Westerland (Schleswig)
Encyclopedia
Westerland lies on the North Sea
island of Sylt
and is Germany
's northernmost town and a former municipality. Only the smaller communities of List, Wenningstedt and Kampen – none an incorporated town – lie farther north in Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it has been part of the municipality Sylt
. Westerland belongs to the Nordfriesland
district in Schleswig-Holstein
. It lies about 70 km northwest of Husum
, 74 km west of Flensburg
, 134 km northwest of Kiel
and 186 km northwest of Hamburg
.
, the survivors built a new community to the northeast on a heath
. The old town, now called Alt-Westerland ("alt" means "old") had its first documentary mention in 1462. In 1855, it became a seaside bathing community, and in 1905 it was granted town rights. In 1949 came official recognition as a seaside spa town
, thereby raising Westerland's status to that of Sylt's main town. Until then, Keitum had always enjoyed that distinction. For instance, even as late as the turn of the 20th century, Keitum had the island's only pharmacy
. Owing to its central location at the hub of all transportation routes, and because it is right near the beach, Westerland has affirmed its supremacy among places on Sylt over the last one hundred and fifty years.
industry. In 2002, Westerland was second after Sankt Peter-Ording
in importance to Schleswig-Holstein's tourism industry: 96,120 guests, of those 271 (0.28%) from abroad, booked 819,935 overnight stays. The town had 9,159 beds available for this purpose. In the town's south end is a campground. For the island of Sylt, Westerland forms a centre for supply, retailing and service providers for inhabitants and visitors throughout the island.
and Westerland. The railway line, called the Marsh Railway (Marschbahn), runs across the 11.3 km-long Hindenburgdamm
, a causeway
across the Wadden Sea
joining Sylt to the mainland. Passenger trains, both local and long-distance, also serve Westerland, reaching it across the causeway. Westerland may also be reached by air through Sylt Airport
, and by car ferry
from the nearby Danish
island of Rømø
.
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...
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...
and is 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...
's northernmost town and a former municipality. Only the smaller communities of List, Wenningstedt and Kampen – none an incorporated town – lie farther north in Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it has been part of the municipality Sylt
Sylt (municipality)
Sylt is a municipality on the island of Sylt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was formed on 1 January 2009 by the merger of the former municipalities Rantum and Sylt-Ost with the town Westerland....
. Westerland belongs to 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 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...
. It lies about 70 km northwest of Husum
Husum (Schleswig)
Husum is the capital of the Kreis Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea"...
, 74 km west of Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
, 134 km northwest of 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 186 km northwest of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
History
Westerland is one of the younger places on Sylt. After the All Hallows Flood on 1 November 1436 had utterly destroyed the community of EidumEidum
Eidum or Eydum was a historic place on the German island of Sylt in the North Sea. It was several hundred metres west of the present coast line of the present-day village of Westerland.-History:...
, the survivors built a new community to the northeast on a 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...
. The old town, now called Alt-Westerland ("alt" means "old") had its first documentary mention in 1462. In 1855, it became a seaside bathing community, and in 1905 it was granted town rights. In 1949 came official recognition as a seaside spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
, thereby raising Westerland's status to that of Sylt's main town. Until then, Keitum had always enjoyed that distinction. For instance, even as late as the turn of the 20th century, Keitum had the island's only pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. Owing to its central location at the hub of all transportation routes, and because it is right near the beach, Westerland has affirmed its supremacy among places on Sylt over the last one hundred and fifty years.
Economy
Westerland's economy is very strongly oriented towards the island's tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry. In 2002, Westerland was second after Sankt Peter-Ording
Sankt Peter-Ording
Sankt Peter-Ording is a very popular German seaside spa and a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the only German seaside resort that has a sulphur spring and thus terms itself "North Sea healing spa and sulphur spring". By overnight stays, St...
in importance to Schleswig-Holstein's tourism industry: 96,120 guests, of those 271 (0.28%) from abroad, booked 819,935 overnight stays. The town had 9,159 beds available for this purpose. In the town's south end is a campground. For the island of Sylt, Westerland forms a centre for supply, retailing and service providers for inhabitants and visitors throughout the island.
Transport
Sylt, and thereby also Westerland, cannot be reached by road. Instead, there is a shuttle train that carries cars, the Sylt-Shuttle, running between NiebüllNiebüll
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 Westerland. The railway line, called the Marsh Railway (Marschbahn), runs across the 11.3 km-long Hindenburgdamm
Hindenburgdamm
The Hindenburgdamm is an 11 km-long causeway joining the North Frisian island of Sylt to mainland Schleswig-Holstein. Its coordinates are . It was opened on 1 June 1927 and is exclusively a railway corridor...
, a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
across the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
joining Sylt to the mainland. Passenger trains, both local and long-distance, also serve Westerland, reaching it across the causeway. Westerland may also be reached by air through Sylt Airport
Sylt Airport
Sylt Airport is the airport on the island of Sylt and in the municipality of Sylt, Germany.-Airlines and destinations:- External links :*...
, and by car ferry
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
from the nearby Danish
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...
island of Rømø
Rømø
Rømø is a Danish island in the Wadden Sea. Rømø is part of Tønder municipality. The island has 650 inhabitants as of 1 January 2011 and covers an area of 129 km². Rømø is a popular tourist spot each year....
.
Personalities
- Uwe Dallmeier (born 27 August 1923 in Dithmarschen; died 19 November 1985), actor, died here at his residence.
- Heinz ReinefarthHeinz ReinefarthHeinrich Reinefarth was a German military officer during and government official after World War II. During the Warsaw Uprising his troops committed numerous war atrocities. After the war Reinefarth became the mayor of the town of Westerland and member of the Schleswig-Holstein Landtag...
an SSSchutzstaffelThe Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
BrigadeführerBrigadeführerSS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
who became mayor in December 1951
Trivia
- A songWesterland (song)"Westerland" is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It was the fifth track and the second single from their 1988 album Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit.... It is an ode to the city of Westerland. It was also released on Die Ärzte's first maxi-CD, which had the same cover as the single but tracks different...
by the German punkPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Die ÄrzteDie ÄrzteDie Ärzte is a punk band from Berlin. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B. and bass player Rodrigo González...
is named after Westerland.