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Heligoland island and its history. Traveling the world

Heligoland island and its history. Traveling the world

20.12.2023

: 54°10′57″ n. w. 7°53′07″ E. d. / 54.18250° N. w. 7.88528° E. d. / 54.18250; 7.88528 (G) (I)

Chapter Square Center height Official language Population Density

805.88 people/km²

Timezone Telephone code Postcode Vehicle code Official code Official site

(German)

Previously, the majority of the island's population spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but it has now been practically replaced by the German language. Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

Story

The island has been inhabited since prehistoric times. 6,500 years ago, the territory of Heligoland was connected to the European mainland. Around the 7th century, the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled there. For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who traded in the North Sea. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Heligoland belonged to Denmark, and then went to the German Duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself came under the control of the Danish crown. In 1720, as a result of a storm, the island was divided in two. Golden times for the island came during the Napoleonic wars. As a result of the naval blockade declared by the French Emperor of Great Britain, Heligoland became a busy transit base for smugglers. The strategic position had an impact. In 1807 it was occupied by British troops, after which it became part of Great Britain. In 1826, a seaside resort was established here. The island soon began to enjoy popularity among poets, writers, artists and other representatives of the European intellectual elite. Heinrich Heine spoke enthusiastically about it, and Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote the text of the “Song of the Germans” here in 1841 (later it became the anthem of Germany).

Zanzibar Agreement

Hamburg businessman, builder Arne Weber, has been toying with the idea of filling in the strait between the main island and Dune Island for several years. On the territory reclaimed from the North Sea, the businessman proposes to build several hotels, increasing the number of hotel beds by almost three times, and also to equip a more spacious and comfortable beach. The total investment is estimated at one billion euros. After lengthy discussions, local authorities decided to abandon the large-scale plans of the Hamburg entrepreneur. Instead, they intend to modernize the port complex and sea pier in Heligoland. In turn, Arne Weber called this position short-sighted and expressed hope that the decision will be reviewed after the municipal elections this fall. On the island, apparently, they simply don’t want to change its appearance again. He has already suffered greatly at the hands of man.

At a referendum held on June 26, 2011, Heligoland residents spoke out against the authorities’ plans to increase the island’s territory. 1068 people took part in the voting (turnout was 81.4%). 54.7% voted “against”, 45.3% - “For”. In accordance with the plan, the island of Heligoland and the island of Dune, located a kilometer away, were supposed to be connected by an artificial embankment with a total area of 100 hectares (about 30 football fields), on which hotels, marinas for yachts and cruise ships were to appear, and a beach was also equipped. A grandiose project to develop tourism infrastructure was designed to improve the overall economic situation of the island. Heligoland is in danger of stagnation: the number of tourists is decreasing, many residents are leaving the island. Burgomaster of Helgoland Jörg Singer (German) Joerg Singer), who actively supported the artificial embankment project, said that the results of the referendum in no way negate plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for expanding the island territory.

In culture

British trip-hop group Massive Attack released an album in 2010 called Heligoland.
Heligoland is the setting of the historical novel "The Island of the Sacred Swans" by the German writer Britta Verhagen, dedicated to the Christianization of the Frisians in the eighth century. The author believed that the island, whose name translates as “Sacred Land,” was the location of an ancient sanctuary that had been preserved there since the time of Atlantis, which, as she believed, following Pastor Jürgen Spanut, was located approximately in the area of this island.

