Nebel, Germany
Encyclopedia
Nebel is a municipality on the island of Amrum
in the district of Nordfriesland
in Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
.
Nebel is situated on the bus line from Wittdün
to Norddorf
. Until 1939 Nebel had a rail head station of Amrum's island railway. In Steenodde, there is a small harbour.
term boli, "settlement" (confer Niebüll
and Nieblum
).
The church of St. Clement was built in 1236 and was standing between the villages of Norddorf and Süddorf prior to the foundation of Nebel.
s and grave mounds
which are a common sight in the area.
Steenodde has its own trafficable dock
. The hamlet used to be a port for the ferry line Amrum-Halligen-Schlüttsiel, today there is a small port for minor freight vessels and for yachts below 12 m of length. The oldest house on Amrum, the former inn Zum lustigen Seehund ("The Merry Seal") is located in Steenodde, it was constructed in 1720.
Hark Olufs
, a native of Süddorf, became famous in the 18th century while serving the Bey of Constantine, Algeria
.
In the late 19th century, a windmill
was erected on an old grave mound. It had already been built in 1775 on the neighbouring island of Sylt
but was later relocated to Süddorf. Today it is used as a dwelling house.
On the southwestern edge of Süddorf, there is the Satteldüne sanitorium, which specialises in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system
of children and adolescents. Moreover, Amrum's school house, the Öömrang Skuul with elementary and secondary
divisions, is located in this part of Nebel.
South of Süddorf, still within the municipality's limits, the Amrum lighthouse is located. It took up service on January 1, 1875 and it has got the second-highest navigational light along the German North Sea
shores next to the light of Heligoland
. The tower is built on a 27 m high dune
. The fire itself is located at 63 m above sea level and carries as far as 23.3 nautical miles (43.2 km). The lighthouse is Amrum's most prominent building.
holds three and the SPD
holds one seat of Nebel's municipality council.
mill which was in use until 1962. Pastor
Erich Pörksen saved the building from being torn down by founding a society for the preservation of the Amrum windmill in 1963. The mill is still operable today.
Opposite of the windmill, the Graveyard of the Homeless is located, where unidentified drowned persons are buried. Most graves date back to the early 20th century, the youngest being from 1969. Since then, all bodies washed ashore on Amrum's beaches could reliably be identified due to improved forensic techniques. Each tomb is decorated with a simple wooden cross into which the date of the body's retrieval from the sea is encarved.
The navigational light "Nebel", erected in 1981, is a modern aluminium construction of 9.6 m height. Due to its location, this leading light for the Norderaue channel has a height of 16 m above mean high tide sea level and carries as far as 19.5 nautical miles (36.1 km).
The Öömrang Hüs at Waaswai 1, Nebel, is a largely original ancient Frisian house from around 1751 which is owned by the folklore society Öömrang Ferian. The original owner was a sea captain
who had his ship depicted on a tile mural in the house's living room. The home decor of former times is presented in the rooms of the Öömrang Hüs, which is opened to the public. In the attic, various exhibitions are held and one can celebrate official wedding ceremonies in the living room.
The centre of Nebel is distinguished by further thatched
18th and 19th century homes.
The equally thatched church of St. Clement hosts a number of artifacts. Among them a Gothic
wooden group of apostles called "The Divine Sacrament" which allegedly had been washed ashore during a storm surge
. The baptismal font
hails from roman times. The narrow nave
, which includes by a low gallery along its flank and over the entrance, communicates the vision of a ship's hull. Also worth a sight is the graveyard of this very church with its tombs from the times between 1670 and 1830. Not only do those tombstones depict ships, but they also contain a short narration on the life of the deceased. As of July 2008, the parish is facing conservational problems though. Especially lichen
as well as moss are continuously destroying the ancient headstones. A professional cleansing is required but will be very costly. Thus ideas have been uttered to bury endangered tombstones into the soil, so bacteria could decompose the moss and lichen. The 36 m high church tower, tiled with copper plates, was only built in 1908.
St. Clement's parish owns a rare copy of the Missale Slesvicense, a liturgical book
printed in 1486 by Steffen Arndes. Only four exemplars of this book are preserved at all and it is thought to be the oldest book ever printed in Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark
. The book is kept in the archives of the North Elbian Evangelical Church
at Kiel
and is infrequently displayed in the churchhouse.
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...
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...
.
Geography and traffic
Until the end of 2006, Nebel was the seat of the Amt Amrum and as such it was the administrative centre of the island of Amrum. Süddorf (Öömrang: Sössaarep) and Steenodde (Stianood) are minor districts of Nebel. The western part of the village is called Westerheide.Nebel is situated on the bus line from Wittdün
Wittdün
Wittdün is a municipality on the island of Amrum in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.- History :...
to Norddorf
Norddorf
Norddorf is a municipality on the island of Amrum in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.- History :...
. Until 1939 Nebel had a rail head station of Amrum's island railway. In Steenodde, there is a small harbour.
History
Nebel was presumably founded in the early 16th century. It is thought that the name is derived from the words nei and bel, where the former means "new" and the latter is based on the ancient DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
term boli, "settlement" (confer Niebüll
Niebüll
Niebüll is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the North Sea coast and the border with Denmark, approx. 35 km northwest of Husum.-International relations:...
and Nieblum
Nieblum
Nieblum is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:...
).
The church of St. Clement was built in 1236 and was standing between the villages of Norddorf and Süddorf prior to the foundation of Nebel.
