Sea marks or aids to navigation for centuries have provided guidance, warning, and orientation help to seafarers navigating the sometimes treacherous waters at coastlines of oceans, large rivers, and large lakes. A type of sea mark that we all know is a lighthouse; in German Leuchtturm (lit. light/shine tower). They can be on land or off shore.
A broader term is Leuchtfeuer (lit. light/shine fire) which might be best translated with beacon or directional light; it includes all kinds of sea marks not just lighthouses. Every Leuchtturm is a Leuchtfeuer but not vice versa.
When thinking of lighthouses, most people think of tall red and white towers, but there are plenty of lighthouses which are neither that tall nor red and white. But before we look at lighthouses in Germany, and more specifically in North Frisia (west coast in Schleswig-Holstein), I’ll give you some terms and words that will help to understand Leuchttürme and their functions better.
Lighthouse Basics
Functions of Leuchtfeuer
The following list contains the different types of Leuchtfeuer based on their function. I have also included other terms that help understand the workings of lighthouses.
- Seefeuer – sea mark: A place that helps ships determine their location.
- Richtfeuer (Ober-, (Mittel-), Unterfeuer) – leading light: It marks navigable water (Fahrwasser). Oberfeuer – rear light, Unterfeuer – front light
- Quermarkenfeuer – cross light: It marks (usually three) different sections with different colors. The middle section is the area where a ship should change course or where a navigation channel ends; the outer two sections indicate that an area for change of course is coming up. (see illustration below)
- Orientierungsfeuer – orientation beacon: This light helps ships determine their position over short distances. The light is normally not very strong and doesn’t have a long range.
- Leitfeuer – direction light: This light marks sections of navigable waters with different colored lights (Kennung) or different blinking rhythms. (see illustration below)
- Anlandefeuer – docking fire: This light is the first one to be seen by ships approaching the coast. It has a long range.
- Warnfeuer – warning fire: As the name says, this light marks dangerous areas or unsafe waters.
- Molenfeuer – breakwater light: This light is located on the pier to mark the harbor entrance or a narrow passage.
- Torfeuer – gate fire: These lights come in a pair and mark the two sides of a water.
- Feuerschiff – lightvessel: This is an anchored ship fashioned with light which serves as a sea mark to help other ships navigate.
- Feuerhöhe – height of focal plane: The distance between the lens (Feuer, focal plane) and the sea level (mean high water at the North Sea, mean water level at the Baltic Sea).
- Nenntragweite – range: The range indicates the distance at which a ship can see the light despite the curvature of the earth. It is measured in nautical or sea miles (nm).
Light Characteristics (Kennung)
A lighthouse often fulfills different functions, not limited to shining a light at night. It can serve as a day mark (Tagessichtmarke), an observation tower and/or watchtower. As beacons in the night (from sundown to sunrise), lighthouses also serve different purposes. Some help determine a ship’s position, some help with navigating unsafe waters, some indicate a harbor entrance.
Depending on the function of a lighthouse, it may employ different colored lights and/or different blinking rhythms (light characteristic – Kennung). The most common colors are white, green, and red. There are different types of frequencies: Festfeuer (fixed light) Funkelfeuer (quick light), Blinkfeuer (long flashing light), and Blitzfeuer (flashing light). All these have variations based on interruptions, groupings, and pause lengths.
The following two videos show the green sector of the Leuchtturm Heiligenhafen as well as the red sector of the Leuchtturm Marienleuchte. The former’s Kennung is “Oc.(2) WRG 9s” which means it’s an interrupted light with two groups (Occulting (2)) with the colors white, red, and green (WRG) repeating itself every 9 seconds (9s). The light characteristic for the Leuchtturm Marienleuchte is “Fl. (4) WR 15s” which stands for flashing light with the colors white and red with a repetition every 15 seconds.
If you want to know more and learn the different abbreviations and variations, take a look at deutsche-leuchtfeuer.de or Wikipedia.
Lighthouses in North Frisia
Nordfriesland (North Frisia) encompasses the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein and the North Frisian islands and Halligen (small, undiked islands) in the Deutsche Bucht (German Bight) as well as Heligoland in the Nordsee (North Sea).
There are 20 lighthouses, two of which are extinguished. The lighthouses are named after their location, e.g. Leuchtturm Hörnum.
I have only included lighthouses in this list but there are many, many more navigational aids along the coast.
Sylt
The island of Sylt, the most northern of all German islands, has five lighthouses, four of which are in operation.
