Föhr
Encyclopedia
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands
on the German
coast of the North Sea
. It is part of the Nordfriesland
district in the federal state
of Schleswig-Holstein
. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany.
; it is the second-largest German North Sea island. Among those German islands which are accessible only by ship or airplane (i.e., no bridge, tunnel or causeway connects them to the mainland), Föhr is the most populous one and has the largest surface.
Föhr is called "The Green Island" due to being sheltered from the storms of the North Sea by its neighbouring islands Sylt and Amrum
, so that Föhr's vegetation is thriving compared to other islands. It is 6.8 kilometres wide and 12 km long, the surface measures 82.82 km². While the northern parts are marshland, the south consists of higher geestland
. The highest elevation measures 13 m above mean sea level and is located on the geestland ridge between the villages of Nieblum
and Midlum
. The geest makes up about two fifth of Föhr's total area and most villages are located there. In the marshlands, a number of solitary farmsteads can be found, which were moved out of the villages during the 1960s.
Until the Grote Mandrenke
flooding, Föhr had not been an island but was part of the mainland, being connected to the sea by deep tidal creeks
.
Föhr, like its neighbour islands, is a popular tourist resort. From the ferry terminal a sandy beach of about 15 km length extends all along Föhr's southern shore and halfway up the western coast. North and northwest of Föhr the Reserved Area I of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park
is located.
Föhr's population counts 8,592 (as of 1 December 2010). The only town on the island is Wyk
on its south eastern coast which is a popular seaside resort. In addition there are sixteen tiny hamlets on Föhr which are distributed among eleven municipalities. They adhere to the Amt Föhr-Amrum
:
A local peculiarity is that almost all place names end with the suffix
-um, which means "settlement".
When the Frisians
colonised the area of modern Nordfriesland during the 7th century, their first settlements were erected on Föhr, according to archaeological findings. The formerly sparsely inhabited island witnessed a steep rise of population. A rather large amount of jewellery originating from Scandinavia
that was found in graves of the time points out a vivid connection to northern Europe. From the age of the Vikings several ring walls, the Lembecksburg among them, are preserved.
The Danish Census Book
of King Valdemar II of Denmark
tells of two Harden on Föhr, territorial subdivisions of the time. The Westerharde Föhr was at times the refuge of a pirate serving the Danish. In 1368 the Westerharde, which also included Amrum, was transferred to the Counts of Holstein
by supervision of knight Klaus Lembeck, bailiff
of Ribe
. In 1400 the Harde surrendered to Queen Margaret I of Denmark
and remained within Ribe County. Until 1864 the western part of Föhr, together with Amrum, belonged to the Danish Enclaves in North Frisia while Osterland and Wyk belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig
since it had seceded from the Danish Kingdom in the 1420s. Together with the Wiedingharde
, the Bökingharde
, the isle of Strand
and Sylt, Osterland in 1426 signed the "Compact of the Seven Hundreds" (German: Siebenhardenbeliebung) with Duke Henry IV of Schleswig, which stated that the Hundreds intended to keep their judicial autonomy.
In 1523 the northern marshlands of Föhr were shut off against the sea by dikes and 22 hectacres of new farming land were won. Beginning in 1526, the Protestant Reformation
began to introduce the Lutheran confession on Föhr which was completed in 1530.
In the 17th century a private navigation
school was established in Süderende by pastor Richardus Petri which was the first of its kind on the island. It improved the situation of the seafaring population considerably and soon other navigators opened own schools across Föhr. Although Petri lead the Süderende school successfully for many years he never sailed to sea himself. These navigation schools enjoyed a high reputation far beyond the island. Subsequently whaling
brought about a Golden Age for Föhr. During the 17th and 18th century most Dutch
and English
whaling ships would have a crew of Frisians from the islands. Around the year 1700 Föhr had a total population of roughly 6,000 people, 1,600 of whom were whalers. In the late 18th century a thousand sailors, 150 Commanders among them, were living on Föhr. Still today the preciously decorated houses of the Commanders can be seen in Nieblum and Süderende. The so-called "talking tombstones" in the cemeteries of the three churches on Föhr account for their vitae. Yet with the decline of the whale populations ever less men would go sailing and the people of Föhr focused on agriculture again.
