Lange Jaap

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The lighthouse Huisduinen, called Lange Jaap, is a lighthouse in the north of Fort Kijkduin in Den Helder in the Dutch province of North Holland.

Building

With a height of 63.45 meters was the Lange Jaap long time the tallest lighthouse in the Netherlands before he was replaced by a new lighthouse on the Maasvlakte. However, the Lange Jaap is still the highest gusseisenere lighthouse in Europe. The construction of the tower began in 1877, commissioning took place on 1 April 1878. The lighthouse has a sixteen square basic shape and is made of cast iron plates bolted together with a total weight of 506,100 kg. Architect of the tower was Quirinus Harder. Since 1988, the " Lange Jaap " is a listed building.

History

Prior to the establishment of the Long Jaap shipping was backed off the coast of Den Helder and Texel by various lighthouses and beacons. There was also at the site of the present Fort Kijkduin a tower, were burned on the wood and coal to warn ships of dangers. In 1822, then a 46 -meter-high stone tower was built on the site of the fort, on which you installed a vehicle equipped with 26 oil lamps and mirror beacon. 1853 were replaced the mirror by a lens system before the old tower in 1878 by the establishment of long Jaap was unnecessary.

Beacon

At the opening in 1878 of the Long Jaap was equipped with an Argand lamp and stationary lenses. These were replaced in 1903 by a rotatable optics. This lens system generated every ten seconds and two flashes of light could be seen for about 30 miles. 1912 was the lighthouse even stronger burner before it was electrified in 1924. During the Second World War, the beacon was destroyed by German marines. It was not until 1945, after five years without a beacon, a Behelfsoptik was installed in 1949 replaced by a new condition lens system. This system produces today in a twenty - four second interval flashes of light and can be seen 54 kilometers away.