Lighthouses of Germany: Northeast Coast (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)

General Sources

Leuchtturm-Atlas A large site with excellent photos and information on nearly all German lighthouses, maintained by Frank and Birgit Toussaint. Leuchttürme.net - Deutschland Outstanding photos by Malte Werning. Online List of Lights - Germany - Baltic Sea Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Dirk's Leuchtturmhomepage An large collection of photos and much additional information. Leuchtturmseiten von Anke und Jens - Germany Baltic Sea This site has photos and information on many of the lights. WSA Lübeck - Leuchttürme Information on active lighthouses, with photos. Germany Lighthouses Photos by Larry Myhre. Majáky - Německo - Baltské moře Photos posted by Anna Jenšíková. Lighthouses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Photos available from Wikimedia. Lighthouses in Germany Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com. Deutsche Leuchttürme/Feuerschiffe Photos posted by Klause Huelse, who also has a page of historic postcard views. Interessengemeinschaft Seezeichen e.V. Germany's national lighthouse preservation organization. Feuerschiffe in Deutschland An outstanding site on German lightships, maintained by Iris Klempau.

Kap Arkona Lights, Rügen, September 2010 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Unokorno

Nordvestmecklenburg District Lighthouses

Mecklenburg Bay (Wismar Area) Lighthouses

Wismar Unterfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); red light, 3 s on, 1 s off. 26 m (85 ft) slender skeletal tower. Trabas has a photo, but the tower is mostly hidden by a tree in Google's satellite view. Located on the west side of the entrance to the Westhafen, an inner harbor basin of Wismar. Site status unknown. Admiralty C1392; NGA 3372.

* Wismar Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); red light, 3 s on, 1 s off, synchronized with the front light.43 m (141 ft) slender skeletal tower. Trabas has a photo, and the shadow of the tower is seen in Google's satellite view. Located at the rear of the Westhafen. Site status unknown, but the tower is easy to see from nearby streets, including the Schiffbauerdamm. Admiralty C1392.1; NGA 3376.

* Walfisch Unterfeuer Date unknown (station established 1906). Inactive. 14 m (46 ft) cast iron lantern, watch room, and double gallery mounted on a short square skeletal tower; Fresnel lens mounted in the lantern. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is green. Werning also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse formerly stood in the Wismar Bucht south of Poel Island, carrying the front range lights for the inbound Walfisch range and the outbound Poel range. It has been relocated (fairly recently) for display on the lawn outside the WSA Lübeck district office in Wismar, a port on the southeast side of the Lübecker Bucht in the former East Germany. Trabas has a photo of the current Walfisch Unterfeuer. Located at the end of the Tonnenhofstraße, on the east side of the harbor entrance. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: WSA Lübeck. ARLHS FED-250; ex-Admiralty C1387.8; ex-NGA 3344. * Timmendorf (Timmendorf-Poel) 1872. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 3s off. 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of the front of a 2-story brick pilot house. Building painted white, except that the upper 1/3 of the tower is unpainted brown brick; lantern painted white with a red roof. 3rd order Fresnel lens in use since 1931. Stefan Worm's photo is at right, Werning has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup photo by Ulrich Bode, Wikimedia has several photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view of the tower at its original height, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The tower was heightened in 1931 by the addition of an additional section, which was not painted and remains unpainted today, so that from the sea the lighthouse presents itself as white with a single broad brown horizontal band. After the reunification of Germany, WSA carried out an extensive restoration of the building in 1996-97; it was necessary to replace much of the brickwork in the tower. The lighthouse was also recognized as a protected historic site. The lighthouse was repainted and refurbished in 2011, as seen in a photo by Rainer Lott and Steffi Esch. Located on the waterfront in Timmendorf, a fishing port on the west side of the island of Poel. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Lübeck. ARLHS FED-236; Admiralty C1386; NGA 3328.