Quermarkenfeuer Rotes Kliff (B 1742, extinguished 1974)
Location: northwest of Kampen, 54° 57′ 56,4″ N, 8° 20′ 16,1″ O
Function: cross light to warn of a sandbank, the lighthouse Kampen took over its function in 1974 with its red sector
History: built in 1912/13, operated from 1913 – 1974, bought by the municipality Kampen in 1978, renovated in 1993/94
Stats: octagonal shape, red brick, height: 11 m, focal plane height (Feuerhöhe): 23 m, extinguished in 1974
Other: illuminated at night
Leuchtturm Kampen (B 1740)
Location: south of Kampen, 54° 56′ 46,4″ N, 8° 20′ 26,4″ O
Function: cross light, serves safe passage through “Lister Tief”
History: built from 1855-56 by Danish king Frederik VII with yellow brick from Bornholm, used petroleum which was a revolution in 1855, was remodeled in 1929 when it switched to electric, painted the black and white in 1953, renovated in 2004/05
Stats: height: 40 m, focal plane height: 62 m, range: 20 nm (white), 16 nm (red)
Other: tallest lighthouse on Sylt, used to be called Rotes Kliff (Red Cliff) which lead to confusion with the Quermarkenfeuer Rotes Kliff, was renamed Leuchtturm Kampen in 1975, is also called Der lange Christian (The long Christian), under monumental protection, was featured on a stamp and a special postmark in 2016, popular motif for painters
Leuchtturm Hörnum (B 1735)
Location: south on Sylt, Hörnum, on a 16 meter tall dune, 54° 45′ 14,5″ N, 8° 17′ 31,7″ O
Function: sea mark and direction light
History: built and activated in 1907, controlled remotely since 1977, under monumental protection since 1994
Stats: red with a white band and black lantern room, height: 34 m, focal plane height: 48 m, range: 20 nm (white)
Other: sightseeing is occasionally possible, you can get married in the lighthouse, featured on a stamp and a special postmark in 2007
Leuchttürme List-West (B 1746) and List-Ost (B 1748)
Location: in the north of Sylt, List (Ellenbogen), 3 kilometers apart,
List-West: 55° 3′ 10,6″ N, 8° 24′ 5,1″ O;
List-Ost: 55° 2′ 58″ N, 8° 26′ 37,5″ O
Function: direction light and orientation beacon (Leit- and Orientierungs-feuer) for “Lister Tief”
History: both were built in 1857 by the Danish King made from cast iron, and were activated in 1858, in 1977 they were automated, they are often called the Zwillingstürme (twin towers)
Stats: List-West: white with red lantern room, height: 11 m, focal plane height: 19 m; range: 15 nm (white), 12 nm (red), 11 nm (green); List-Ost: white with red band and red lantern room, height: 14 m, focal plane height: 22 m, range: 15 nm (white), 12 nm (red), 11 nm (green)
Other: Leuchtturm List-West is Germany’s most northern lighthouse and building.
Föhr
Leuchtturm Nieblum (B 1702)
Location: south side of Föhr, around 400 m from the beach, 54° 41′ 3,9″ N, 8° 29′ 8,4″ O
Function: direction light for the water “Rütergat” where the current is very strong
History: built in 1981
Stats: height: 11 m, focal plane height: 10 m, range: 19 nm (white), 15 nm (red and green)
Other: same type as the Lighthouse Nebel on Amrum
Leuchtturm Olhörn (B 1704)
Location: Wyk auf Föhr at the boardwalk, 54° 40′ 50,8″ N, 8° 33′ 58,6″ O
Function: cross light for navigation in the “Norderaue” between the harbor in Dagebüll on the mainland and the islands of Amrum and Föhr
History: built in 1952
Stats: height: 9 m, focal plane height: 10 m, range: 13 nm (white), 10 nm (red), and 9 nm (green)
Amrum
The island of Amrum sports 3 active lighthouses, plus one extinguished one that was only active for ten years. Leuchtturm Wittdün was built in 1977 to replace the direction light that had been in the attic of the spa building. From 1978 until 1988 it functioned as a direction light for the ferry dock in Wittdün.
Leuchtturm Amrum (B 1686)
Location: southern part of the island in Nebel, 2 kilometers west of Wittdün, 54° 37′ 52,2″ N, 8° 21′ 16,9″ O
Function: sea mark
History: built 1873-74, in operation since 1875, 16-lense optics with Argand lamp, switched from petroleum to electricity in 1936, automated since 1984
Stats: height: 41.8 m (with top 67.7 m), focal plane height: 63 m (one of the highest), 197 steps, range: 23.3 nm
Other: The lens apparatus is 2.7 m high, weighs 2.9 tons, and is valued at 5 million Euro. It’s also long living, the ball bearing didn’t need replacing until 1993. You can climb the lighthouse for a fee. Stamps from 2005 and 2008 feature the Leuchtturm Amrum.