After 1842, when King Christian VIII of Denmark
chose Föhr as his summer residence, the island became popular as a tourist resort.
During the Second Schleswig War, Danish Lieutenant Commander Otto Christian Hammer
, commanding a flotilla in the North Frisian Isles, resided in Wyk auf Föhr and was able to defend the islands against superior Austrian and Prussian naval forces. He was eventually captured by Prussian Lieutenant Ernst von Prittwitz und Gaffron
. On 17 July 1864, while Hammer was at sea, 250 Austrian
troops landed on Föhr and occupied the island until November 1864.
The three hamlets of Utersum, Witsum and Hedehusum were the only ones to vote for Denmark in Zone II of the Schleswig Plebiscites
in 1920; yet as they were not located directly at the border they remained with Germany.
On 1 January 2007 the formerly independent municipal entities of Amt Föhr-Land, Amt Amrum and Wyk auf Föhr were merged into a great municipality (Amt) Föhr-Amrum
.
known as Fering
or Föhring. Fering is again divided into the two dialects of Westerland Föhr and Osterland Föhr, being the western and eastern halves of the island respectively. In Osterland Low German
is more popular than Fering and especially in Wyk the traditional language is Standard German
.
There are various interpretations concerning the origin of the name Föhr and its original Frisian name Feer. Current etymological studies suggest that Föhr and also Amrum received their names from a maritime point of view. Another likely root is the Frisian feer which means "barren".
On special occasions, mainly in the western parts of the island, women may wear their traditional costumes. Several popular customs are kept on Föhr, such as Biikebrennen
on 21 February with a great bonfire and the Tamsen (or Thamsen, named after Thomas the Apostle
) on 21 December where young people play pranks on others by hiding things that can spin and turn around.
During Christmas season a special kind of Christmas tree exists on Föhr and other North Frisian islands, the so-called kenkenbuum. It consists of a wooden frame which is decorated with a wreath of green leaves. The inner parts carry figures made of play dough, including animals and Adam and Eve
. On New Year's Eve, groups of people dress up in costumes and walk from house to house to let others guess their true identity (similar to Halloween). According to their age, they are either treated with sweets or alcoholic drinks. In Fering, this tradition is called ütj tu kenknin; the people of Wyk call it Rummelrotje. It corresponds to the Hulken on Amrum.
In the times when great parts of the male population on Föhr were seafarers they would spend the winter at home on the island. In the afternoon the bachelors would meet at twilight (Fering: hualewjonken) for social gatherings. Today Hualewjonken is a get-together of confirmed
bachelors below the age of 30.
(1787–1839), a naïve art
painter, was born in Oldsum. Although largely ignored during his lifetime his art became eventually popular in the 20th century. Today there are several professional artists working on Föhr and in Alkersum there is a museum that exhibits notable international artists such as Emil Nolde
, Edvard Munch
or Max Liebermann
.
There are also various Fering authors, among them Stine Andresen
(1849–1927) who was a poet and writer from Wyk whose literature often refers to her native island. She published her poetry in German but also in Fering. In 1991, Ellin Nickelsen's novelette
Jonk Bradlep (Dark Wedding) was published. With it, she won the first ever held North Frisian literature competition.
The internationally successful Rock
band Stanfour
is based on Föhr.
The island is accessible by a car ferry connecting the mainland port of Dagebüll
and the town of Wyk (approximately 10-12 sailings a day, crossing time approx. 45 minutes). The ferry port in Dagebüll is connected to the German road and railway networks. There are also frequent car ferry services from Föhr to the neighbouring island of Amrum
(approx. 1 hour crossing time) as well as seasonal pedestrian ferries to Sylt
and the Halligen.