Timmendorf Light, Timmendorf, October 2005 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Stefan Worm

* Gollwitz Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. Approx. 21 m (62 ft) triangular skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has a photo by Ulrich Bode, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 200 m (220 yd) west of the historic lighthouse (previous entry). Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Lübeck. Admiralty C1398; NGA 3330. * Gollwitz Nord (Unterfeuer) (2) 1953 (station established 1929). Reactivated (1996); focal plane 13 m (42 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7.5 m (25 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with square lantern and gallery, centered at the front of a 1-story concrete keeper's house. The building is unpainted white concrete; lantern painted red. Larry Myhre's photo is at right, Leuchtturm-Atlas has a good closeup photo, Trabas also has a good closeup, Patrick Scholl has a 2011 photo, Werning has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse shines a directional light over a very narrow arc to the north northwest defining the proper approach to Poel Island and Wismar for ships arriving from the Baltic. The DDR (East German) government built this rather plain lighthouse to replace the 1929 skeletal tower. In 1956 it became the front light of a range. Later the building was closed and the light was elevated onto a skeletal mast bearing a large triangular daymarker. WSA Lübeck, finding the building in poor repair after reunification, renovated it in 1996, removed the mast and daymarker, and replaced the range with a directional light in the lantern. Located about 800 m (1/2 mi) west of the village of Gollwitz, near the northeastern end of the island of Poel. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Lübeck. ARLHS FED-092; Admiralty C1398.5; NGA 3331.

Gollwitz Nord Light, Gollwitz, December 2008 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Larry Myhre

Rostock District Lighthouse

**** Buk (Bastorf)

1878. Active; focal plane 95.5 m (313 ft); four long (2 s) flashes, white or red depending on direction, separated by 7 s, every 45 s. 21 m (69 ft) round brown brick tower with lantern and gallery, connected by a covered passageway to the 2-story brick keeper's house. Original 2nd order Fresnel lens in use. Buildings unpainted; lantern painted red. Alexander Meins's photo is at the top of this page, Werning has a photo, Leuchtturm-Atlas has a great photo, Wikimedia has numerous photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Built by the former Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, this lighthouse is a beautiful example of German Imperial lighthouse architecture and is recognized as a protected historic site. On Germany's generally low coastline, this lighthouse is elevated above the sea higher than any other. Marking the eastern entrance to the broad Mecklenburger Bucht, it was built as the landfall light for Wismar and a guide for ships westbound for Lübeck. The tower was formerly painted red with a white horizontal stripe, but the paint was removed in 1993. WSA Lübeck restored the station in several projects completed in 1999 and has recently opened this historic lighthouse to the public for the first time. Located on a bluff about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the Baltic at Bastorf, near Ostseebad Kühlingsborn, about 65 km (40 mi) northeast of Wismar. Site open, tower open daily except Mondays, May through September. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Lübeck. ARLHS FED-058; Admiralty C1400; NGA 3412.

Rostock City Lighthouses

Warnemünde Lighthouses

* Warnemünde Westmole (2) 1985 (station established 1963). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (40 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery, painted green with a white horizontal band between the galleries. Fog horn (Morse code "WN" every 30 s: short blast, two longs, pause, long, short.) Werning has an excellent photo, Trabas has a closeup, Wikimedia has a photo of the two mole lights in action, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated in 1998 onto a new arm of the west mole extending slightly to the east of the original mole ending. This lighthouse and its sibling on the east mole are known locally as Die Zwillinge (the twins). The 1963 lighthouse was relocated to a park in Rostock (see below). The history of the mole lights of Warnemünde is quite complex; both moles have been extended several times and there have been several lights on each mole. Michel Forand has a postcard photo showing the situation in 1959, shortly before the 1963 lights were installed, and another postcard view of the older beacons on the west mole. Located at the end of the west mole at the entrance to the river Warnow in Warnemünde. Accessible in good weather by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-258; Admiralty C1405; NGA 3452. *** Warnemünde (2) 1898 (station established 1836). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); four white flashes every 24 s in a 3+1 pattern, the flashes occuring at 0, 3, 6, and 15 s in the cycle. 31 m (102 ft) round tapered brick tower with lantern and two galleries, one at the top and one in the center of the tower. Tower is unpainted very light gray brick, but darker brick was used to create a dark band on the lower half of the tower; lantern dome is unpainted green copper. Original 2nd order Fresnel lens in use. Sven Laqua's photo is at right, Trabas has a good photo, Werning also has a good photo, an article on the history of the station is available, Wikimedia has numerous photos, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view in which the lower half of the tower is painted white. Lights are said to have been displayed at Warnemünde as early as 1348. In 1836 a light was shown from a scaffold atop a waterfront building. The present lighthouse is one of the best known landmarks of the Rostock area. After reunification, the lighthouse was leased to a preservation organization for restoration and development as a tourist attraction. Located in a public square in downtown Warnemünde, about 200 m (220 yd) from the west bank of the river Warnow just inside the entrance. Site open; tower open daily May through September. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Förderverein Leuchtturm Warnemünde. ARLHS FED-022; Admiralty C1404; NGA 3428. * Warnemünde Mittelmole (1) 1903. Inactive since 1963(?). 12 m (40 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery, formerly painted with red and white horizontal bands but all the paint has worn off. Removed in 1998, the tower was stored out of doors at Rostock; photos show it there. The lighthouse has recently been returned to Warnemünde; Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a good postcard view of the lighthouse on the middle mole, and Michel Forand has a second postcard view. Located off the Werftallee on the west side of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FED-256.

