Kampen, Germany
Encyclopedia
Kampen is a municipality on the island Sylt
, in the district of Nordfriesland
, in Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
. It is located north of the island's main town, Westerland, and was first recorded in 1534.
For centuries, until around 1900, Kampen was a rural village shaped by agriculture
. Shipping and fishing as well as other industries and crafts played hardly any role. Together with Wenningstedt
, the village of Kampen constituted the so-called "Northern Villages" (Norddörfer) of Sylt. One would share the church and the school house which due to the low number of citizens in the respective villages could only be kept and financed with a common effort. Kampen, a quiet hamlet in an area of heath
, was only tardily discovered by tourists. Until the beginning of the 20th century the place was merely regarded an insider's tip among travellers. Only in the 1920s seaside resort
life began to develop in Kampen. A ruling from 1912, which is still effective today, demands that all houses in the village be built in the traditional style, i.e. brick buildings with thatched roofs.
Prior to and during World War II
camps were established in Kampen by the Wehrmacht
. A major camp was located near today's public camping site in the southwestern part of the village. It had been built due to the expansion of the air field on the Braderup heath. There was however no direct combat action, nor did Kampen suffer any remarkable damage from allied bombings.
East of the village there was an anti-aircraft
site with many bunker
s and shelters, where the latters hosted a lot of refugees from Germany's former eastern territories during the immediate post-war years. In the 1950s the Café Kupferkanne was established inside the facility.
In the early 20th century many artists and intellectuals were attracted by Kampen. Haus Kliffende became the favourite quarter of Thomas Mann
and many other celebrities. Ferdinand Avenarius
is considered as the first popularizer of Sylt. After World War II the village continuously became a venue of the "rich and famous" - the tycoons of the Wirtschaftswunder
. Also many celebrities of cinema and television thought Kampen to be fashionable. In the 1960s there was a considerable boost in the naturist movement
. Especially the nude beach at Buhne 16 in Kampen gained popularity by frequent media reports. The boom slowed down in the 1980s. Today Kampen is still an upscale tourist resort but mostly without any spectacular events.
s of mostly wealthy guests were constructed on the Nordheide around the old village core. Thus the area of Kampen multiplied within a few years. Despite early plannings from the 1920s, the western heath of Kampen was not covered with buildings though and today is a nature reserve
.
: Azure a sea holly
argent.
The municipal flag depicts the sea holly in a blue canton
on an otherwise fessed
flag of blue and white.
with Lech am Arlberg
in Austria
. A retired cabin from a gondola lift
was given to Kampen as a gift by the well-known alpine ski resort, which is now displayed on Kampen's main beach. In return Lech received a thatched bus stop shelter.
pond can be found. Nowadays this nature reserve is a resort for numerous species of water birds. Already in 1767 a pond for catching ducks was located here.
The so-called red cliff west of the village is up to 30 metres tall and is highly endangered by erosion and storm surge
s. The Uwe Dune
reaches a height of 52.5 m above sea level, thus being the island's highest elevation, and is named after Uwe Jens Lornsen (1793-1838), a freedom fighter for a united Schleswig-Holstein
who hailed from Keitum.
East of Kampen the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park
extends, in summer the municipality offers guided mudflat hikings there.
There are also numerous studios and galleries of notable artists in Kampen.
On the western heath several neolithic dolmen
s are located. As they are not marked, they are relatively untouched by tourism, also the ancient ring wall of Kampen remains largely unnoticed.
For more than 150 years the Kampen lighthouse
is now situated on the higher geestland
core south of the village the. It is 40 metres tall with a black and white marking. Another, smaller lighthouse
is located north of Kampen on the red cliff. It served as a supplement to the main light from 1913 to 1975.
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...
, in the district of 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...
, in 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 located north of the island's main town, Westerland, and was first recorded in 1534.
History
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Shipping and fishing as well as other industries and crafts played hardly any role. Together with Wenningstedt
Wenningstedt-Braderup
Wenningstedt-Braderup is a municipality on the island of Sylt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
, the village of Kampen constituted the so-called "Northern Villages" (Norddörfer) of Sylt. One would share the church and the school house which due to the low number of citizens in the respective villages could only be kept and financed with a common effort. Kampen, a quiet hamlet in an area of heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, was only tardily discovered by tourists. Until the beginning of the 20th century the place was merely regarded an insider's tip among travellers. Only in the 1920s seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
life began to develop in Kampen. A ruling from 1912, which is still effective today, demands that all houses in the village be built in the traditional style, i.e. brick buildings with thatched roofs.
Prior to and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
camps were established in Kampen by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. A major camp was located near today's public camping site in the southwestern part of the village. It had been built due to the expansion of the air field on the Braderup heath. There was however no direct combat action, nor did Kampen suffer any remarkable damage from allied bombings.
East of the village there was an anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
site with many bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s and shelters, where the latters hosted a lot of refugees from Germany's former eastern territories during the immediate post-war years. In the 1950s the Café Kupferkanne was established inside the facility.
