Pilsum Lighthouse

Pilsum Lighthouse

Pilsum Lighthouse on the dyke
Pilsum Lighthouse Lower Saxony
Coordinates
Year first constructed	1891
Deactivated	1915-2005
Construction	cast iron tower
Tower shape	cylinfrical tower with conical roof, no balcony and lantern
Markings / pattern	tower with horizontal red and yellow bands, green roof
Height	11 metres (36 ft)
Characteristic	no available
ARLHS number	FED-018
Managing agent	Diechacht Krummhörn

The Pilsum Lighthouse (German: Pilsumer Leuchtturm) was built in 1889 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 until 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 de ("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

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