Warnemünde Light, Warnemünde, September 2006 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Sven Laqua

* Warnemünde Ostmole (2)

1983 (station established 1963). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (40 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery, painted red with a white horizontal band between the galleries. Trabas has a closeup, Werning has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was relocated in 1998 when the east mole, originally quite short, was extended to the same length as the west mole. This lighthouse and its sibling on the west mole are known locally as Die Zwillinge (the twins). Located at the end of the east mole at the entrance to the river Warnow in Warnemünde. Accessible in good weather by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-257; Admiralty C1405.1.

Rostock and Petersdorf Lighthouses

* Warnemünde Westmole (1)

1963. Inactive since 1983. 12 m (40 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery, painted black with a white horizontal band between the galleries. A closeup is available, Krákorova has a photo (2/3 of the way down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Originally located at the end of the west mole at the entrance to the river Warnow in Warnemünde; it's not clear why this tower was replaced by an almost identical tower in 1983. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the light on its original station. The older lighthouse was relocated for display in a riverside theme park just off the 105 expressway at Rostock-Schmarl, about 5 km (3 mi) south of Warnemünde. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: IGA Park Rostock.

Schooner Sunthorice (Lightship Außenjade II) 1903. Decommissioned 1978. 36 m (118 ft) 3-masted steel lightship converted to a 3-masted schooner. The ship is now painted white with a red "mouth" marking at the bow. The owners have a page on the ship's history, and Klempau has a page with several historic photos. Built by Jos. L. Meyer in Papenburg and launched as the Außenjade, the ship served off the entrance to the Jade estuary until World War II. In 1945 it was sunk at its berth in Wilhelmshaven during a bombing raid. Raised and repaired, it returned to service in 1951 off the Elbe and moved in 1972 to the station TW/Ems off Emden. Sold after deactivation, it was converted to a schooner, painted white with a red "mouth" and renamed the White Shark. In 1999 it was sold to its present owners, who renamed it Sunthorice and repainted it, although it still sports a version of the red mouth. Based at Rostock, it is available for charter and offers a variety of cruises. In the winter it is anchored at Flensburg for maintenance. Owner/site manager: Sunthorice e.V. ARLHS FED-305. * Petersdorf Unterfeuer (2) 1999 (station establishment date not known). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s, synchronized with the rear light. 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery arranged in a large funnel-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Werning's photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The Petersdorf range guides ships across the wide portion of the Warnow estuary to Rostock's new international port; ferries leave here for Gedser, Denmark; Trelleborg, Sweden; and various locations on the upper Baltic including St. Petersburg, Russia. Located at the head of Becken (Basin) B in Petersdorf, on the east side of the Warnow north of Rostock. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Admiralty C1415; NGA 3432.

Petersdorf Unterfeuer, Petersdorf photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

* Krummendorf (Petersdorf Oberfeuer) (2)

1999 (station establishment date not known). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s, synchronized with the front light. 33 m (108 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery arranged in a large funnel-shaped topmark. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, Werning has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is similar to the large range light towers built on the Jade, Weser, and Elbe estuaries on the North Sea coast. Located near Krummendorf 1250 m (3/4 mi) south southeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Admiralty C1415.1; NGA 3436.