Leuchtturm Norddorf (B 1728)
Location: southwest of Norddorf in the nature reserve Amrumer Dünen, 54° 40′ 11″ N, 8° 18′ 35″ O
Function: cross light, and direction light; serves for the waters “Vortrapptief” between Amrum and Sylt
History: built in 1906 by the Berlin company Julius Pintsch AG which didn’t only make lanterns but also small lighthouses, switched from Blau gas (Pintsch gas) to electricity in 1936, automated in 1984
Stats: height: 8.4 m, focal plane height: 22 m, light range: 16.1 nm (white), 12.9 nm (red), and 11.8 nm (green)
Other: features elements of art nouveau (Jugendstil)
Leuchtturm Nebel (B 1691)
Location: Nebel, 54° 38′ 43,1″ N, 8° 21′ 40,5″ O
Function: direction light for waters “Norderaue”
History: built in 1981, made mostly of aluminum
Stats: height: 9.6 m, focal plane height: 16 m, range: 19.5 nm
Other: almost identical to the lighthouse Wittdün which was retired in 1988
Pellworm
Leuchtturm Pellworm (B 1676.1)
Location: in the south of the island, near the Nordheverstrom, 54° 29′ 46,6″ N, 8° 39′ 57,5″ O
Function: direction and cross light for Norderhever and Süderaue
History: built in 1906/07, in operation since 1907, automated in 1977
Stats: height: 41 m, focal plane height: 38 m, range: 20 nm (white), 16 nm (red), 15 nm (green)
Other: tallest structure on the island of Pellworm, can occasionally be climbed, you can get married in the lighthouse (since 1998), featured on a stamp in 2014
Helgoland
The island of Heligoland in the North Sea has had fire signs since 1629 when people burned coal in an iron basket. Then in 1810, a tower was built as a replacement and it featured a parabolic reflector and Argand lamps. Eventually, it was destroyed in 1902 when a new round lighthouse was activated. Its lantern though was transferred to the Lighthouse Staberhuk on the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea. The new lighthouse was destroyed during World War II and a flak tower, built in 1941/42, took over as an interim lighthouse. It was converted to a proper lighthouse in 1964.
Leuchtturm Helgoland (B 1312)
Location: west coast of the island, 54° 10′ 54,7″ N, 7° 52′ 56,4″ O
Function: sea mark for navigation in the North Sea and the German Bight
History: built as a flak tower in 1941/42, in operation as a provisional lighthouse since 1952, converted in 1964, controlled remotely since 1982
Stats: height: 34 m, focal plane height: 82 m, range: 28 nm
Other: most luminous light at the German North Sea coast
Leuchtturm Helgoland Düne (B 1326.1)
Location: south beach of the Düne (broken off part of Heligoland, located to the east of the main island), 54° 10′ 56,2″ N, 7° 54′ 50,6″ O
Function: rear light (Oberfeuer) for ships coming from the south to Heligoland, direction light for ships approaching from the north west
History: built in and in operation since 1936, modernized in 1953, remotely controlled since 1982
Stats: height: 15 m, focal plane height: 17 m, range: 11 nm (white), 10 nm (red and green)
Other: An Unterfeuer (front light, B 1326) is located around 120 m from the lighthouse in the Wadden Sea. It’s steel mast in red and white with a triangle at the top. It measures 14 m, its focal plane is 11.45, and its light range is 8 nautical miles.
Halligen
Halligen are small, undiked islands in the North Sea. If people live on them, they do so on Warften (dwelling mounds) that won’t get flooded during storm tides. Hallig Langeneß and Oland have each one lighthouse, while the third, often called Bake (beacon), is located not on a Hallig, but the sand island Süderoogsand.
Leuchtturm Nordmarsch (Langeneß) (B 1700)
Location: on the uninhabited Alte Peterswarft west on Hallig Langeneß,
Function: directional and cross light for “Süderaue”
History: built in 1902, damaged in 1916 by a sea mine, partially repaired in 1953, but tower is still a little crooked
Stats: height: 12 m, focal plane height: 13 m, range: 14.7 nm (white), 11.6 nm (red), 10.5 nm (green)
Other: The lighthouse is officially called Leuchtturm Nordmarsch because it was built on the Hallig Nordmarsch which since then has merged with the Hallig Langeneß. That’s why it is also called Leuchtturm Langeneß. The tower as well as the Warft are under monumental protection.
Leuchtturm Oland (B 1714)
Location: in the north of the Olandwarft on Hallig Oland, 54° 40′ 29″ N, 8° 41′ 13″ O
Function: cross light for Föhr Ley and Dagebüll waters
History: built in 1929, switched to electric light in 1954 when electricity came to the undiked island
Stats: made of brick with 23 cm thick walls, half-hip roof thatched with reeds, height: 7.45 m, focal plane height: 7m, range: 13 nm (white), 10 nm (red), 9 nm (green)
Other: smallest operating lighthouse in Germany, the only lighthouse with reed-thatched roof
Leuchtturm Süderoogsand (B 1672)
Location: Süderoogsand is the largest, most southern of the three North Frisian Barrier Islands (Nordfriesische Außensände, lit. Outer Sands). 54°26’47,1″ N – 08°29’10,5″ O
Function: direction and cross light
History: A beacon (Bake) was built in 1867, destroyed in 1870, rebuilt in 1871, destroyed in 1890/91 by ice floes, and rebuilt. The beacon had to be moved several times because of the shifting of the sand.
