Lighthouses of Poland: Świnoujście and the Odra

Since the end of World War II in 1945, the coast of Poland has stretched from Świnoujście in the west to the Gulf of Gdansk in the east. Poland has at least 26 lighthouses on its Baltic coast and also many lighthouses on the inland waterway that extends from Świnoujście to Szczecin. This page lists the lighthouses of the Świnoujście area and the waterway leading to Szczecin; the remaining Baltic lighthouses are listed on the Poland's Baltic Coast page.

Szczecin (known as Stettin under German rule) is more than 50 km (30 mi) from the sea, located on the Odra (Oder) River. The Odra empties into Szczecin Bay (Zalew Szczeciński in Polish or Stettiner Haff in German), a large lagoon that in turn empties into the Baltic through three channels. The western end of the bay and the westernmost of the three channels lie in Germany. Large ships enter the waterway through the central channel, the Świna, at Świnoujście (Swinemünde).

Today, Szczecin is Poland's largest port, but until World War II it was Germany's third largest port. The surrounding region, West Pomerania, became part of Prussia in 1720 and thus part of the German Empire when it was formed in 1871. As a result, nearly all the lighthouses in the region were built under German administration.

Active Polish lighthouses are operated by the regional Maritime Office (Urząd Morski). There are three of these offices, in Szczecin, Słupsk, and Gdynia. All of the lights on this page are managed by the Szczecin Maritime Office.

In Polish, a lighthouse is a "sea lantern," latarnia morska, plural latarnie morskie.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Light List numbers are from volume C of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 116.

General Sources
Polnische Leuchttürme: Photos posted in 2005 by Klaus Huelse, including many photos of the inland lighthouses. Special thanks to Klaus for the use of some of these photos here.
Baken Swinemünde: Photos and historical accounts by Gerd Liedtke.
Online List of Lights - Poland: Photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Leuchttürme an der polnischen Küste: Photos by Bernd Claußen.
Leuchttürme von Anke und Jens - Polen: This site has photos and information on lights of the Świnoujście area.
Min Blinkfüer: Photos and accounts in German of German and Polish lighthouses.
Lighthouses in Poland: Photos available from Wikimedia.
Polish Lighthouses: Historic postcard views posted by Michel Forand.
Leuchttürme der ehemaligen deutschen Ostgebiete: Postcard views of historical German lighthouses in Poland and other former German territories, posted by Klaus Huelse.

Swinoujscie Light
Świnoujście Light, Świnoujście, May 2012
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Rzuwig