A bus service connects Wyk to all of the island's villages. Föhr can also be reached by small airplanes via an airstrip.
fishing boats.
(raised in 1886) as well as the Sandwall esplanade
.
Frisian customs and the history of Föhr are displayed at the Dr. Carl Haeberlin Frisian Museum, whose entrance is made up of two whale jaw bones.
The island features three medieval churches from the 12th and 13th century. These are St. Nicolas' church in Wyk-Boldixum, St. John's in Nieblum and St. Lawrence's church in Süderende. The adjacent graveyards contain unusual tombstones which display entire vitae and may show pictures.
s can be found, two of them in Wyk (a Dutch mill called Venti Amica from 1879 in the old town and a buck mill from Hallig Langeneß
at the museum), as well as one in Wrixum (an octagonal Dutch mill), one in Borgsum (Octagonal Dutch mill, rebuilt in 1992 after the previous building was ruined by fire) and one in Oldsum (octagonal Dutch mill from 1901). Save for the buck mill and the mill at Wrixum all those are privately owned.
s account for a colonisation of the island during the Bronze Age
. Today 17 of them can be visited, most of which are located in the southwest of Föhr.
Near Borgsum the Lembecksburg can be seen, a ring wall from the Viking Age with a diameter of more than 100 metres and eight metres of height. A tale goes that Klaus Lembeck resided here as Steward of the Danish King in the Middle Ages.
The entire sea surrounding Föhr may also be designated an attraction. Mainly the foreland north of the sea dike, but also the mud flats provide ample space for all kinds of seabird
s. Oystercatcher
s, common eider
s, shelduck
s, snipes
and peewits are only a few of them. Moreover, during the season vast swarms of migratory birds will rest at Föhr and the neighbouring islands. Occasionally, especially after severe winter storms, harbour seals may be encountered on the beaches.
The beach along the southern shore is popular for swimming. Also, during low tide it is possible to hike from Amrum to Föhr.
North Frisian Islands
The North Frisian Islands are a group of islands in the Wadden Sea, a part of the North Sea, off the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The German islands are in the traditional region of North Frisia and are part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and the Kreis of...
on the German
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...
coast of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. It is part of the Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
district in the federal state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
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...
. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany.
Geography
Föhr is situated southeast of SyltSylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
; it is the second-largest German North Sea island. Among those German islands which are accessible only by ship or airplane (i.e., no bridge, tunnel or causeway connects them to the mainland), Föhr is the most populous one and has the largest surface.
Föhr is called "The Green Island" due to being sheltered from the storms of the North Sea by its neighbouring islands Sylt and Amrum
Amrum
Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, south of Sylt and west of Föhr. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein...
, so that Föhr's vegetation is thriving compared to other islands. It is 6.8 kilometres wide and 12 km long, the surface measures 82.82 km². While the northern parts are marshland, the south consists of higher geestland
Geestland
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
. The highest elevation measures 13 m above mean sea level and is located on the geestland ridge between the villages of Nieblum
Nieblum
Nieblum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:...
and Midlum
Midlum
Midlum is the name of various settlements.In Germany:-*Midlum, Schleswig-Holstein*Midlum, Lower SaxonyIn the Netherlands:-*Midlum, Friesland...
. The geest makes up about two fifth of Föhr's total area and most villages are located there. In the marshlands, a number of solitary farmsteads can be found, which were moved out of the villages during the 1960s.
Until the Grote Mandrenke
Grote Mandrenke
The Grote Mandrenke was the name of a massive southwesterly Atlantic gale which swept across England, the Netherlands, northern Germany, and Schleswig around January 16, 1362, causing at minimum 25,000 deaths. January 16 is the feast day of St...
flooding, Föhr had not been an island but was part of the mainland, being connected to the sea by deep tidal creeks
Creek (tidal)
A tidal creek, tidal channel, or estuary is the portion of a stream that is affected by ebb and flow of ocean tides, in the case that the subject stream discharges to an ocean, sea or strait. Thus this portion of the stream has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle...