Vorpommern - Rügen District Lighthouses

Darß Area Lighthouses

* Wustrow (2) 1933 (light station established 1911; fog signal station established 1897). Active; focal plane 12 m (40 ft); white light, occulting three times every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) square brick tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one corner of a 1-story generator house. The tower is unpainted red brick; lantern painted white with a red roof. Werning has a photo, Trabas has Schüler's photo taken from the other side of the building, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was fastened to the chimney of the fog signal generator house. This light is in Fischland, a narrow, sandy barrier isthmus connecting the mainland to the Darß-Zingst peninsula. The government resisted placing a light here in addition to the Darßer Ort lighthouse, but gave in when so many ships kept wrecking on the beach in the area. This is one of the German lighthouses expected to be deactivated in the near future, but it was still in service as of late 2012. Located just behind the beach near Ostseebad Wustrow, about 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Darßer Ort. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-267; Admiralty C1436; NGA 3512. **** Darßer Ort 1848. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); six white flashes, in a 4+2 pattern, every 22 s. 35 m (115 ft) round brick tower, unpainted, with lantern and gallery. 2-story keeper's house, painted white, and other light station buildings. Michael Mertens's photo is at right, Werning has a photo, Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, Wikimedia has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Darßer Ort is a sandy promontory with large dunes sheltering an unusual maritime forest. Opened to the public in 1995, this historic station has quickly become one of Germany's best known and most visited lighthouses. Following reunification, the national park service restored the station and the Deutsches Meeresmuseum in Stralsund established an aquarium and nature museum, the Natureum Darßer Ort, in the keeper's house and other buildings. Most visitors also climb the tower for its spectacular view over the Baltic; in good weather the Danish island of Falster can be seen across the mouth of the Mecklenburger Bucht. Located on the point of Darßer Ort about 5 km (3 mi) west of Ostseebad Prerow. Site open, museum and tower open daily May through October, daily except Mondays and Tuesdays in April and November. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft. ARLHS FED-070; Admiralty C1440; NGA 3516.

Darßer Ort Light, September 2007 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Michael Mertens

Barhöft Area Lighthouses

Zarrenzin Unterfeuer (Bock Oberfeuer) (2)

1940 (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s, synchronized with the Bock Unterfeuer and Zarrenzin Oberfeuer lights. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery painted red. Trabas has a view of the Bock range by Karl-Heinz Wellm, and Google has a satellite view. The entrance to Stralsund from the north is through a narrow passage between the barrier islands of Bock and Hiddensee. The Zarrenzin range guides ships approaching Stralsund from the Baltic, while the Bock range guides ships leaving Stralsund. In addition to the range lights, this tower displays directional lights for nearby ships. Located on the north coast of Bock, an uninhabited island incorporated into the Vorpommersche national park. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft. Admiralty C2576; NGA 5876.

Bock Unterfeuer (2)

1940 (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white light, occulting once every 6 s, synchronized with the rear light. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery painted red. Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the south coast of Bock about 1100 m (0.7 mi) south southeast of the Oberfeuer. Accessible only by boat, but there is a good view of this light (across a narrow channel) from the waterfront of Barhöft on the mainland. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft. Admiralty C2575.9; NGA 5872.

Zarrenzin Oberfeuer

1940. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white light, occulting once every 6 s, synchronized with the front light. 24 m square skeletal tower with square lantern and gallery. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; the lantern and gallery are red, but the lantern roof is white. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in a field on the mainland, at the high point of the Barhöft peninsula about halfway between Barhöft and Zarrenzin, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) south southwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Admiralty C2576.1; NGA 5880.

Hiddensee Lighthouses

Note: Hiddensee is a barrier island on the west side of Rügen; it is accessible by ferry from Schaprode on Rügen or from Stralsund.

* Gellen 1905 (Julius Pintsch). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting twice every 10 s. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a stone base. 4th order Fresnel lens in use. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery red, lantern roof black. Werning has a photo, Trabas has a nice closeup by Klaus Kern, Erwin Strohmer has a closeup, Wikimedia has another closeup, and Google has a satellite view. This small lighthouse is roughly midway along the narrow barrier island of Hiddensee. The island is accessible by ferry from Schaprode on Rügen or from Stralsund. Located just behind the dunes a short distance south of the ferry terminal at Plogshagen. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft. ARLHS FED-088; Admiralty C2586; NGA 5868. *** Dornbusch 1888. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white light, 2.4 s on, 7.6 s off; a red sector is shown to the south southwest along the coast of Hiddensee. 28 m (92 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof painted red. A photo by Felix König is at right, Werning has a photo, Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. This handsome lighthouse is built on a high dune called Bakenberg (Beacon Hill); the hill is covered with thorn bushes, for which the light is named. The tower was originally round; in 1927 it was strengthened by building the present 12-sided outer wall. Huelse has a historic postcard view showing the original appearance. After reunification, WSV restored the tower and opened it to the public in 1994. Located at the end of the road on the northern end of Hiddensee. Site open; tower open daily May through September and Tuesday through Saturday in April and October, with additional openings over the Christmas holiday. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Nationalpark Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft. ARLHS FED-026; Admiralty C2588; NGA 5864. Rügen Lighthouses Note: Rügen is a large island north and northeast of Stralsund. Readily accessible by a new bridge from Stralsund (the Rügenbrücke), it is one of the country's most popular resort areas. * Bessiner Haken Oberfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower carries a large diamond-shaped slatted daymark painted white with a red edge. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a shorter skeletal tower. Located beside a farm road about 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Altefähr. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2585.1; NGA 5896.

