Heligoland lighthouse, Germany
N 54° 10.909 E 007° 52.939
32U E 427057 N 6004327
Heligoland lighthouse is located on Germany's only offshore island, Heligoland. Constructed during World War II as an anti-aircraft tower, it was turned into a lighthouse in 1952. It features the strongest light on the German North Sea coast.
Waymark Code: WMTR5A
Location: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Date Posted: 01/02/2017
Views: 11
"The first lighthouse on Heligoland was built by Trinity House in 1811, when Heligoland was under British rule. The so-called "English lighthouse" (englischer Leuchtturm) was 67 metres (220 ft) above mean sea level. It constituted an important aid to navigation in the German Bight because its light was visible roughly twice as far as that of Cuxhaven Lighthouse, which had been established a few years before. The English lighthouse was torn down soon after the inauguration of a new building in 1902. The lantern and optics of the English lighthouse were moved to Fehmarn island in the Baltic Sea where they were mounted at Staberhuk lighthouse and are still in use today.
The construction of the new lighthouse was ordered by the Prussian administration in 1902. This lighthouse was in service from 1902 until its war-time destruction in 1945. It was built as a round brick tower from the same plans as the Cape Arkona light on Rügen in the Baltic Sea. During a bombing raid on Heligoland on 18 April 1945 by the Royal Air Force this lighthouse was destroyed and the keeper was killed.
In 1941 a square-shaped anti-aircraft tower made of heavily reinforced concrete had been built on Heligoland. It was the only building to survive the detonation of 6,700 tonnes of explosives by the Royal Navy on the island on 18 April 1947 which was meant to destroy the military facilities and bunkers inside the rock of the island. In 1952 this tower was modified to serve as a makeshift lighthouse. The current shape with a brick veneer was formed in a 1965 renovation.[1] Later a radar sensor, Marine and mobile radio telephony devices and an electric beacon were added on top of the lantern house."
Source:"wikipedia.org
Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log to this waymark you need to visit and write about the actual physical location. Any pictures you take at the location would be great, as well.