.
Föhr, like its neighbour islands, is a popular tourist resort. From the ferry terminal a sandy beach of about 15 km length extends all along Föhr's southern shore and halfway up the western coast. North and northwest of Föhr the Reserved Area I of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park
Wadden Sea National Parks
The Wadden Sea National Parks, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located along the German coast of the North Sea. Named after the Wadden Sea, they consist of three national parks:...
is located.
Föhr's population counts 8,592 (as of 1 December 2010). The only town on the island is Wyk
Wyk auf Föhr
Wyk auf Föhr is the only town on Föhr, the second largest of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. Like the entire island it belongs to the district of Nordfriesland...
on its south eastern coast which is a popular seaside resort. In addition there are sixteen tiny hamlets on Föhr which are distributed among eleven municipalities. They adhere to the Amt Föhr-Amrum
Föhr-Amrum
Föhr-Amrum is an Amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The Amt covers the islands Föhr and Amrum...
:
- AlkersumAlkersumAlkersum is a municipality in the Nordfriesland district, in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.-Politics:Since the communal elections of 2008, the Alkersumer Wählergemeinschaft holds all nine seats in the municipality council....
(Fering: Aalkersem) - BorgsumBorgsumBorgsum is a municipality on the island of Föhr in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:The name means "Settlement at the castle"...
(Borigsem) - DunsumDunsumDunsum is a municipality located on the western shore of Föhr in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is composed of the districts of Greater and Lesser Dunsum.-Geography and traffic:...
(Dunsem), comprising Lesser and Greater Dunsum - Midlum (Madlem)
- Nordseebad NieblumNieblumNieblum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:...
(Njiblem) with its neighbourhood Goting (Guating) - OevenumOevenumOevenum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:...
(Ööwnem) - OldsumOldsumOldsum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:...
(Olersem) the districts of Toftum (Taftem) and Klintum (Klantem) - SüderendeSüderendeSüderende is a municipality on the island of Föhr in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:The place used to belong to Oldsum, being its southern edge...
(Söleraanj) - Nordseebad UtersumUtersumUtersum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The municipality includes the hamlet of Hedehusum.-Geography:...
(Ödersem) with the neighbourhood of Hedehusum (Hedehüsem) - WitsumWitsumWitsum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:Witsum is the smallest village on Föhr. From here one can see the Halligen and Amrum...
(Wiisem) - WrixumWrixumWrixum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography and traffic:...
(Wraksem)
A local peculiarity is that almost all place names end with the suffix
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
-um, which means "settlement".
History
The higher geestland cores of the North Frisian islands, scattered between ample marshlands, attracted settlers when the sea level rose at the end of the Neolithicum. Gravesites and several minor artifacts found on Föhr bear witness to this.When the Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
colonised the area of modern Nordfriesland during the 7th century, their first settlements were erected on Föhr, according to archaeological findings. The formerly sparsely inhabited island witnessed a steep rise of population. A rather large amount of jewellery originating from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
that was found in graves of the time points out a vivid connection to northern Europe. From the age of the Vikings several ring walls, the Lembecksburg among them, are preserved.
The Danish Census Book
Danish Census Book
The Danish Census Book or the Danish book of land taxation , from the 13th Century consist of notes for practical use in the Royal Chancery of Valdemar II containing a collection of information on Royal income and Royal land property. The book is one of the most important sources of information...
of King Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II , called Valdemar the Victorious or Valdemar the Conqueror , was the King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. The nickname Sejr is a later invention and was not used during the King's own lifetime...
tells of two Harden on Föhr, territorial subdivisions of the time. The Westerharde Föhr was at times the refuge of a pirate serving the Danish. In 1368 the Westerharde, which also included Amrum, was transferred to the Counts of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
by supervision of knight Klaus Lembeck, bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
of Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
. In 1400 the Harde surrendered to Queen Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
and remained within Ribe County. Until 1864 the western part of Föhr, together with Amrum, belonged to the Danish Enclaves in North Frisia while Osterland and Wyk belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
since it had seceded from the Danish Kingdom in the 1420s. Together with the Wiedingharde
Wiedingharde
Wiedingharde was an amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was situated on the North Sea coast and on the border with Denmark. Its seat was in Neukirchen...