Steenodde
Steenodde (Öömrag: Stianood, Danish: Stenodde) is the smallest hamlet on Amrum. It is directly located on the shore of the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea east of Amrum. Notable attractions include 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 and grave mounds
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
which are a common sight in the area.
Steenodde has its own trafficable dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
. The hamlet used to be a port for the ferry line Amrum-Halligen-Schlüttsiel, today there is a small port for minor freight vessels and for yachts below 12 m of length. The oldest house on Amrum, the former inn Zum lustigen Seehund ("The Merry Seal") is located in Steenodde, it was constructed in 1720.
Süddorf
Süddorf (Öömr.: Sössaarep, Dan.: Sydtorp) was first recorded in 1446 and is therefore thought to be the oldest hamlet on the isle. The sailorSailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
Hark Olufs
Hark Olufs
Hark Olufs was a North Frisian sailor. He was captured by Algerian pirates and sold into slavery but by successfully serving the Bey of Constantine he could eventually achieve his release.-Life:...
, a native of Süddorf, became famous in the 18th century while serving the Bey of Constantine, Algeria
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
.
In the late 19th century, a windmill
Windmill
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...
was erected on an old grave mound. It had already been built in 1775 on the neighbouring 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...
but was later relocated to Süddorf. Today it is used as a dwelling house.
On the southwestern edge of Süddorf, there is the Satteldüne sanitorium, which specialises in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system
Respiratory system
The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
of children and adolescents. Moreover, Amrum's school house, the Öömrang Skuul with elementary and secondary
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
divisions, is located in this part of Nebel.
South of Süddorf, still within the municipality's limits, the Amrum lighthouse is located. It took up service on January 1, 1875 and it has got the second-highest navigational light along the German 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...
shores next to the light of Heligoland
Heligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
. The tower is built on a 27 m high 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...
. The fire itself is located at 63 m above sea level and carries as far as 23.3 nautical miles (43.2 km). The lighthouse is Amrum's most prominent building.
Politics
Since the municipal elections of 2008, the Nebeler Bürgerblock holds seven seats, the CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
holds three and the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
holds one seat of Nebel's municipality council.
Sights
Another mill, built in 1771 by Erk Knudten, hosts a museum of local history which also features exhibitions of works by various artists during the summer months. It is a Dutch horizontal typeWindmill
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...
mill which was in use until 1962. Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
Erich Pörksen saved the building from being torn down by founding a society for the preservation of the Amrum windmill in 1963. The mill is still operable today.
Opposite of the windmill, the Graveyard of the Homeless is located, where unidentified drowned persons are buried. Most graves date back to the early 20th century, the youngest being from 1969. Since then, all bodies washed ashore on Amrum's beaches could reliably be identified due to improved forensic techniques. Each tomb is decorated with a simple wooden cross into which the date of the body's retrieval from the sea is encarved.
The navigational light "Nebel", erected in 1981, is a modern aluminium construction of 9.6 m height. Due to its location, this leading light for the Norderaue channel has a height of 16 m above mean high tide sea level and carries as far as 19.5 nautical miles (36.1 km).
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
who had his ship depicted on a tile mural in the house's living room. The home decor of former times is presented in the rooms of the Öömrang Hüs, which is opened to the public. In the attic, various exhibitions are held and one can celebrate official wedding ceremonies in the living room.
The centre of Nebel is distinguished by further thatched
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
18th and 19th century homes.
The equally thatched church of St. Clement hosts a number of artifacts. Among them a Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
wooden group of apostles called "The Divine Sacrament" which allegedly had been washed ashore during a 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...
. The baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
hails from roman times. The narrow nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, which includes by a low gallery along its flank and over the entrance, communicates the vision of a ship's hull. Also worth a sight is the graveyard of this very church with its tombs from the times between 1670 and 1830. Not only do those tombstones depict ships, but they also contain a short narration on the life of the deceased. As of July 2008, the parish is facing conservational problems though. Especially lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
as well as moss are continuously destroying the ancient headstones. A professional cleansing is required but will be very costly. Thus ideas have been uttered to bury endangered tombstones into the soil, so bacteria could decompose the moss and lichen. The 36 m high church tower, tiled with copper plates, was only built in 1908.
St. Clement's parish owns a rare copy of the Missale Slesvicense, a liturgical book
Liturgical book
A liturgical book is a book published by the authority of a church, that contains the text and directions for the liturgy of its official religious services.-Roman Catholic:...
printed in 1486 by Steffen Arndes. Only four exemplars of this book are preserved at all and it is thought to be the oldest book ever printed in Schleswig-Holstein and 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...
. The book is kept in the archives of the North Elbian Evangelical Church
North Elbian Evangelical Church
The North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Protestant church in Northern Germany, which largely covers the area of the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg where it is the most important Protestant denomination...
at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
and is infrequently displayed in the churchhouse.
Economy
Tourism is the most important economical factor. In 2005, 35,470 guests were registered in the municipality of Nebel with 341,371 overnight stays. These numbers do not include patients and their company of the Satteldüne sanitorium.Notable people
- Hark OlufsHark OlufsHark Olufs was a North Frisian sailor. He was captured by Algerian pirates and sold into slavery but by successfully serving the Bey of Constantine he could eventually achieve his release.-Life:...
(1708-1754), sailor from Süddorf. As a slave of the Bey of Constantine, Algeria, he advanced to the local cavalry's Commander in Chief.