In 1940, the beacon received a lantern replacing its topmark (Toppzeichen), making it a lighthouse. The old beacon was then replaced in 1985. In 2017, another new construction was built 2 km from its original location to ensure stability of the lighthouse.
Stats: height: 19 m, focal plane height: 18 m, range: 16 nm (white), 13 nm (red)
Other: The beacon is powered by solar panels. Since 1995, peregrine falcons (Wanderfalken) are breeding in the beacon after they had all but disappeared in Schleswig-Holstein.
Coast
Cities and towns along the coast and those with harbors all have direction lights, breakwater lights and/or docking lights. The reason why I haven’t listed them here is that they are lighted aids to navigation (Leuchtfeuer), but not actually lighthouses (Leuchttürme).
Leuchtturm Dagebüll-Koog (extinguished 1988)
Location: Dagebüll is a town on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein. A ferry goes between it and the islands of Föhr and Amrum. The Dagebüll Lighthouse is located behind the dike 800 m southeast of the harbor. 54° 43′ 31″ N, 8° 41′ 59,5″ O
Function: front light
History: built in 1929, extinguished in 1988, since 2009 privately owned
Stats: foundation with 36 wooden pole goes 7 m deep, made of brick, the lantern room is octagonal and also made of brick with a copper steeple, height: 15 m, focal plane height: 10.3 m, range: 17 nm
Other: The lighthouse has been remade into a mini-hotel which can sleep two people. Book your stay here.
Leuchtturm Westerheversand (B 1652)
Location: in the northwestern foreland of the dike on the peninsula Eiderstedt on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, 54° 22′ 24,1″ N, 8° 38′ 23,7″ O
Function: direction and cross light, orientation beacon
History: built in 1906/07, in operation since 1908, made from over 600 cast iron plates, automated since 1979
Stats: height: 40 m, focal plane height: 41.5 m, range: 21 nm (white), 17 nm (red), 16 nm (green)
Other: known from the commercials for the beer Jever Pilsener, since 2001 the lighthouse can be visited and climbed, was featured on a stamp in 2005, the two houses (originally for the lighthouse keepers) now house nature protection stations for the Wadden Sea National Park
Jever commercial from 1995. Wie das Land, so das Jever. Friesisch herb. As the land, so the Jever Beer. Frisian rough/harsh/hoppy.
Leuchtturm St. Peter-Böhl (B 1624)
St. Peter-Ording is a city on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein and located southwest on the peninsula Eiderstedt. It is known for its 12 km long sandy beach which is why it’s the No 1 tourist destination at the North Sea, and why the lighthouse is located in its district Böhl.
Location: in St. Peter-Böhl, a southern district of Sankt Peter-Ording, 54° 17′ 45″ N, 8° 39′ 1″ O
Function: cross light for waters “Eider”
History: built in 1892 as a day mark/beacon, in 1914 a lantern was added, automated since 1978
Stats: height: 18 m, focal plane height: 23 m, range: 16 nm (white), 13 nm (red)
Leuchtturm Büsum (B 1606)
Büsum is a city at the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein in Dithmarschen, around 100 km northwest of Hamburg. Büsum has been a beach resort since the 19th century and the thir most popular city for tourists at the North Sea, after Sankt Peter-Ording and Westerland on Sylt. Its harbor, the second largest on the west coast, is connected to the North Sea via the channel “Piep”.
Location: The lighthouse is located close to the city center. 54° 7′ 37″ N, 8° 51′ 30″ O
Function: direction light, orientation beacon for the water “Süderpiep”
History: built in 1912/13, in operation since 1913, was black until it was painted white and red in 1952, remotely controlled since 1976
Stats: height: 21 m, focal plane height: 22 m, range: 19 nm (white), 12 nm (red)
Other: landmark (Wahrzeichen) of Büsum and is featured on the city’s crest, The first lighthouse is Büsum was built in 1878, was made out of wood, and a lantern that had to be pulled up into position. In 1913, it was extinguished. A replica has been erected in 2007 and is part of the museum harbor.
Sources and Resources
- Wiki – Leuchttürme
- Wiki – Leuchtfeuertypen
- Deutsche Leuchtfeuer
- Leuchtturm Atlas
- Lighthouse Glossary
- Lighthouse Glossary (Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society)
- English – German Nautical Glossary (United States Coast Guard Auxiliary)
- YouTube Playlist