, the Bökingharde
Bökingharde
Bökingharde was an amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 35 km northwest of Husum. Its seat was in Risum-Lindholm...
, the isle of Strand
Strand (island)
Strand was an island on the west coast of Nordfriesland in modern Germany. It was formed by a stormflood in 1362 where many villages and towns, Rungholt among them, were lost and Südfall island was as well separated from the mainland. Strand island was later split by the Burchardi flood of 1634...
and Sylt, Osterland in 1426 signed the "Compact of the Seven Hundreds" (German: Siebenhardenbeliebung) with Duke Henry IV of Schleswig, which stated that the Hundreds intended to keep their judicial autonomy.
In 1523 the northern marshlands of Föhr were shut off against the sea by dikes and 22 hectacres of new farming land were won. Beginning in 1526, the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
began to introduce the Lutheran confession on Föhr which was completed in 1530.
In the 17th century a private navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
school was established in Süderende by pastor Richardus Petri which was the first of its kind on the island. It improved the situation of the seafaring population considerably and soon other navigators opened own schools across Föhr. Although Petri lead the Süderende school successfully for many years he never sailed to sea himself. These navigation schools enjoyed a high reputation far beyond the island. Subsequently whaling
History of whaling
The history of whaling is very extensive, stretching back for millennia. This article discusses the history of whaling up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986....
brought about a Golden Age for Föhr. During the 17th and 18th century most Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
whaling ships would have a crew of Frisians from the islands. Around the year 1700 Föhr had a total population of roughly 6,000 people, 1,600 of whom were whalers. In the late 18th century a thousand sailors, 150 Commanders among them, were living on Föhr. Still today the preciously decorated houses of the Commanders can be seen in Nieblum and Süderende. The so-called "talking tombstones" in the cemeteries of the three churches on Föhr account for their vitae. Yet with the decline of the whale populations ever less men would go sailing and the people of Föhr focused on agriculture again.
After 1842, when King Christian VIII of Denmark
Christian VIII of Denmark
Christian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
chose Föhr as his summer residence, the island became popular as a tourist resort.
During the Second Schleswig War, Danish Lieutenant Commander Otto Christian Hammer
Otto Christian Hammer
Otto Christian Hammer was a Danish naval officer who participated in the First Schleswig War and the Second Schleswig War.-Life:...
, commanding a flotilla in the North Frisian Isles, resided in Wyk auf Föhr and was able to defend the islands against superior Austrian and Prussian naval forces. He was eventually captured by Prussian Lieutenant Ernst von Prittwitz und Gaffron
Ernst von Prittwitz und Gaffron
Ernst Karl Ferdinand von Prittwitz und Gaffron was a Royal Prussian Lieutenant General and Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John.-Family:...
. On 17 July 1864, while Hammer was at sea, 250 Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
troops landed on Föhr and occupied the island until November 1864.
The three hamlets of Utersum, Witsum and Hedehusum were the only ones to vote for Denmark in Zone II of the Schleswig Plebiscites
Schleswig Plebiscites
The Schleswig Plebiscites were two plebiscites, organized according to section XII, articles 109 to 114 of the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, in order to determine the future border between Denmark and Germany through the former duchy of Schleswig...
in 1920; yet as they were not located directly at the border they remained with Germany.
On 1 January 2007 the formerly independent municipal entities of Amt Föhr-Land, Amt Amrum and Wyk auf Föhr were merged into a great municipality (Amt) Föhr-Amrum
Föhr-Amrum
Föhr-Amrum is an Amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The Amt covers the islands Föhr and Amrum...