Świnoujście Area Lighthouses
**** Świnoujście {Swinemünde} (2): 1857 (station established 1828). Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); white light 4 s on, 1 s off; red light is shown southwestward over the Świna for outbound ships. 65 m (213 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery rising from an octagonal base with a second gallery. Tower is unpainted yellow brick; lantern painted black. 1st order Fresnel lens in use. Adjacent 2-story brick keeper's house. A photo is above, Trabas has a good photo, Huelse has a photo, Anke and Jens have photos, a 2008 closeup is available, Wikimedia has numerous photos, and Google has a satellite view. This magnificent lighthouse is the tallest brick lighthouse ever built; it is nearly 4 m (13 ft) taller than the Cape Hatteras Light in the U.S. The view from the gallery is about 45 km (28 mi) in clear weather. The tower was restored in 1902-03 to repair spalled brickwork; this project converted the tower's cross-section from the original octagonal to circular. Forand has a postcard view showing the lighthouse's original appearance and another view showing the result of the repairs. In 1945, retreating German troops ordered the destruction of the lighthouse, but the German keeper could not bring himself to light the fuses and the tower survived. Damage from World War II was repaired belatedly in 1959. In 1998-2000, as a Millennium project, the lighthouse was completely restored and opened to the public, along with a lighthouse museum in the keeper's house. Located on the east bank of the river Świna just inside the entrance. Site open, museum and tower open Monday through Friday. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-019; Admiralty C2668; NGA 6116.
Świnoujście East Mole {Swinemünde Ostmole} (5): 2000 (station established 1805). Active; focal plane 13 m (42 ft); red light occulting once every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Trabas has a good photo by Helmut Seger, the Anke/Jens lighthouse site also has a photo, a good 2008 photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of the 1877 light, and Forand has a 1940 view of that light with a more modern lantern installed in 1925. According to Liedtke, there were lights on the east mole as early as 1692, although the mole has been extended considerably since then. Located at the end of the east mole, which curves northwestward in front of the Świnoujście lighthouse. Site status uncertain (the mole appears to be walkable, but there is a lack of closeup photos); there are distant views from the beach. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-026; Admiralty C2672; NGA 6120.
Kosa (Marine Pier) North End {Eichstaden Nord} (2): 1913 (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); green light occulting once every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery black. Huelse has a photo, Claußen has a photo, the Anke/Jens lighthouse site also has a photo, Trabas has a closeup, another closeup is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the end of a long pier along the west side of the Świna channel about 2 km (1.2 mi) south southwest of the Galeriowa lighthouse. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-036; Admiralty C2678; NGA 6136.
Kosa (Marine Pier) South End {Eichstaden Süd} (2): 1913 (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); green light occulting once every 4 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted green. Trabas has a closeup photo, another photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. This tower is similar to the North End light, but shorter. Located at the end of a long pier along the west side of the Świna channel about 2 km (1.2 mi) west southwest of the North End light. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-037; Admiralty C2678.75; NGA 6140.
* Karsibór Range Front {Caseburg Unterfeuer} (2): 1931 (station established prior to 1893). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); orange light, occulting once every 4 s, synchronized with the rear light. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical metal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof is red. Huelse has a photo, Trabas also has a photo, a 2009 photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. The lighthouse was rebuilt after storm damage in 1913. Located on the west bank of the Kanał Piastowski, 1.3 km (3/4 mi) southeast of the rear light. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-058; Admiralty C2690; NGA 6192.
Zalew Szczeciński (Stettiner Haff) Lighthouses
Note: The Szczecin Lagoon, known as Zalew Szczeciński in Polish or Stettiner Haff in German, is more than 40 km (25 mi) in length from east to west; the western end is in Germany. A dredged ship channel about 30 km (19 mi) long crosses the Polish basin of the lagoon diagonally from the Kanał Piastowski to the mouth of the Odra.
* Kanał Piastowski Entrance East (Brama Torowa 1E) {Kaiserfahrt Ost}: 1931 (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off, visible only along the line of the Kanał. 26 m (85 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder, mounted on a 1-story square masonry base. Everything but the base painted red. Zbigniew Wilczek has a photo, Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a fine closeup, a 2009 closeup is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. This is the first of the Brama Towers, a chain of lighthouses guiding ships across the Zalew Szczeciński (Stettiner Haff) to Szczecin. (In Polish, torowa is a track, or in this case a channel, and brama is a gate.) Towers 1E and 1W have been restored and repainted recently. Located adjacent to the base of the east mole at the entrance to the Kanał Piastowski from the Zalew Szczeciński. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-066; Admiralty C2693; NGA 6200.
Kanał Piastowski Entrance West (Brama Torowa 1W) {Kaiserfahrt West}: 1931 (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off, visible only along the line of the Kanał; also a red general navigation light, occulting twice every 8 s, at a focal plane of 23 m (75 ft). 26 m (85 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder, mounted on a 1-story square masonry base. Tower painted green, lantern and watch room red. Fog horn (Morse code "K," long-short-long, every 60 s). Trabas has a closeup photo, Huelse has a photo, and a 2009 photo is available, but the tower is hard to find in Google's distant satellite view. Forand has a postcard view of the earlier light tower. Located adjacent to the base of the west mole at the entrance to the Kanał Piastowski from the Zalew Szczeciński. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-067; Admiralty C2694; NGA 6204.
Chełminek South {Leitholm Süd}: 1912 (station established 1890). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red light occulting twice every 8 s, synchronized with the north end light. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has an excellent closeup, and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the southeastern end of a mole along the edge of Chełminek Island that parallels and protects the channel leading into the southeastern extension of the Zalew Szczeciński, about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) northeast of Trzebież. Accessible only by boat; there should be good view from Trzebież. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-051; Admiralty C2720; NGA 6280.
Stepnica Range Rear {Stepenitz Oberfeuer} (2): 1928 (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light occulting every 8 s. 24 m (79 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder, mounted on a circular concrete base. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white; lantern roof is black. This lighthouse is identical to the Brama Towers. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a second photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides northbound ships headed for the main part of the sound. According to Liedtke, this range replaced an earlier, land-based range that was in place at least by 1881. Located in the southeastern extension of the Zalew Szczeciński, about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Stepnica. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-072; Admiralty C2730.1; NGA 6336.
Stepnica Range Front {Stepenitz Unterfeuer} (2): 1928 (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting every 8 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical metal tower with lantern and double gallery, mounted on a circular concrete base. Lower half of lighthouse painted white, upper half orange; lantern roof is black. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the southeastern extension of the Zalew Szczeciński, 740 m (1/2 mi) south southeast of the rear light and about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Stepnica. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-071; Admiralty C2730; NGA 6332.
