Sylt Totally Explained

Everything about Sylt totally explained

Sylt (; Söl'ring North Frisian: Söl' ) is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein and well known for the distinct shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands. Sylt's area is 99 km². The distance from north to south is 35 km and from west to east 13 km. At its most narrow point, the island is less than 400 meters in breadth. The island has 21,000 inhabitants. The highest point (Uwe Düne, close to the village of Kampen) is 52 meters above sea level. The island was once part of the mainland, and is still shrinking owing to erosion by the North Sea, which is common for most islands and shorelines in the region, which are slowly but constantly changing. The return of sand, which has been washed away from the beaches, costs several million euros every year and is only of limited effect, and significant loss of land is expected over the next decades. Tourism is by far the largest source of income with the peak months of July and August being more or less sold out every year. Prices for real estate on the island are extremely high, with the the best area of Kampen being among the most expensive in all of Germany.

Culture

Sylt is a unique part of Germany, since it's part of the Frisian Islands. It has its own dialect, Söl'ring, which is the indigenous speech of Sylt. Söl'ring is a unique dialect of insular North Frisian, with elements of Danish, Dutch and English. Today, only a small fraction of the population still speaks Söl'ring. A law to promote the language („Friesisch-Gesetz“) was passed in 2004.
As in many areas in Schleswig-Holstein on New Year's Eve, groups of children go masked from house to house, reciting poems. This is known as "Rummelpottlaufen", and as a reward, children receive sweets and/or money.
Sylt also has unique Frisian-style houses.

History

Sylt was originally part of Jutland (today Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein)
There is evidence of human habitation going back to 3,000 BC at Denghoog
Hengist and Horsa embarked from Sylt for England in the 5th century
First settlements of Frisians during the 8th century and 9th century
Sylt was divided between the Duke of Schleswig and the Kingdom of Denmark in 1386
Except for the town of List, Sylt became part of the Duchy of Schleswig in 1435
During the 17th century and 18th century, whaling, fishing and oyster breeding increase the wealth of the population
Keitum became the capital of the island, and a place for rich captains to settle down
In the 19th century, tourism began; Westerland replaced Keitum as the capital
During World War I, Sylt became a military outpost, but didn't suffer from war damage
In 1927, a rail causeway to the mainland was built, the Hindenburgdamm, named after Paul von Hindenburg
During World War II, Sylt became a fortress, with concrete bunkers built below the dunes at the shore, some of which are still visible today. Lager Sylt, the concentration camp on Alderney was named after the island.

Today, Sylt is mainly a tourist attraction, famous for its healthy climate, and the many German celebrities who own houses on the island.

Municipalities

List

List has a harbor (ferries to Rømø, Denmark) and is Germany's northernmost point. It has a population of about 2,500 (as of 2000). It was first mentioned in 1292 and was Danish territory until 1864. The German Luftwaffe (Airforce) used List as an airbase. List is famous for oysters.

Kampen

Kampen is known for the Red Cliff and its fine lifestyle.www.kampen.de

Hörnum

Hörnum is Sylt's southernmost community.

Rantum

In Rantum ground-water is pumped and filled in bottles for a mineral-water called "Sylt-Quelle". The company also runs a place where artists and authors can spend some weeks for creating new works.

Wenningstedt

Wenningstedt is known for the red cliff and the Denghoog stone grave, a walk-in grave made of huge stone walls from 3000 BC.

Braderup

Braderup, located between Wenningstedt, Kampen, and Munkmarsh, has a beautiful heath (Heide) and is quite wild.

Westerland

After the destruction of the town of Eidum on November 1 1436, in a great flood (Allerheiligenflut), the survivors moved to a place northeast (Wäästerlön in Söl'ring) of the original town. The new town was first mentioned in 1462. It officially became a town in 1905. The population (as of 2000) is 9,200. The town has the island's only civil airport.

Sylt-Ost

Sylt-Ost (East Sylt) is a township, consisting of several small villages on the Nössehalbinsel on Sylt. The population (as of 2000) is 5,500. The villages include Tinnum, Munkmarsch, Archsum, Morsum and Keitum.

Tinnum

Tinnum castle (Tinnumburg) is a circular parapet with a diameter of 120 meters and a height of 8 meters. It was built in the 1st century BC, likely as a pagan holy site.

Keitum

Keitum has a historical church (St. Severin church), dating back to the 1200s. The green cliff is also located near Keitum. The village has been the economical and social center of the island until tourism started to get higher importance and Westerland, the islands onliest town, started to expand. From the old days are still many beautiful frisian houses left which were build by the towns seafarers especially during the whalehunting time (1650-1850).

Munkmarsch

Munmarsch has been the main port of the Island. Ferries from Hoyer (today in Denmark) landed here. When the "Hindenburg Damm" was finished in the 1920s, the town lost its importance. A marina is today located at the old port.

Archsum

Morsum

Morsum has an historical church (St. Martin church), dating back to the same era as the one in Keitum. Morsum is also known for its morsum cliff, that shows the geological history of the last five million years on its height of 21 meters. It has been under landscape conservation since 1923.

Transport

Sylt is connected to the German mainland by the Hindenburgdamm, a causeway with a railway line on top. The passenger trains connect Westerland to Niebüll or Klanxbüll, and there's also the option of taking one's car onto the train at Niebüll. Furthermore, Ferry services to the nearby Danish island of Rømø exist. Beyond, Sylt Airport serves the region.

Further Information

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