.
Language
A major part of the population in the west of the island speaks, besides German, a local idiom of the North Frisian languageNorth Frisian language
North Frisian is a minority language of Germany, spoken by about 10,000 people in North Frisia. The language is part of the larger group of the West Germanic Frisian languages.-Classification:...
known as Fering
Fering
Fering is the dialect of North Frisian spoken on the island of Föhr in the German region of North Frisia. Fering refers to the Fering Frisian name of Föhr, Feer...
or Föhring. Fering is again divided into the two dialects of Westerland Föhr and Osterland Föhr, being the western and eastern halves of the island respectively. In Osterland Low German
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
is more popular than Fering and especially in Wyk the traditional language is Standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
.
There are various interpretations concerning the origin of the name Föhr and its original Frisian name Feer. Current etymological studies suggest that Föhr and also Amrum received their names from a maritime point of view. Another likely root is the Frisian feer which means "barren".
Tradition
Biikebrennen
The Biikebrennen , Biikebrånen or Pers Awten is an annual celebration held on 21 February in North Frisia, in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and in South Jutland....
on 21 February with a great bonfire and the Tamsen (or Thamsen, named after Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
) on 21 December where young people play pranks on others by hiding things that can spin and turn around.
During Christmas season a special kind of Christmas tree exists on Föhr and other North Frisian islands, the so-called kenkenbuum. It consists of a wooden frame which is decorated with a wreath of green leaves. The inner parts carry figures made of play dough, including animals and Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
. On New Year's Eve, groups of people dress up in costumes and walk from house to house to let others guess their true identity (similar to Halloween). According to their age, they are either treated with sweets or alcoholic drinks. In Fering, this tradition is called ütj tu kenknin; the people of Wyk call it Rummelrotje. It corresponds to the Hulken on Amrum.
In the times when great parts of the male population on Föhr were seafarers they would spend the winter at home on the island. In the afternoon the bachelors would meet at twilight (Fering: hualewjonken) for social gatherings. Today Hualewjonken is a get-together of confirmed
Confirmation (Lutheran Church)
Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. In English, it is called "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation...
bachelors below the age of 30.
Arts, literature and music
Oluf BrarenOluf Braren
Oluf Braren was a painter of naïve art from the north Frisian island of Föhr. Some of his works show a strong affinity to his Frisian homeland....
(1787–1839), a naïve art
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
painter, was born in Oldsum. Although largely ignored during his lifetime his art became eventually popular in the 20th century. Today there are several professional artists working on Föhr and in Alkersum there is a museum that exhibits notable international artists such as Emil Nolde
Emil Nolde
Emil Nolde was a German painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and is considered to be one of the great oil painting and watercolour painters of the 20th century. He is known for his vigorous brushwork and expressive choice of colors...
, Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
or Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann was a German-Jewish painter and printmaker best known for his etching and lithography.-Biography:...
.
There are also various Fering authors, among them Stine Andresen
Stine Andresen
Stine Andresen was a German poet from the North Frisian island of Föhr. Her lyrics often refer to her native island. In addition to poems in German, she also wrote some poetry in Fering North Frisian.-Life and opus:...
(1849–1927) who was a poet and writer from Wyk whose literature often refers to her native island. She published her poetry in German but also in Fering. In 1991, Ellin Nickelsen's novelette
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
Jonk Bradlep (Dark Wedding) was published. With it, she won the first ever held North Frisian literature competition.
The internationally successful Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Stanfour
Stanfour
Stanfour are a German rock band who formed in 2004. The band was founded on the German island of Föhr where the four core members live. Already prior to the band's formation, brothers Alexander and Konstantin Rethwisch spent years in Los Angeles working closely together with a producer of film music...
is based on Föhr.
