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The black, white and red 25 meter iron tower with its four storeys
and the three characteristic oriels below the lantern room may be called
the most famous lighthouse on the German coastline.
The Roter Sand lighthouse was the first fixed light which has been built
right in the middle of the open sea on a quicksand by using a caisson.
This project was an architectural masterpiece and a pioneering work in
the history of building navigational aids to provide a valuable service
to the mariners.
The project began in 1978 when Karl Friedrich Hanckes was tasked to construct
and build a lighthouse at this exposed position.
From 1888 to 1881 the caisson was prefabricated by the company Bavie,
Kunz & Weiss in Bremerhaven and after its completion shipped to the
preplanned position. In a violent hurricane the first attempt failed,
the caisson bursted and sunk.
Nevertheless the lighthouse authority considered the method of using a
caisson to be the right way for the construction and after the new company
Harkort from Duisburg had prefabricated a second caisson it was shipped
again from the save harbour in Bremerhaven to the open sea.
This time on 28 th May 1883 they succeeded in setting the caisson at the
position 53°51’19”N/8°04’93”E on the bottom
of the sea. The first important step was done!
In the beginning of July 1884 the work at the tower itself which should
be errected on top of the caisson began to start. The whole lighthouse
including the underwater foundation reached a height of 52.5 meters. After
almost 7 years from the beginning of the project at midnight of the 1st
November 1885 the Roter Sand was lighted for the first time.
 Lighthouse Keeper around 1925 |
79 years later when the lighthouse „Alte Weser“ had been built next to the Roter Sand and taken over his function as a navigational aid the main light on the tower was extinguished.
Over the years the elemental force of the sea, the storms and the aggressive saltwater had constantly damaged the foundation of the lighthouse and the Roter Sand was endangered to collapse.
Because of the great public interest and particularly the engagement of the association “Rettet den Leuchtturm Roter Sand e.V.” it was possible to collect the needed money to restore and save this cultural and historical significant heritage of maritime history.
Then finally in 1987 in a unique and in technical ways extraordinary action a one hundred tons heavy iron ring was slipped over the tower and laid around the foundation by using a big floating crane.
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The Roter Sand was saved for the moment but the sea does not stop its continuous destruction and there will be more restoration works necessary over the next years. So the association “Rettet den Leucht-turm Roter Sand e.V.” needs every help!
Since 1999 the lighthouse is open for accommodation to the public. I can promise an interesting boat-trip to the Roter Sand and an adventure you will never forget!
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