Series lighthouses - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2008 - 45 Euro Cent

At the mouths of the Elbe, Weser, Ems and Jade, on the North and Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein, on the North Frisian and the East Frisian Islands and on the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there are about 200 lighthouse buildings. There are towers of tremendous luminous intensity, the signals of which radiate more than 50 kilometers into the night, but also small steel pylons of more local significance. They all ensure the navigation on the coast. The special postage stamp series "Lighthouses" wants to draw attention to the variety of German beacons. The two stamps with the motifs of the lighthouses "Warnemünde" and "Amrum" appeared on July 3, 2008 in the context of this series. The landmark of the seaside resort of Warnemünde, a district of the Hanseatic city of Rostock, is its 1898 built lighthouse. For 80 years, lighthouse keepers and beacon operators worked in the nearly 37 meter high tower, whose light can still be seen in 20 nautical miles (37 km) distance. In 1978, the technical equipment was modernized, since then the beacon is controlled remotely by the Water and Shipping Authority Stralsund. The lighthouse does not only serve as a navigation point, but also as a lookout tower. Every year, around 60,000 visitors climb the 135 steps that lead from the entrance to the supervisory platform. They are compensated for their efforts with a unique view of Warnemünde, the 150-meter-wide sandy beach and the Baltic Sea.