Alter Leuchtturm Borkum
Old lighthouse on the German island Borkum, built 1576 as seamark and church tower. It is by now the oldest building on the East Frisean islands of Germany.
1817 a light made by oil lamps was added to the tower. The visible light was about 6 nautic miles. 1857 the light was replaced by a Fresnel lamp, increasing the visibility up to 13 nautic miles.
3 men were stationed in the tower to maintain the light. 1879 the peat oven that was warming the room for the men caused a fire and the inside of the tower burnt down. This was the end of the lighthouse in this tower. The island built a new lighthouse that is still in use.
Currently the tower is only accessible on the ground floor due to safety reasons. It's used for small exhibitions about the island.
Alter Leuchtturm Borkum
Old lighthouse on the German island Borkum, built 1576 as seamark and church tower. It is by now the oldest building on the East Frisean islands of Germany.
1817 a light made by oil lamps was added to the tower. The visible light was about 6 nautic miles. 1857 the light was replaced by a Fresnel lamp, increasing the visibility up to 13 nautic miles.
3 men were stationed in the tower to maintain the light. 1879 the peat oven that was warming the room for the men caused a fire and the inside of the tower burnt down. This was the end of the lighthouse in this tower. The island built a new lighthouse that is still in use.
Currently the tower is only accessible on the ground floor due to safety reasons. It's used for small exhibitions about the island.