Dornbusch Light, Hiddensee, September 2012 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Felix König

Stolper Haken Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 24 m (79 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, point down, painted white with a black border. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides vessels in the sound between Hiddensee and Rügen. Located on a low point near the westernmost tip of Rügen. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2589.31.

Poggenhof Oberfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light occulting twice every 10 s. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, point down, painted white with a black border. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides vessels in the sound between Hiddensee and Rügen. Located on a low point near the westernmost tip of Rügen. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2589.31. * Ranzow (relocated) 1905 (Julius Pintsch). Inactive since 1999. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and half-gallery, painted white. The lighthouse was located on a headland of the Jasmund peninsula about 2 km (3 mi) east of Lohme. In 2002 it was relocated to Kap Arkona for display as part of the Schinkelturm museum. Myhre's photo is at right, Bernd Claußen has a good photo, Werning also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Schinkelturm am Kap Arkona. ARLHS FED-193. **** Arkona (1) (Schinkelturm) 1828 (Friedrich Karl Schinkel). Inactive since 1902. 21 m (69 ft) square 3-stage brick tower with lantern and gallery, incorporating keeper's quarters. Tower is unpainted red brick; lantern has a black roof. A photo is at the top of this page, Anett Jauernig has a closeup photo, Wikimedia has photos, and Huelse has a historic postcard view showing both lighthouses. Kap Arkona, the northern tip of Rügen, is the most prominent and dangerous cape on Germany's Baltic coast, so it is not surprising that the Kingdom of Prussia built this light station as early as 1828. The original tower was restored after reunification and opened to the public in 1993. Since 1996 it has housed a maritime and historical museum, which has since expanded to include a nearby keeper's house. The lighthouse also includes a registrar's office and is available for weddings. Located on the cape, near Putgarten on the Wittow peninsula. Site open, museum and tower open daily year round (hours vary). Site manager: Schinkelturm am Kap Arkona. ARLHS FED-065. **** Arkona (2) 1902 (station established 1828). Active; focal plane 75 m; three white flashes, separated by 4 s, every 17 s. 35 m (115 ft) round brick tower with lantern and double gallery, rising from an octagonal granite base. Tower unpainted; lantern, watch room, and galleries painted red. A photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a good photo by Stephan Hix, Werning has a photo, Wikimedia has photos, and Google has a satellite view. This wonderful German Imperial tower stands behind the original lighthouse and has been open to the public since 1996. Site open, tower open daily April through October. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-010; Admiralty C2592; NGA 5900.

Ranzow Light, Kap Arkona, December 2008 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Larry Myhre

Kollicker Ort 1905 (Julius Pintsch). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off; a narrow red sector is shone to the south over rocks close to shore. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and half-gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern roof is black. 5th order Fresnel lens in use. Trabas has a great closeup photo by Klaus Potschien, and the lighthouse can be seen at the far right in a view from the sea, but it hides in the trees in Google's satellite view of the cape. Sibling of Ranzow (see below). Located on a ledge on the lower part of a 100 m (33 ft) forested cliff on the Jasmund peninsula about 6.5 km (4 mi) east of Hagen. Site and tower closed, although there is a good view from the beach below, which is accessible by a hike of about 3 km (2 mi) roundtrip. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-129; Admiralty C2596; NGA 5912. * Saßnitz Ostmole 1937 (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 12 m (40 ft) tapered octagonal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted green with one white horizontal band. 6th order Fresnel lens in use. A photo is at right, Trabas has a fine closeup by Klaus Kern, Werning also has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Michel Forand has a postcard view of the original lighthouse. Saßnitz has been replaced by Mukran as the principal ferry terminal for Rügen; the port is now used by fishermen and recreational boaters. This lighthouse stands at the end of the 1500 m (0.9 mi) east mole at the harbor entrance; accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-207; Admiralty C2602; NGA 5916. * Saßnitz Westmole (Unterfeuer) (2) 1977 (station established 1911). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); continuous red light; the tower also carries the front light of the Saßnitz Entrance Range, a red light occulting twice every 10 s, at a focal plane of 11 m (36 ft). 7 m (23 ft) tower in an unusual design: a large drum-style, 12-sided lantern supported by four L-shaped steel legs. Entire structure painted red. Trabas has a good photo by Klaus Kern, Werning has another good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a wood skeletal tower. Located at the end of the short west mole at the harbor entrance; accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-208; Admiralty C2604; NGA 5920 (red light) and 5924 (range light). Saßnitz Oberfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red light occulting twice every 10 s (synchronized with the front light). Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white and carrying a triangular daymark painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, but the tower has not been found in Google's satellite view. Located near the waterfront of Saßnitz harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2604.1; NGA 5928.

