Kampen lighthouse, Sylt
Encyclopedia
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.
When Sylt belonged to the Danish realm
in 1853, king Frederick VII
ordered the construction of a lighthouse on Sylt's highest elevation, the red cliff. The tower was first lit in 1856. Its original petroleum
lantern was at the time a technical revolution and was displayed at the Paris World Exhibition
in 1855.
The tower was originally constructed from yellow Bornholm
bricks and was reinforced with iron rings in 1875.
Until 1953 the lighthouse used to be greyish-yellow, the colour of the whithered bricks. Only then it was painted with its characteristic black and white.
In the early years after its inauguration, the facility became popular with locals and tourists. Specifically guest books from the 1970s and 80s bear witness to this. Unlike today, the tower could then still be accessed and visited by the public and provided a spectacular view across the island.
In 1929 the so far greatest modification was made when the entire lantern house was altered and the light source was changed from petroleum to electricity.
There are no lighthouse keeper
s any more since 1977, like all active lights on Sylt, the Kampen lighthouse is remotely controlled by a time switch
in Koblenz
. It is lit an hour prior to sunset and doused one hour after sunrise.
Only once in its 150 years of existence the lighthouse was severely threatened. Wehrmacht
plans proposed the expansion of an airfield on the nearby Braderup heath and the tower would have to be detonated. With the occupation of Denmark
and Norway
in 1940 these plans became obsolete though as the strategic importance of Sylt had significantly decreased.
From 2004 to 2005 the lighthouse was elaborately renovated and was therefore completely scaffolded for several months. On 4 June 2006 the 150th anniversary was celebrated with a Turmfest and the rare opportunity was provided to scale the newly renovated tower. Admission tickets were drawn.
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 of 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...
island of 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...
, south of Kampen
Kampen, Germany
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.-History:...
. It is a white conical stone tower with a broad black band.
History
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1853, king Frederick VII
Frederick VII of Denmark
Frederick VII was a King of Denmark. He reigned from 1848 until his death. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch...
ordered the construction of a lighthouse on Sylt's highest elevation, the red cliff. The tower was first lit in 1856. Its original petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
lantern was at the time a technical revolution and was displayed at the Paris World Exhibition
Exposition Universelle (1855)
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
in 1855.
The tower was originally constructed from yellow Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
bricks and was reinforced with iron rings in 1875.
Until 1953 the lighthouse used to be greyish-yellow, the colour of the whithered bricks. Only then it was painted with its characteristic black and white.
In the early years after its inauguration, the facility became popular with locals and tourists. Specifically guest books from the 1970s and 80s bear witness to this. Unlike today, the tower could then still be accessed and visited by the public and provided a spectacular view across the island.
In 1929 the so far greatest modification was made when the entire lantern house was altered and the light source was changed from petroleum to electricity.
There are 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 since 1977, like all active lights on Sylt, the Kampen lighthouse is remotely controlled by a time switch
Time switch
A time switch is a timer that plugs into an electric socket, between the socket itself and a power plug. This physical arrangement allows the connected device to automatically receive power for a desired duration of time...
in Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
. It is lit an hour prior to sunset and doused one hour after sunrise.
Only once in its 150 years of existence the lighthouse was severely threatened. 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:...
plans proposed the expansion of an airfield on the nearby Braderup heath and the tower would have to be detonated. With the occupation of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1940 these plans became obsolete though as the strategic importance of Sylt had significantly decreased.
From 2004 to 2005 the lighthouse was elaborately renovated and was therefore completely scaffolded for several months. On 4 June 2006 the 150th anniversary was celebrated with a Turmfest and the rare opportunity was provided to scale the newly renovated tower. Admission tickets were drawn.