Born here

James Crews - children's writer

Photos

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Heligoland around 1929/30

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Heligoland 07-2016 photo01.jpg

View of Heligoland from the sea

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"Long Anna"

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Landscape at the top of the island

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Heligoland lighthouse

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View of Dune

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Notes

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– If I were a woman, I would do this, Marie. This is the virtue of a woman. But a man should not and cannot forget and forgive,” he said, and, although he had not thought about Kuragin until that moment, all the unresolved anger suddenly rose in his heart. “If Princess Marya is already trying to persuade me to forgive me, then it means I should have been punished a long time ago,” he thought. And, no longer answering Princess Marya, he now began to think about that joyful, angry moment when he would meet Kuragin, who (he knew) was in the army.
Princess Marya begged her brother to wait another day, saying that she knew how unhappy her father would be if Andrei left without making peace with him; but Prince Andrei replied that he would probably soon come back from the army again, that he would certainly write to his father, and that now the longer he stayed, the more this discord would be fueled.
– Adieu, Andre! Rappelez vous que les malheurs viennent de Dieu, et que les hommes ne sont jamais coupables, [Farewell, Andrey! Remember that misfortunes come from God and that people are never to blame.] - were the last words he heard from his sister when he said goodbye to her.
“This is how it should be! - thought Prince Andrei, driving out of the alley of the Lysogorsk house. “She, a pitiful innocent creature, is left to be devoured by a crazy old man.” The old man feels that he is to blame, but cannot change himself. My boy is growing up and enjoying a life in which he will be the same as everyone else, deceived or deceiving. I'm going to the army, why? - I don’t know myself, and I want to meet that person whom I despise, in order to give him a chance to kill me and laugh at me! And before there were all the same living conditions, but before they were all connected with each other, but now everything has fallen apart. Some senseless phenomena, without any connection, one after another presented themselves to Prince Andrei.