Saßnitz Ostmole Light, Saßnitz, September 2012 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Unukorno

Mukran Nordmole 1995. Active (privately maintained by the harbor operator); focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal tower with lantern and gallery, painted green with one white horizontal band. A photo is at right, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, Christian Gregor has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north mole at Mukran, the new harbor of Saßnitz, about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of the old harbor. Site and tower closed; the mole is not open for walking. Good views from shore and better views from ferries departing the harbor for the Danish island of Bornholm, for Klaipeda, Lithuania, and for other destinations. Operator: Fährhafen Saßnitz GmbH. ARLHS FED-272; Admiralty C2614; NGA 5938.7. * Prora 1986. Inactive since 1999. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) slender triangular concrete tower with a 2-story triangular lantern structure with double gallery. The lantern carries an array of antennas. The tower is unpainted concrete. Werning has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. This modern structure was probably built more as a communications tower than as a lighthouse, although it carried a navigational light for 13 years. The light was a directional light for ships bound for Saßnitz. Located beside the coastal road in a pine forest about 20 km (13 mi) south of Saßnitz. Site open, tower closed. Owner/operator: unknown. ARLHS FED-190; ex-Admiralty C2612. Grabow Oberfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); red light occulting twice every 10 s. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a large rectangular daymark painted white with a black border. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a smaller skeletal tower. Located in a forest near the southern tip of Rügen. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2628.1; NGA 6032. * Maltzien Unterfeuer 1934. Active; focal plane 12 m (40 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. No lantern. Werning has a good page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view. This light is the front light of the entrance range for the Strelasund, the eastern approach to the port of Stralsund. The range replaced the lightship Palmerort. The rear light is on a skeletal tower built in 1949. The lighthouse stands on the beach and is surrounded by water at high tide. Located on a point of land about 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast of the Glewitz ferry terminal on the southeastern shore of Rügen. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-150; Admiralty C2626; NGA 6020.

Mukran Nordmole Light, Saßnitz, August 2012 Panoramio Creative Commons photo by PhotoGuide.cz

Maltzien Oberfeuer

1934. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and a diamond-shaped daymark. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view. Located in a farm field 675 m (0.42 mi) west northwest of the front light. Site and tower closed. Admiralty C2626.1; NGA 6024.

* Drigge Unterfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light occulting twice every 10 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white with a red horizontal band. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, point up, painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, but the tower has not been found in Google's satellite view. This range guides vessels westbound toward Stralsund in the Strelasund, the channel separating Rügen from the mainland. Located on the waterfront of Drigge, a village on a low peninsula projecting into the Strelasund. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2638; NGA 6064.

* Drigge Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); green light occulting twice every 10 s (synchronized with the front light). 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a diamond-shaped daymark, painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view. Located 535 m (1/3 mi) northwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2638.1; NGA 6068.

Stralsund Lighthouses

* Stralsund Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 21 m (69 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a mast in a marina at the west end of the island of Dänholm. Located at the foot of the Ziegelstraße on the Stralsund waterfront, between the old and new Rügen Bridges. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2585.6.

* Andershof Unterfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); red, white,or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white with a red horizontal band. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, point up, painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides vessels eastbound departing Stralsund. Located on the waterfront just southeast of Andershof, a village on the Strelasund south of Stralsund. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2644; NGA 6084.

* Andershof Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); green light occulting once every 6 s (synchronized with the front light). 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a huge pentagonal daymark, painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view that may show an earlier tower. Located 440 m (1/4 mi) south southwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty C2638.1; NGA 6068.

Vorpommern - Greifswald District Lighthouses

Greifswald Lighthouse

* Eldena (Oberfeuer)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light occulting twice every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a diamondshaped daymark, painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light was formerly the rear light of a range, but it is now described as a directional light. It guides vessels entering the Ryck estuary from Greifswald Bay (Greifswalder Bodden). Located behind a farmhouse on the north side of the L26 highway halfway between Greifswald and Kemnitz. Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen from nearby on the highway. Admiralty C2655.2; NGA 6004.