Żuławy {Königswerder}: 1931. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a circular concrete base. Upper half of lighthouse painted red, lower half white; lantern roof is black. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This directional light guides vessels in both directions. Located about 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of the Stepnica range lights. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Operator: Urząd Morski w Szczecinie. ARLHS POL-032; Admiralty C2732; NGA 6372.
Odra River Entrance Lighthouses
Odra River (Szczecin Area) Lighthouses Raduń Range Front {Schwabach Unterfeuer} (2): 1928 (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting twice every 8 s. 15 m (49 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. This is the southbound entrance range for the Odra. Located on the east bank of the river about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of Police. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-024; Admiralty C2734; NGA 6376.
Raduń Range Rear {Schwabach Oberfeuer} (2): 1928 (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light occulting twice every 8 s. 28 m (92 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white. This lighthouse is identical to the Brama Towers. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east bank of the river 800 m (1/2 mi) south southeast of the front light. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-025; Admiralty C2734.1; NGA 6380.
Police Range Rear {Pölitz Oberfeuer} (2): Date unknown (station established at least by 1902). Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); red light, 7.5 s on, 2.5 s off, synchronized with the front light. Approx. 54 m (175 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with two galleries but no lantern. Upper third of the lighthouse painted orange, middle third white, lower third black. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a good satellite view. These range lights are similar to the tall modern range lights common on the Elbe and Weser Rivers in western Germany. The range guides northbound ships departing Szczecin. Located about 250 m (0.15 mi) west of the river in an industrial area on the northeastern edge of Police. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POL-070; Admiralty C2738.51; NGA 6389.1.
Police Range Front {Pölitz Unterfeuer} (2): Date unknown (station established at least by 1902). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); red light, 7.5 s on, 2.5 s off, synchronized with the rear light. Approx. 34 m (112 ft) round concrete tower with a flared (funnel-shaped) top and a gallery. There is a light atop the structure, but the range light is probably shown through a square window at the top of the tower. Upper half of the lighthouse painted orange, lower half white with a black band at the bottom. Huelse has a photo, Trabas also has a photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on a wharf on the west bank of the river in Police, adjacent to an industrial plant. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POL-069; Admiralty C2738.5; NGA 6389.
Domańce {Schanzen, Damansch} (Cross Light): 1929. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white or red light depending on direction, occulting twice every 8 s; white light is shown over the upstream and downstream channels. 14 m (56 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery red. Trabas has a photo, Andrzej Armiński has a 2010 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse resembles the Żuławy and Ińskie lights. The light helps guide ships around a change in the direction of the channel at Police. Located on the west bank of the river at Police. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-023; Admiralty C2741; NGA 6384.
* Łąki Range Front {Flankengraben Unterfeuer}: 1931. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting every 4 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical metal tower with lantern and double gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery red. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east bank of the Odra about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of the Domańce Front Light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POL-062; Admiralty C2756.
Ina Range Northbound Front {Camelsberg}: 1911. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting every 8 s. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery; two sides of the tower are covered by metal panels as a daymark. Top of tower painted red, lower portion white. Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east bank of the river about 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Święta; there is a road leading to this area. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-055; Admiralty C2747.1; NGA 6436.
Babina {Babbinstrom}: 1931. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white or red light depending on direction, occulting every 4 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Upper half of lighthouse painted red, lower half white; lantern roof is black. Huelse has a photo, Trabas has a closeup, Adam Jacyno has a view from the river, and Google has a satellite view. This directional light is located on the west side of the island of Mewia (Groß-Camelwerder), at the northwestern corner of Czarna Łąka, a large lake through which the river flows north of Szczecin. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-045; Admiralty C2750; NGA 6444.
Bykowo Range Front {Ochsengrab Unterfeuer}: 1932. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white; lantern roof is black. Trabas has a closeup photo, Huelse has a photo showing both range lights, a 2007 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This range guides vessels southbound to the entrance of a canal (originally the Königsfahrt) west of Czarna Łąka, leading to Szczecin. The range replaced a single directional light, established in 1912 and located between the present front and rear lights. Located on the east side of the canal; accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-048; Admiralty C2762; NGA 6448.
Bykowo Range Rear {Ochsengrab Oberfeuer}: 1932. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light occulting every 4 s. 25 m (82 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white; lantern roof is black. This lighthouse is identical to the Brama Towers. Trabas has a closeup photo, Huelse has a photo showing both range lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of the canal about 600 m (0.4 mi) south of the front light; accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-049; Admiralty C2762.1; NGA 6452.
Święta Range Front (2): 1931 (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light occulting every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) round metal tower with lantern and double gallery. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white; lantern roof is black. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This is the southbound range guiding ships down the canal (originally the Königsfahrt) west of Czarna Łąka, leading to Szczecin. The range replaced daybeacons installed in 1893 and replaced in 1901. Located on the west side of the canal; probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-073; Admiralty C2764; NGA 6456.
Święta Range Rear (2): 1931 (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light occulting every 4 s. 27 m (89 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern, watch room, double gallery, and enclosed central cylinder. Upper half of lighthouse painted orange, lower half white. A 2008 closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the canal; probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS POL-074; Admiralty C2764.1; NGA 6460.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Büchenort (before 1896-1928), Pappenwasser.
Ganserin (Siebort Range Rear) (before 1901-1928), Pappenwasser.
Groß-Ziegenort Range Front and Rear (1931-?), Ziegenort.
Keppenort (before 1901-1926), Pappenwasser.
Königsbake (1867-1931), near the Königsfahrt.
Mańków Sector Light (1927-1931), replaced by the Mańków Range Lights.
Pappenbake(before 1901-1926), Pappenwasser.
Siebort (before 1901-1928), Pappenwasser.
Swinemünde Lotsenturm (Pilot Tower) (1912-?), Swinemünde.
{Winkbake} (1896-?), Świnoujście {Swinemünde} East Mole. ARLHS POL-039.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Poland Baltic Coast | West: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

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