Prince Andrei arrived at the army headquarters at the end of June. The troops of the first army, the one with which the sovereign was located, were located in a fortified camp near Drissa; the troops of the second army retreated, trying to connect with the first army, from which - as they said - they were cut off by large forces of the French. Everyone was dissatisfied with the general course of military affairs in the Russian army; but no one thought about the danger of an invasion of the Russian provinces, no one imagined that the war could be transferred further than the western Polish provinces.
Prince Andrei found Barclay de Tolly, to whom he was assigned, on the banks of the Drissa. Since there was not a single large village or town in the vicinity of the camp, the entire huge number of generals and courtiers who were with the army were located in a circle of ten miles in the best houses of the villages, on this and on the other side of the river. Barclay de Tolly stood four miles from the sovereign. He received Bolkonsky dryly and coldly and said in his German accent that he would report him to the sovereign to determine his appointment, and in the meantime he asked him to be at his headquarters. Anatoly Kuragin, whom Prince Andrei hoped to find in the army, was not here: he was in St. Petersburg, and this news was pleasant for Bolkonsky. Prince Andrei was interested in the center of the huge war taking place, and he was glad to be free for a while from the irritation that the thought of Kuragin produced in him. During the first four days, during which he was not required anywhere, Prince Andrey traveled around the entire fortified camp and, with the help of his knowledge and conversations with knowledgeable people, tried to form a definite concept about him. But the question of whether this camp was profitable or unprofitable remained unresolved for Prince Andrei. He had already managed to derive from his military experience the conviction that in military affairs the most thoughtfully thought-out plans mean nothing (as he saw it in the Austerlitz campaign), that everything depends on how one responds to unexpected and unforeseen actions of the enemy, that everything depends on how and by whom the whole business is conducted. In order to clarify this last question, Prince Andrei, taking advantage of his position and acquaintances, tried to understand the nature of the administration of the army, the persons and parties participating in it, and derived for himself the following concept of the state of affairs.
When the sovereign was still in Vilna, the army was divided into three: the 1st army was under the command of Barclay de Tolly, the 2nd army was under the command of Bagration, the 3rd army was under the command of Tormasov. The sovereign was with the first army, but not as commander-in-chief. The order did not say that the sovereign would command, it only said that the sovereign would be with the army. In addition, the sovereign did not personally have the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, but the headquarters of the imperial headquarters. With him was the chief of the imperial staff, Quartermaster General Prince Volkonsky, generals, adjutants, diplomatic officials and a large number of foreigners, but there was no army headquarters. In addition, without a position under the sovereign were: Arakcheev - a former minister of war, Count Bennigsen - the senior general of the generals, Grand Duke Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich, Count Rumyantsev - chancellor, Stein - a former Prussian minister, Armfeld - a Swedish general, Pfuhl - the main compiler campaign plan, Adjutant General Paulucci - a Sardinian native, Wolzogen and many others. Although these persons were without military positions in the army, they had influence due to their position, and often the corps commander and even the commander-in-chief did not know why Bennigsen, or the Grand Duke, or Arakcheev, or Prince Volkonsky was asking or advising this or that. and did not know whether such an order was coming from him or from the sovereign in the form of advice and whether it was necessary or not necessary to carry it out. But this was an external situation, but the essential meaning of the presence of the sovereign and all these persons, from the court point of view (and in the presence of the sovereign, everyone becomes a courtier), was clear to everyone. It was as follows: the sovereign did not assume the title of commander-in-chief, but was in charge of all the armies; the people surrounding him were his assistants. Arakcheev was a faithful executor, guardian of order and bodyguard of the sovereign; Bennigsen was a landowner of the Vilna province, who seemed to be doing les honneurs [was busy with the business of receiving the sovereign] of the region, but in essence was a good general, useful for advice and in order to always have him ready to replace Barclay. The Grand Duke was here because it pleased him. The former minister Stein was here because he was useful to the council, and because Emperor Alexander highly valued his personal qualities. Armfeld was an angry hater of Napoleon and a general, self-confident, which always had an influence on Alexander. Paulucci was here because he was bold and decisive in his speeches, the General Adjutants were here because they were everywhere where the sovereign was, and, finally, and most importantly, Pfuel was here because he, having drawn up a plan for the war against Napoleon and forced Alexander believed in the feasibility of this plan and led the entire war effort. Under Pfuel there was Wolzogen, who conveyed Pfuel’s thoughts in a more accessible form than Pfuel himself, a harsh, self-confident to the point of contempt for everything, an armchair theorist.
In addition to these named persons, Russian and foreign (especially foreigners, who, with the courage characteristic of people in activity among a foreign environment, offered new unexpected thoughts every day), there were many more minor persons who were with the army because their principals were here.
Among all the thoughts and voices in this huge, restless, brilliant and proud world, Prince Andrei saw the following, sharper, divisions of trends and parties.
The first party was: Pfuel and his followers, theorists of war, who believed that there is a science of war and that this science has its own immutable laws, laws of physical movement, bypass, etc. Pfuel and his followers demanded a retreat into the interior of the country, retreats according to the exact laws prescribed by the imaginary theory of war, and in any deviation from this theory they saw only barbarity, ignorance or malicious intent. The German princes, Wolzogen, Wintzingerode and others, mostly Germans, belonged to this party.
The second game was the opposite of the first. As always happens, at one extreme there were representatives of the other extreme. The people of this party were those who, even from Vilna, demanded an offensive into Poland and freedom from any plans drawn up in advance. In addition to the fact that the representatives of this party were representatives of bold actions, they were also representatives of nationality, as a result of which they became even more one-sided in the dispute. These were Russians: Bagration, Ermolov, who was beginning to rise, and others. At this time, Ermolov’s well-known joke was spread, allegedly asking the sovereign for one favor - to make him a German. The people of this party said, remembering Suvorov, that one must not think, not prick the map with needles, but fight, beat the enemy, not let him into Russia and not let the army lose heart.

German island Heligoland December 7th, 2013

But did you know this about Germany?

Helgoland (Helgoland-German or Heligoland-English), in Russian-language literature for some reason always called Heligoland– miniature German archipelago in Northern sea. It is located 46 kilometers from mainland Germany and consists of two islands: an inhabited main island with a triangular shape Hauptinsel(with an area of about 1 sq. km) and located to the west of it, a much lower Dune(0.7 sq. km), consisting almost entirely of sandy beaches and having as a permanent population only the staff of several tourist campsites and a small airfield.