Traffic
Dagebüll
Dagebüll is a municipality located at the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein in the Nordfriesland district, Germany. Today's Dagebüll was created in 1978 as a merger of the municipalities of Fahretoft, Juliane-Marien-Koog and Waygaard...
and the town of Wyk (approximately 10-12 sailings a day, crossing time approx. 45 minutes). The ferry port in Dagebüll is connected to the German road and railway networks. There are also frequent car ferry services from Föhr to the neighbouring island of Amrum
Amrum
Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, south of Sylt and west of Föhr. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein...
(approx. 1 hour crossing time) as well as seasonal pedestrian ferries to Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
and the Halligen.
A bus service connects Wyk to all of the island's villages. Föhr can also be reached by small airplanes via an airstrip.
Economy
Föhr's economy is mainly dependent on tourism. Moreover agriculture, mainly pasture farming, plays an important role. The harbour of Wyk hosts several musselMussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
fishing boats.
Wyk
Sights include a bell towerBell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
(raised in 1886) as well as the Sandwall esplanade
Esplanade
An esplanade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns...
.
Frisian customs and the history of Föhr are displayed at the Dr. Carl Haeberlin Frisian Museum, whose entrance is made up of two whale jaw bones.
Church buildings
Windmills
On Föhr five windmillWindmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s can be found, two of them in Wyk (a Dutch mill called Venti Amica from 1879 in the old town and a buck mill from Hallig Langeneß
Langeneß
Langeneß is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It consists of the halligen Langeneß and Oland. Before the flood of 1634 the two islands were directly attached....
at the museum), as well as one in Wrixum (an octagonal Dutch mill), one in Borgsum (Octagonal Dutch mill, rebuilt in 1992 after the previous building was ruined by fire) and one in Oldsum (octagonal Dutch mill from 1901). Save for the buck mill and the mill at Wrixum all those are privately owned.
Archaeology
Several dolmenDolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s account for a colonisation of the island during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Today 17 of them can be visited, most of which are located in the southwest of Föhr.
Near Borgsum the Lembecksburg can be seen, a ring wall from the Viking Age with a diameter of more than 100 metres and eight metres of height. A tale goes that Klaus Lembeck resided here as Steward of the Danish King in the Middle Ages.
Wadden Sea
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s. Oystercatcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
s, common eider
Common Eider
The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on...
s, shelduck
Shelduck
The shelducks, genus Tadorna, are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans....
s, snipes
Scolopacidae
The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...
and peewits are only a few of them. Moreover, during the season vast swarms of migratory birds will rest at Föhr and the neighbouring islands. Occasionally, especially after severe winter storms, harbour seals may be encountered on the beaches.
The beach along the southern shore is popular for swimming. Also, during low tide it is possible to hike from Amrum to Föhr.
See also
- Islands of Germany
- Leew Eilun FeerLeew Eilun FeerLeew Eilun Feer is the insular anthem of Föhr, in the Fering tongue.-Lyrics:Alhuar ik henkem üüb a eerd,alhü uk het det lun:at jaft dach man an ian eilun Feer,det leit mi boowen uun.An kaam ’k uk hen uun ’t lokelkst steed,huar surgen goor ej wiar,toocht ik dach äeder an uk leedam di, min eilun...
, insular anthem. - Mudflat hiking
- North Frisian IslandsNorth Frisian IslandsThe North Frisian Islands are a group of islands in the Wadden Sea, a part of the North Sea, off the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The German islands are in the traditional region of North Frisia and are part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and the Kreis of...
- North Frisian languageNorth Frisian languageNorth Frisian is a minority language of Germany, spoken by about 10,000 people in North Frisia. The language is part of the larger group of the West Germanic Frisian languages.-Classification:...
- Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-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...
- UthlandeUthlandeUthlande, Utlande is a term for the islands halligen and marshes off the mainland of North Frisia in modern Nordfriesland district, Germany.- History :...
External links
- Föhr, die grüne Insel - Information on Föhr
- Aerial photo