Greifswalder Oie Lighthouses
Note: Greifswalder Oie is an island of about 54 ha (120 acres) in the Pommerschen Bucht (Pomeranian Bay), about 10 km (6 mi) east of Rügen and 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Usedom. (The unusual-looking word Oie is the Low German word for an island, corresponding to the Swedish ö and Danish ø.)

Greifswalder Oie (1) 1832. Inactive since 1855. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) octagonal pyramidal red brick tower; lantern replaced by a square cap. The Anke/Jens site has a great closeup photo. Located near the 1855 lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Greifswalder Oie (2) 1855 (station established 1832). Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 3.8 s. 39 m (128 ft) octagonal brick tower with lantern and double gallery rising from a square 1-story base. Tower is unpainted red brick, lantern and galleries painted black. A magnificent 3-faceted 1st order Fresnel lens (1913) is in use. 2-1/2 story square brick keeper's house. Werning has a very good page for the lighthouse, Huelse has a great photo, Trabas also has a photo by Klaus Potschien, and Google has a satellite view of the station. A beautiful but rarely visited light station, this is the traditional landfall light for ships approaching Stralsund from the northeast. From 1937 to 1945 the island was a launch site for the German missile development program; A4 and A5 rockets were tested here. The East German government continued the use of the island as a military base. The tiny island, a critical nesting and stopover site for birds, is now a nature preserve (Naturschutzgebiet Greifswalder Oie) managed by the Verein Jordsand, the German equivalent of the Audubon Society in the U.S. Visits to the island require a permit from the Verein or participation in one of the association's activities. The lighthouse is located at the northeastern corner of the island, 1.4 km (0.9 m) from the protected harbor at the other southwestern end. Accessible only by boat and hiking the length of the island, about 1.6 km (1 mi). Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Site manager: Verein Jordsand. ARLHS FED-006; Admiralty C2662; NGA 5940.

1855 Greifswalder Oie Light, Greifswalder Oie photo copyright Malte Werning; used by permission

Peenemünde Area and Usedom Lighthouses

Ruden Nord

Date unknown (probably 1950s). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Tower painted white; NGA lists a red lantern but there is no lantern shown in Trabas's photo by Helmut Seger. Bing has a satellite view. Located at the north end of the island of Ruden about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of the Peenemünde airport. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Admiralty C2656.6; NGA 5944.

Ruden Unterfeuer 1954. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round tapered gray concrete tower with lantern and gallery, unpainted. Werning has a page for the lighthouse, Trabas has a closeup photo by Helmut Seger, and Bing has a satellite view. Located off the east side of the low island of Ruden, about 6 km north of the mainland near Peenemünde. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-312; Admiralty C2658; NGA 5956. Ruden Oberfeuer 1954 (?). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has a photo by Helmut Seger, and Bing has a satellite view. Located near the south end of Ruden, about 700 m (0.44 mi) west southwest of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-313; Admiralty C2658.1 NGA 5960. Peenemünde 1954. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 6 s. 11 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted red with a white horizontal band at the base; lantern roof is also white. The photo from Werning's page is at right, Trabas also has a good closeup by Helmut Seger, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse carries two directional lights, one aimed north northeast and the other west northwest; these serve ships bound toward and away from Stralsund, respectively. Located about 4 km (2.5 mi) offshore north of Peenemünde and southeast of the Ruden Unterfeuer. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-189; Admiralty C2659; NGA 5968.

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

Knaakrücken Rinne Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 31 m (102 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower carries a triangular slatted daymark painted red. Trabas has a photo, but the tower has not been found in Google's satellite view. This is an entrance range for Peenemünde. The front light is on a short skeletal tower. Located north of the World War II research facilities in Peenemünde. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2659.11.

Krienke Oberfeuer

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light occulting twice every 10 s. 27 m (89 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white with a red horizontal band. The tower carries two diamond-shaped daymarks, painted white with red borders, since it serves as the rear tower for two ranges. Trabas has a photo by Ina Rendtel, and Google has a satellite view. The ranges guide vessels in the Peenestrom, the channel between Usedom and the mainland. The Krienke Unterfeuer is a much shorter skeletal tower. Located in a farm field on the west side of Usedom, about 3 km (2 mi) south of Rankwitz. Site status unknown. Admiralty C2659.95.