An island lost in the infinity of the sea with a high rocky shore made of bright red sandstone cannot but arouse admiration. Looking at this incredible creation of nature, it is difficult to imagine that it is located not in distant exotic lands, but in the North Sea, which washes some of the coldest countries in Europe - Great Britain, Denmark, Norway. The landscape of this bizarre triangular piece of land, only 1 square meter long. km, is completely uncharacteristic of the continental coast of the North Sea. Vertical fifty-meter cliffs stretch out like a motley wall along the sea line in the north, west and southwest, where, in addition, steep cliffs drop another 56 meters below the water level. Interestingly, the mottled sandstone of these cliffs, dating from the Triassic geological era, is older than the White Chalk rock of its base, the rock that also formed the White Cliffs of Dover and similar German and Danish islands in the Baltic Sea.

Standing apart on the north side is a stunning 47-metre red sandstone cliff called Lange Anna. It is known that at the beginning of the First World War this was the name of a tall waitress from a nearby cafe, but why the cliff was named after her remains a mystery. Thousands of years ago, “Long Anna” was part of the island, then, under the influence of water erosion, an arch was formed, washed by sea water.

Currently, we see only the remnant of that arch - a giant miraculous column, which turned into a symbol of Helgoland and became the highlight of this amazing place. Unfortunately, the elements continue to seriously impact the magnificent natural monument, and the threat of its destruction is growing every day.

The history of the island is extremely interesting. Since prehistoric times, it was inhabited by people who came here along a seventy-kilometer spit that once connected the island with the mainland and subsequently went under water due to the effects of wind erosion.

More than 6,000 years ago, Helgoland was several times larger, and rivers flowed across its surface. Gradually, the depths of the sea began to destroy the rock of the island, advancing from the north and south, washing away the steep cliffs.

Around the 7th century, the Frisians, one of the small Germanic peoples, settled there. For a long time, the island was considered a refuge for pirates who traded in the North Sea.

In the 12th-13th centuries, Heligoland belonged to Denmark, and then went to the German Duchy of Schleswig, which, in turn, after a few centuries itself came under the control of the Danish crown.

Not without human intervention - by the 18th century, numerous mining and stone extraction led to the fact that the island split into two parts, connected to each other by a thin bridge. A severe storm in the winter of 1721 destroyed it, finally dividing Helgoland into two parts. Today, a second small island called Dune is located just 1.5 km from Helgoland and part of it serves as an airstrip.

1890

Due to its advantageous geographical position, Helgoland has always played a prominent role during military operations, from the time of Napoleon to the world wars of the 20th century. By the beginning of the First World War, the island had been turned into a powerful German naval base, with many underground tunnels, bunkers, shelters and mines. Today you can find traces of that time everywhere - dilapidated underground passages, entrances carved into the rocks, bomb craters overgrown with grass, and the lighthouse at the northern end of the island was once an anti-aircraft defensive structure.

After the end of the Second World War, the British government decided to destroy the island, thereby eliminating the possibility of a future military threat. In 1947, the strongest non-nuclear explosion in world history occurred on the island - Helgoland survived, but its appearance was significantly changed. Thus, many banks collapsed, and a lowland formed in the south.

In 1950, the island returned to German hands, residents evacuated during the war returned, and calm times began for Heligoland. Travelers, artists, writers, and intellectuals began to come here, which turned Helgoland into a famous resort destination, which it remains to this day. And it is not surprising, because this charming island has something to offer tourists - numerous routes will take you through the most picturesque corners of the island, where you can see majestic rocks and cliffs, green meadows where cows and sheep graze, dunes, seals basking on the seashore .

At the beginning of June at the Lummenfelsen Wildlife Sanctuary, the smallest nature reserve in the world, home to thousands of guillemots, razorbills, northern cormorants and gulls, you will be able to witness a truly amazing spectacle - the time has come for chicks of guillemots to learn to fly and, having never yet spread their wings, They are thrown down the cliff, but miraculously do not break.

