Pilsum Lighthouse

Location of the Pilsum Lighthouse on the dyke

The Pilsum Lighthouse (German: Pilsumer Leuchtturm) was built in 1891 in order to provide a beacon for the Emshörn channel on Germany's North Sea coast. It is located on a dyke near the village of Pilsum in the municipality of Krummhörn. It has guided ships through the narrow channel since 1915. In the First World War its light was extinguished in order that enemy ships could not navigate the route. After that it was no longer needed, because the channel was changed. The height of the structure is 11 metres; the height of the light about sea level is 15 metres. Today the tower is one of the best-known symbols of East Frisia.

Film

The tower grew in popularity as a result of the film Otto – Der Außerfriesische ("Otto - the Outer Frisian") by comedian Otto Waalkes. In the film Otto lives in the lighthouse. Although the lighthouse is one of the central scenes in Otto – der Außerfriesische, for some reason the picture used on cinema advertisements and later on the inlays of the video and DVD editions was of the Westerheversand Lighthouse, not the Pilsum Lighthouse.

See also

• List of lighthouses and lightvessels in Germany

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pilsum Lighthouse.

• Pilsum Lighthouse (German)
• Information and photos of Pilsum Lighthouse at www.leuchtturm-welt.de (German)

v t e Lighthouses and lightvessels in Germany Italics indicate inactive sites. North Sea Borkum Großer Light Campen Pilsum Minsener Oog Roter Sand Alte Weser Voslapp Range Rear Light Bremerhaven Kugelbake Heligoland Amrum Rotes Kliff Kampen, Sylt Olhörn Oland Dagebüll Baltic Sea Bülk Neuland Fehmarnbelt Lightship Warnemünde Dornbusch Cape Arkona Lake Constance Lindau

Coordinates: 53°29′52″N 7°02′44″E / 53.497914°N 7.045669°E / 53.497914; 7.045669