* Zecherin Oberfeuer Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white light occulting three times every 15 s. 21 m (69 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a large triangular daymark, point down. Daymark painted white with a red border. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides southbound vessels approaching the narrowest passage of the Peenestrom. The front light is on a small skeletal mast. Located on the grounds of a restaurant and guesthouse beside the east end of the Zecheriner Bridge, which connects the mainland to Usedom at the southwestern corner of the island. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Peene-Idyll. Admiralty C2659.98. Oderhaff Lighthouses Note: The Oderhaff is a large lagoon at the mouth of the Oder River, which forms the border between Germany and Poland. Only the western third of the lagoon lies in Germany, and the entrance to the lagoon is in Poland. In Polish the lagoon is called the Zalew Szczecinski. * #Kamp-Karnin Oberfeuer (1) Date unknown. Replaced in 2011, this was a 24 m (79 ft) square skeletal tower with a square lantern and gallery, painted white with a red lantern roof. The light (focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light occulting three times every 15 s) is now on a robust steel mast, painted white; Trabas has a photo. This range guides vessels leaving the Oderhaff for the Peenestrom channel, which leads around the western end of Usedom. Located in a field at the extreme western end of the Oderhaff, on the south side of the Strom entrance. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. Admiralty C2867.1; NGA 6492. * Ueckermünde Westmole (4) 2000 (station established 1844). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is white, lantern and gallery red; the arms of the city of Ueckermünde are displayed on the front of the tower. Denis Apel's photo is at right, Anke/Jens site has excellent photos, Trabas has a good closeup by Helmut Seger, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This light marks the entrance to the river Uecker at Ueckermünde on the southwest shore of the Oderhaff. Michel Forand has a 1916 postcard view of the second lighthouse and a much later postcard view of the third lighthouse, a skeletal tower built in 1925. Site open, tower closed. Operator: WSA Stralsund. ARLHS FED-244; Admiralty C2860; NGA 6484.

Ueckermünde Light, Ueckermünde, July 2004 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Denis Apel

Lighthouses Relocated Inland

Rathenow Lighthouse

* Warnemünde Mittelmole (2) (relocated from Warnemünde)

1961(?) (station established 1903). Inactive since 1997. 9 m (30 ft) hexagonal metal tower with gallery, colored with red and white horizontal bands. Frank Guschmann has a good photo, a more distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. This light was prefabricated in Rathenow, a town in Brandenburg west of Berlin, and installed on the middle mole of Warnemünde. Deactivated and removed in 1997, the tower was stored by WSA Stralsund. In 2008 it was returned to Rathenow, where it has been placed in a quiet loop of the Havel River adjacent to the downtown area. Huelse has a good postcard view of the original Mittelmole lighthouse, and Michel Forand has a second postcard view. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from every angle. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FED-255.

Fürstenwalde Lighthouse

Vierendehlgrund (relocated from Barhöft)

1910 (Julius Pintsch). Inactive since 1982. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, originally mounted on a concrete pier. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. This is the front tower of a pair of range lights at Barhöft abandoned by the East German government when a shift in the channel made them obsolete. The rusting lighthouse became a roosting and nesting site for seabirds. The Leuchtturm Atlas site has a distant photo of the lighthouse on its original station, and Werning also has a distant view. In 2006 the lighthouse was removed, leaving only the stone base seen in Google's indistinct satellite view. After restoration, it was reassembled at the city museum in Fürstenwalde, southeast of Berlin. Thus the lighthouse returned home: Fürstenwalde is where it had been prefabricated by the firm of Julius Pintsch. The reconstruction was completed in June 2007. Originally located in the sound east of Barhöft, the lighthouse is now at the Fürstenwalde City Museum (Städtisches Museum Fürstenwalde). Peter Dargatz has a closeup photo of the relocated lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the Domplatz in Fürstenwalde. Site open, museum open daily except Mondays, tower closed. ARLHS FED-246.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

• Arkona Peilturm (1927) looks exactly like a lighthouse, but it was built by the German Navy as an observation and control tower.
• Plau am See (2012); this resort town on the Plauer See in northern Mecklenburg has a new lighthouse as part of waterfront development.

Adjoining pages: North: Sjælland Region | East: Swinoujscie and the Odra | West: Lübeck to Flensburg

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted April 9, 2005. Checked and revised January 16, 2013. Lighthouses: 53; lightships: 1. Site copyright 2013 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.