What makes Helgoland even more special is its climate. Advantageous proximity to the warm Gulf Stream and a small land area that does not retain the cold create truly excellent weather conditions. This is the sunniest and warmest place in Germany: even in winter the temperature does not drop below 10 °C, which makes it possible to grow heat-loving plants here, such as figs. Neighboring Dune islet's two long, fine sandy beaches are reminiscent of the Caribbean islands, with palm trees leaning over the turquoise sea - a paradise for swimming.

Helgoland is an ideal choice not only for those who want to plunge into the world of nature, take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, but also for lovers of a beautiful life: there is a yacht club, spa resorts, mini golf courses, outdoor swimming pools with sea water, cozy cottages and duty-free shops. A trip here will leave an indelible impression, and you will certainly want to return to this wonderful island.

Helgoland GPS coordinates: 54.1825, 7.885278

Heligoland is one of the oldest European resorts. The first seaside resort appeared here back in 1826, when the islands were the possession of the British Crown. Many famous personalities of that time vacationed here. Heinrich Heine visited him more than once.

On the beach of Dune Island you can admire seals and walruses sunbathing. And they have already adapted so much to the frequent visits of guests that they are not afraid of people at all.

But only those tourists who are not afraid of cold water will be able to swim on the islands. After all, even on the hottest days, the water temperature does not exceed 20 °C.

Currently, the idea is being hatched to fill up the strait between the main islands. On the territory reclaimed from the sea, it is proposed to build several hotels, increasing the number of hotel beds almost threefold, as well as equip a marina and a more spacious and comfortable beach.

Residents of Heligoland, at a referendum held on June 26, 2011, spoke out against plans to increase the territory of the island. The burgomaster of Heligoland, Joerg Singer, who actively supported the artificial embankment project, said that the results of the referendum in no way cancel out plans for the further development of the island. According to him, now is the time to consider other possibilities for expanding the island territory.

Previously, the majority of the islands' population spoke the Helgolandic dialect of the Frisian language, but now it has been practically replaced by the German language. Despite this, Frisian is the official language.

Official website of the Heligoland archipelago, helgoland.de/en/welcome.html, will help you become more familiar with the infrastructure of this German seaside resort.

Helgoland, Helgoland August 25th, 2008

Heligoland is a tiny, just a square kilometer, piece of land in the North Sea. From here you can control the sea routes between England, Denmark, Germany and Holland. The more I learn about him, the greater my surprise. My friends and I came here for a day, but we will definitely return, at least for a week.

Several historical facts at once, although you may already know them. The island is mentioned by ancient authors, and its settlement occurred in the Neolithic - then it was connected to the mainland by a seventy-kilometer spit. The rocks that make up Heligoland - coupled with human influence, of course - are the island's biggest problem.

Helgopalmen
Around 800, during the era of Christianization, Heligoland was approximately four times larger. Small rivers even flowed on it. By 1330 (large outline on the right), there were no longer any sources of water left on the island except rainwater and imported water. The sea gradually invaded the south and north, taking over the limestone quarries. The fact is that it was in the center of the island that the most accessible building material was located. He was even taken to stone-poor Hamburg. And development reached the point at the beginning of the 18th century that only a thin bridge connected the parts of the island. The Christmas storm of 1721 not only devastated, but also “broke” Heligoland into two parts.

dpa
The top photo shows the current state of Heligoland. The lower computer model, looking ahead, is a rather controversial (and expensive) project to save the island. Private investors propose to fill up the strait that formed three hundred years ago, build a passenger terminal for ocean-going ships and turn the island into a resort. Perhaps a decision will be made soon, and we are one of the last guests of Heligoland to see it like this - after natural disasters and destruction by people. Now only small ships can approach here, and the runway for single-engine aircraft is not even on the main landmass, but on a “dune” cut off by water, as the locals call it.

