Lighthouses - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2006 - 55 Euro Cent

The lighthouse "Hohe Weg" is one of the old big beacons on the German North Sea coast and the oldest on the outer Weser. The tower was named after its location, the large tidal flat »High Path« off the coast of Budjadden between the Jade and the Weser. Since about 1700 beacons and fire ships warned about this dangerous place. But with the onset of 1840 steamship on the outer Weser this was no longer enough. So that ships could safely pass through at night and in stormy seas, Bremen commissioned the construction of the lighthouse. The client was Johannes von Rouzelen, the first master builder of Bremerhaven. In the middle of 1855, 120 wooden piles were driven into the ground as the foundation of the approximately 1,500-tonne tower. As early as the end of 1856, the construction work was completed and the octagonal tower started operations. It is 36 meters high and has a landing stage, which facilitates the supply of the tower and the recovery of castaways. The old lighting system of the tower - operated with kerosene lamps - was removed in 1941 and is now in the German Maritime Museum Bremerhaven. Since 1973, there is no longer a lighthouse keeper on "Hohe Weg" - all systems run automatically. In 1962, the tower was equipped with a radar system and informed as one of many radar systems on the Außenweser the navigation monitoring on the traffic.