In the early 20th century many artists and intellectuals were attracted by Kampen. Haus Kliffende became the favourite quarter of Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
and many other celebrities. Ferdinand Avenarius
Ferdinand Avenarius
Ferdinand Avenarius was a lyric poet, a leading representative of the culture reform movement of his time and the first popularizer of Sylt.-Life:...
is considered as the first popularizer of Sylt. After World War II the village continuously became a venue of the "rich and famous" - the tycoons of the Wirtschaftswunder
Wirtschaftswunder
The term describes the rapid reconstruction and development of the economies of West Germany and Austria after World War II . The expression was used by The Times in 1950...
. Also many celebrities of cinema and television thought Kampen to be fashionable. In the 1960s there was a considerable boost in the naturist movement
Freikörperkultur
Freikörperkultur is a German movement whose name translates to Free Body Culture. It endorses a naturistic approach to sports and community living. Behind that is the joy of the experience of nature or also of being nude itself, without direct relationship to sexuality. The followers of this...
. Especially the nude beach at Buhne 16 in Kampen gained popularity by frequent media reports. The boom slowed down in the 1980s. Today Kampen is still an upscale tourist resort but mostly without any spectacular events.
Village development
From the 1920s on, the summer residences and villaVilla
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s of mostly wealthy guests were constructed on the Nordheide around the old village core. Thus the area of Kampen multiplied within a few years. Despite early plannings from the 1920s, the western heath of Kampen was not covered with buildings though and today is a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
.
Arms
BlazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
: Azure a sea holly
Sea holly
The Sea holly is a species of Eryngium in the plant family Apiaceae and native to most European coastlines. In some ways, it resembles a flowering thistle, in that its flower is burr-shaped, though these are metallic blue, rather than mauve. The protected dune plant grows to a height of 20 to...
argent.
The municipal flag depicts the sea holly in a blue canton
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
on an otherwise fessed
Flag terminology
Flag terminology is a jargon used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.-Description of standard flag parts and terms:...
flag of blue and white.
Town twinning
Since 2002 Kampen is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg
Lech am Arlberg is a mountain village and an exclusive ski resort in the Bludenz district of Vorarlberg, in western Austria, on the banks of the river Lech. In terms of both geography and history, Lech belongs to the Tannberg district...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. A retired cabin from a gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
was given to Kampen as a gift by the well-known alpine ski resort, which is now displayed on Kampen's main beach. In return Lech received a thatched bus stop shelter.
Religion
Kampen does not have a church of its own. For a long time the mostly Protestant citizens had to attend church services at St. Severinus' church in Keitum, 7 kilometres away. In 1914 the "Frisian Chapel" was built in the neighbouring village of Wenningstedt, whose Norddörfer Parish also includes Kampen. During the summer months outdoors church services are held at various locations.Economy
Like all municipalities on Sylt, Kampen is highly specialised on the tourism business, so that an economical monostructure can be found there.Traffic
The municipality is crossed by the state road L24 which runs north-south all along the island. In addition to individual traffic, bus route No. 1 of the Sylter Verkehrsgesellschaft provides public transport.Local enterprises
Due to the touristical monostructure, predominantly subsidiaries of upscale retail businesses can be found in Kampen, such as designer shops and jewellers, but also a number of service enterprises, crafts and accommodation facilities.Public institutions
Together with Wenningstedt, Kampen operates the Norddörfer Schule, an elementary school located south of the village proper. Furthermore there is a kindergarten in the village. The Kaamphüs hosts the municipal office but also serves as a venue for lectures, concerts, etc.Culture and sights
Roughly three kilometres north of Kampen the Kampen decoyDecoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
pond can be found. Nowadays this nature reserve is a resort for numerous species of water birds. Already in 1767 a pond for catching ducks was located here.
The so-called red cliff west of the village is up to 30 metres tall and is highly endangered by erosion and storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
s. The Uwe Dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
reaches a height of 52.5 m above sea level, thus being the island's highest elevation, and is named after Uwe Jens Lornsen (1793-1838), a freedom fighter for a united Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein Question
The Schleswig-Holstein Question was a complex of diplomatic and other issues arising in the 19th century from the relations of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein , to the Danish crown and to the German Confederation....
who hailed from Keitum.
East of Kampen 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:...
extends, in summer the municipality offers guided mudflat hikings there.
There are also numerous studios and galleries of notable artists in Kampen.
On the western heath several neolithic dolmen
Dolmen
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 are located. As they are not marked, they are relatively untouched by tourism, also the ancient ring wall of Kampen remains largely unnoticed.
For more than 150 years the Kampen lighthouse
Kampen lighthouse, Sylt
The Kampen lighthouse is located on the geestland core of the German island of Sylt, south of Kampen. It is a white conical stone tower with a broad black band.-History:...
is now situated on the 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...
core south of the village the. It is 40 metres tall with a black and white marking. Another, smaller lighthouse
Rotes Kliff lighthouse
The Rotes Kliff lighthouse on the island of Sylt, Germany, served as a sector light from 1913 to 1975. It is located on a cliffside north of the village of Kampen.-History:...
is located north of Kampen on the red cliff. It served as a supplement to the main light from 1913 to 1975.