The island belonged to Denmark, then, after the Napoleonic wars, to England. In 1890, as a result of the settlement of colonial disputes in Africa, Germany acquired it for itself. The British did not recognize the military significance of Heligoland, and the Germans were able to create a serious naval base here by the beginning of the World War. From 1914 to 1918 the local population - about three thousand people - was completely evacuated. Two of the largest naval battles of the First World War took place off the coast of the island. After Versailles, military installations and the naval base were destroyed, but Hitler’s project Hummerschere-- "The Claw of the Crab" set out to transform the island into a modern fortress and a threat to England.

You can imagine the scale if you compare my photographs with postcards from a hundred years ago. Before the Second World War, the island, like an anthill, was crammed with bunkers and mines. A submarine base was hidden under the coastal layer.

The whole of modern Heligoland is a living wound. Here and there you can find entrances to dilapidated tunnels, like those under this shore. Even after the subsequent destruction, about 14 kilometers of underground communications remained!

This, for example, is not a protrusion of rock, but twisted reinforced concrete.

By the end of the war, Heligoland was a lunar landscape. But this was not enough. The British government decided to prevent future military threats. And completely wipe the island off the face of the earth. For this purpose, according to various sources, from 6 to 20 tons of explosives were placed in bunkers and mines. On April 18, 1947, the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in human history took place here. The island survived, although its topography changed significantly. A lowland formed in the southern part. Part of the banks collapsed. For a couple of years after this, the British used Heligoland for military experiments and training bombing.

In 1950, two German students brought the German flag to the island. The Bundestag carefully secured the return of the island to Germany two years later, while simultaneously pledging not to use it for military purposes.

It is said that after this many of the original inhabitants returned to Heligoland. Some things were built quite in the spirit of Frisian architecture.

But most of it is the usual architecture of provincial Germany. Although with a twist.

The main source of local income is, of course, tourism.

I can testify that guests here feel comfortable and inexpensive. In addition, due to its position on the high seas, the island (it is not formally part of the European Union!) is a duty-free trade zone.

It's hard not to notice. By the way, European tourists set off on their return journey laden with alcohol and cigarettes... Surprisingly, control upon departure is quite symbolic.

Another historical digression. In the Middle Ages (some might add, during the Little Ice Age), warm currents brought so many fish to the shores of Heligoland that up to three thousand fishermen went out into the river at the same time! By the beginning of the New Age, fish had practically disappeared, and the population was forced to leave or look for other sources of income. One of them was oyster farming. But by the end of the 19th century, the Prussian military base took away convenient areas with oyster farms from the locals. The welfare of the inhabitants increased sharply during Napoleon's continental blockade - the island became the largest center of smuggling - but did not last long... The unenviable history of the people. Disasters, disasters, wars.

Some of the current residents are now busy with navigation and maintenance of sea routes.

Therefore, if you need somewhere, ask, they will probably show you.

One could talk a lot and pompously about the nature of Heligoland.

"Long Anna" is one of the most famous natural monuments in Europe. The height of the rock is 47 meters.

wikipedia
In prehistoric times, the sea washed into an arch like the one on the left here. In 1860, it could not withstand the pressure of the sea and collapsed, forming a separate rock, first nicknamed “Monk”. The destruction increased, and already in 1903, the filling of soil and the construction of a dam began below. This slowed the erosion, but in modern times "Anna" is again under threat. The cracks are growing. The rock can, in fact, collapse at any moment.

Oh yes, Anna was the name of a lanky waitress in a nearby cafe on the eve of the First World War. Nothing more is known about the girl.

The rocks of the island are a real paradise for birds.

In the twentieth century, gannets settled here. Relatives of pelicans, by the way.

Here they have both love and kindergarten.

The nests are made of algae and everything that floats in the sea. Lots of rags and snatches of nets.

At eighteen square meters at the top of “Long Anna” there is also a bird colony and, by the way, for this reason, the smallest nature reserve in the world.

View to the northeast and the dune.

There's also a lot of amazing stuff down there.

The runway is going nowhere - all that remained of the military airfield.

The pebbles on the shore, half a century after the war, are still mixed with rolled bricks.

We wandered here with Vanya