Bülk lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Bülk lighthouse is located on the westernmost headland of the Kiel Fjord
at the Baltic Sea
coast of Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
. It is the oldest lighthouse at the Kiel Fjord and serves as a guiding light to the entrance into the fjord.
A red light sector warns of the Stollergrund shoal
. It is a popular attraction for visitors.
had established a lighthouse and pilot station on the Bülker Huk headland. The tower featured six Argand lamp
s with curved mirror
s but only became operational in 1815 due to the Napoleonic Wars
. In 1843 this tower was destroyed by lightning. and it was replaced by a tower with a rotating lens.
The construction of the current tower was begun in 1862 by the Danes but due to the Second Schleswig War it could only be completed in 1865 by Prussia
. The tower used to be white with a red band and had a Fresnel lens
.
Shortly after the lighting though, the Bülk lighthouse was not sufficient anymore to secure shipping in the Kiel Fjord and a lightvessel
was moored in the entrance to the fjord.
In 1910 the Fresnel lens was replaced by a set of four spotlights. The original lens was later sold to private owners Until 1969 the lighthouse served as a direction light. It was rebuilt to a guiding light from 1969 to 1970 and again a Fresnel lens was installed. The tower was covered in a asbestos
cement casing, received a black band and was shortened by 2 m. Since then it has been open to the public, managed by a tenant.
Since the last construction works, there are also no lighthouse keeper
s any more at Bülk. Previously there used to be three keepers who worked in shifts and had their families living with them on the site.
high-voltage halogen lamp
with a power of 600 Watt
. The characteristic is one flash every three seconds, with a range of 16 nautical miles for white light.
Kiel Fjord
Kiel Fjord is an approximately long fjord or firth of the Baltic Sea along the shores of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Formed by glacial movement during the last Ice Age, it lies between the Danish Wold and Wagria. It originates at the Hörn in centre-city Kiel and merges into the Bay of Kiel.The...
at the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is the oldest lighthouse at the Kiel Fjord and serves as a guiding light to the entrance into the fjord.
A red light sector warns of the Stollergrund shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
. It is a popular attraction for visitors.
History
Already in 1807 the Danish authoritiesHistory of Schleswig-Holstein
The Jutland Peninsula is a long peninsula in Northern Europe, and the current Schleswig-Holstein is its southern part. Schleswig is also called Southern Jutland...
had established a lighthouse and pilot station on the Bülker Huk headland. The tower featured six Argand lamp
Argand lamp
The Argand lamp is home lighting oil lamp producing a light output of 6 to 10 candlepower which was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand...
s with curved mirror
Curved mirror
A curved mirror is a mirror with a curved reflective surface, which may be either convex or concave . Most curved mirrors have surfaces that are shaped like part of a sphere, but other shapes are sometimes used in optical devices...
s but only became operational in 1815 due to the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. In 1843 this tower was destroyed by lightning. and it was replaced by a tower with a rotating lens.
The construction of the current tower was begun in 1862 by the Danes but due to the Second Schleswig War it could only be completed in 1865 by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. The tower used to be white with a red band and had a Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
.
Shortly after the lighting though, the Bülk lighthouse was not sufficient anymore to secure shipping in the Kiel Fjord and a lightvessel
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
was moored in the entrance to the fjord.
In 1910 the Fresnel lens was replaced by a set of four spotlights. The original lens was later sold to private owners Until 1969 the lighthouse served as a direction light. It was rebuilt to a guiding light from 1969 to 1970 and again a Fresnel lens was installed. The tower was covered in a asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
cement casing, received a black band and was shortened by 2 m. Since then it has been open to the public, managed by a tenant.
Since the last construction works, there are also no lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s any more at Bülk. Previously there used to be three keepers who worked in shifts and had their families living with them on the site.
Technical facts
The Bülk lighthouse is 25.6 m tall. The lower platform, which is open to visitors, is located at 22 m height. Since 1999, the Fresnel optic is lit by a 120 VVolt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
high-voltage halogen lamp
Halogen lamp
A halogen lamp, also known as a tungsten halogen lamp, is an incandescent lamp with a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The chemical halogen cycle redeposits evaporated tungsten back on to the filament, extending the life of...
with a power of 600 Watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
. The characteristic is one flash every three seconds, with a range of 16 nautical miles for white light.