr)
1981. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting twice every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical aluminum tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one white horizontal band. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. Sibling of the Wittdün lighthouse (next entry). Located on the coastal road on the south side of Föhr about 10 km (6 mi) west of the Olhörn lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-167; Admiralty B1702.

Amrum Lighthouses
Note: Amrum is a small, boomerang-shaped barrier island located south of Sylt; it is a popular tourist destination readily accessible by ferry from Dagebüll. The permanent population is about 2300.
* Wittdün
1977. Inactive since 1988. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical aluminum tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one white horizontal band. Henning Bulka has a 2008 photo, Bert Holtcamp also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light replaced a light shone from a window of a health clinic (since demolished). Located on the waterfront of Wittdün, at the south end of Amrum, near the ferry terminal. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS FED-264.
*** Amrum
1875. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 41 m (135 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with two white horizontal bands. The original 16-sided 1st order Fresnel lens remains in use. An 11 m (36 ft) mast near the tower formerly carried the rear light of a harbor entrance range; according to Leuchtturm-Atlas this range has been discontinued recently, although the front light is still listed by NGA 2012. Markus Schroeder's photo is at right, WSA has a page with a good photo, Trabas has a great photo by Photo Quedens, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. A handsome and historic lighthouse, the first built by Germany on the North Frisian coastline. For northbound ships, this is the first long-range light seen north of Helgoland. The lighthouse is built on a high dune northwest of the harbor of Wittdün, the ferry terminal at the south end of the island. Site open, tower open for climbing Monday through Friday mornings during the summer season. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-032; Admiralty B1686; NGA 10620.
* Nebel
1981. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical aluminum tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one white horizontal band. WSA has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup by Schüler, and Google has a satellite view. Another sibling of the Wittdün lighthouse (see above). Located on the east side of Amrum near the center of the island, about 5 km (3 mi) north of Wittdün. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-160; Admiralty B1691.
Norddorf
1906. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. The lantern and gallery are painted red and the short tower white. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Thore Siebrands has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Prefabricated by Julius Pintsch, Berlin, as the prototype for a series of small cast iron towers. This little lighthouse is an important sector light for ships approaching the Hörnum pass between Amrum and Sylt. Located in the dunes on the northwest coast of Amrum about 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest of Norddorf village. Accessible by a hike of about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) through the dunefield. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-168; Admiralty B1728; NGA 10636.
Leuchtturm Amrum
Amrum Light, Amrum, November 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Markus Schroeder

Sylt Lighthouses
Note: Sylt is a barrier island about 40 km (25 mi) long facing due west on the North Sea. Since 1927 the island has been connected to the mainland by a causeway called the Hindenburgdamm. The causeway carries a rail line, which is popular way to reach the island's many beach resorts; ferry service is also available. The permanent population of the island is about 21,000.
* Hörnum Unterfeuer (3)
1980 (station established 1907). Inactive since 1995. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one white horizontal band. Thomas Ahlmeyer has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, built on piles, was demolished in 1939 when channel changes left it in the wrong position. The second lighthouse, overturned by winter storm in 1979, was salvaged for display in Husum (see above). The present light was deactivated (along with the range) in 2002 because further changes in the channels made it useless. The tower was scheduled for demolition in 2002, but this project was cancelled. Instead, in May 2003, the light tower was transferred to a science institute, which installed a radar antenna on the tower to study wave action offshore. Located on the oceanfront about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of the south end of the island of Sylt. Site open, tower closed. Owner: WSA Tönning (?). Site manager: GKSS Forschungszentrums Geesthacht. ARLHS FED-117.
*** Hörnum
1907. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.6 s, every 9 s. 34 m (112 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and double gallery, mounted on a 1-story concrete base. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band; lantern, watch room, and galleries painted black. Adjacent keeper's house now used as a registrar's office. A photo is near the top of this page, Trabas has a commercial photo by Eiland Verlag Sylt, WSA Tönning has a page, Werning also has a page, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. A beautiful and popular lighthouse, sibling of the Pellworm and Westerheversand lighthouses (see above). Until 1930 the lighthouse served as the local school, with classes on the upper floors. Today the lighthouse is a popular tourist destination and site for weddings. Located atop a dune on the southeast side of Sylt in the village of Hörnum. Island accessible by causeway from the mainland. Site open, tower open for guided tours Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during the summer season. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-118; Admiralty B1735; NGA 10676.
* Kampen (Rotes Kliff)
1856. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); white light, 3 s on, 7 s off; a red sector is shown near the shore to the north. 40 m (131 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with one black horizontal band in the center of the tower. 1st order Fresnel lens in use. Andreas Zachmann's photo is at right, Werning has an excellent page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a fine closeup by Klaus Kern, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This great and famous lighthouse was built by the Danish government using stone from the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea; the tower still bears the royal crest of Frederick VII of Denmark. The lighthouse was called by its Danish name Rotes Kliff (red cliff) until 1975, when the name was changed to Kampen, the name of the nearby village. (Unfortunately, this risks confusion with the Campen lighthouse near Emden.) Several iron rings were placed around the tower in 1875 when cracks were discovered in the stonework. The current black and white pattern was applied in 1953. Located atop a bluff (the red cliff) at Kampen in the northern third of Sylt. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-124; Admiralty B1740; NGA 10700.
* Rotes Kliff (Quermarkenfeuer)
1913. Inactive since 1975. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal brick tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern is white with an unpainted green copper roof. Werning also has a good page, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Marinas.com has aerial photos (misidentified as Kampen), and Google has a satellite view. This tower carried a sector light (Quermarkenfeuer). After deactivation it was transferred to the town of Kampen. The town carried out a restoration of the lighthouse in 1993. Located in a dunefield about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of Kampen. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Municipality of Kampen. ARLHS FED-200.
* List West
1858. Active; focal plane 19 m (56 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 11 m (36 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery painted red. Fresnel lens in use. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Werning has a page with a good photo, Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This, Germany's northernmost lighthouse, is one of two lighthouses built by the Danish government to guide ships through the channel between Sylt and the adjacent (and still Danish) island of Rømø. Both lighthouses are on the Ellenbogen ("elbow"), a 10 km (6 mi) long sand spit which is a protected natural area. Located at the northwest corner of Sylt, about 10 km (6 mi) by road from the town of List. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-148; Admiralty B1746; NGA 10704.
Leuchtturm Kampen
Kampen Light, Sylt, December 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Andreas Zachmann
* List Ost
1858. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Fresnel lens in use. WSA Tönning has a page for the lighthouse, Werning has a good page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a good photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is one of two lighthouses built by the Danish government on the sand spit at the north end of Sylt to guide ships through the channel between Sylt and the adjacent (and still Danish) island of Rømø. The lighthouse is close to the beach and may be endangered in the future by beach erosion. Located near the east end of the Ellenbogen about 18 km (11 mi) by road from the town of List. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Tönning. ARLHS FED-147; Admiralty B1748; NGA 10708.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Neufeld (1898-1980), north side of the Elbemündung, below Brunsbüttel. ARLHS FED-161.
  • Schulstraße (1913-1976), Brunsbüttel. This major lighthouse served as the rear light of a range, with the Sösmenhusen lighthouse as the front light. Both lighthouses were demolished when changes to the Elbe channel made the range obsolete.
  • Sösmenhusen (1895-1976), Brunsbüttel.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Denmark West Coast | Southeast: Hamburg Area | South: Cuxhaven and Stade

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Posted March 30, 2005. Checked and revised February 6, 2013. Lighthouses: 32. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.