Amrum Lighthouse
P4
The Lighthouse Amrum is in the south of the German North Sea island Amrum, about two kilometers west of Wittdün. It belongs to the municipality of fog and is one of the landmarks of the island. During the summer months it is open to the public. Also on Amrum are the beacon of Northville, fog and Wriakhörn and the disused fire support of an old and leading lights of Wittdün.
Data
The height of fire of the lighthouse is 63 meters above the mean high water and is one of the highest in the German North Sea coast. The tower itself is 41.8 meters high and its peak thus 67.7 m above sea level. The function is that of a Seefeuers. About 297 steps lead to the observation area. The scope of the beacon is 23.3 miles.
The optics consists of 16 ground lens fields. The identifier is: Blz, 7.5 s ( flash, so a luminous phenomenon of less than 0.7 seconds in duration, every 7.5 seconds). As a light source a 230V/250W-Halogen-Metalldampflampe used. The International Order number of the lighthouse is B 1686th
The lighthouse is one of the cultural monuments in the municipality of fog (No. 8 of the monument list).
History
A Hamburg newspaper published in the 1868 article on the loss of three ships at Amrum and Sylt sparked a fierce and strange experts dispute about where in this region a lighthouse should be built. 1872, the decision was made that a beacon on a 25 meter high dune on the island Amrum should be built. 1873 began the construction of the tower, which, however, became an obstacle course for all involved.
Construction and commissioning
The work had to be interrupted after five weeks, as the granite stones were missing for the 297 -step spiral staircase. When they arrived, a part of the construction workers went on strike and refused these " barren " island to enter. With the remaining workers and other replacement workers succeeded but then until November 1874 to complete the brick building and install the 16 -lens optical system with the associated term but five Argand lamp. The whole lens apparatus had been shown in 1867 at the World Exhibition in Paris. Beneath the Dune a house was built for three lighthouse keeper.
Officially, the beacon Amrum Wittdün was put into operation on January 1, 1875, shortly before sunset, making it the first German Leuchtfeuerbau in North Frisia. 1936, the lighthouse was electrified. In 1952, the lighthouse received its red and white paint. The last lighthouse keeper left in 1984 the tower after its automation.
The lens apparatus
The 2.7 -meter-high and 2.9 -ton lens apparatus is very valuable. Its current value was estimated at around five million euros. Some parts have a - measured by today's standards - extremely long service life. So had the ball bearing that supports the entire rotating optics, until 1993, 118 years after start-up, to be replaced. For this purpose, the whole look was raised a few inches in a very elaborate action to incorporate the old parts and the new.
Stamps
The Lighthouse Amrum was honored on two stamps of Deutsche Post within three years.
Stamp Series Lighthouses of 2008