Series lighthouses - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2008 - 55 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. On the North Sea island of Amrum, the construction of a lighthouse was decided in the early 1870s, after the shipwreck had accumulated on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The location chosen was the high dune »ridge-dune« between Nebel and Wittdün on the west side of the island. In 1875 the lighthouse was put into operation. Its light shines from a height of 63 meters; the fire height is thus one of the highest on the German North Sea coast. It was not until 1952 that the brick building received its striking red and white paint. Until 1984, a lighthouse keeper inhabited the tower or a dwelling house below the dune, then the monitoring and control of the beacon was automated. Some original technical parts proved to be extremely durable. So had the ball bearing, which carries the complete rotating optics, only in 1993, so 118 years after commissioning, be replaced. The Amrum lighthouse is one of the island's landmarks and open to the public during the summer months.