Borkum Großer Leuchtturm, Brick lighthouse in Borkum, Germany
Borkum Großer Leuchtturm is a 60.3-metre round tower of about 1.5 million black-brown bricks, built in 1879. A projecting stone ring divides the dark brick shaft, which has a single arched window below the gallery. A stone cornice with projecting blocks carries a circular metal balcony with wire mesh railing, above which sits a glazed lantern room with vertical and diagonal mullions under a red dome.
The current lighthouse was built in 1879 after its predecessor was destroyed by fire, with construction completed in just six months. Its completion restored a critical navigation aid for vessels traveling through the Ems estuary region.
The tower carries a second light, the Westerems cross-mark light, added on 1 October 1891. It signals a course change for ships in the outer Ems moving from the Westerems fairway into the Randzelgat. Locals call the tower Großer Leuchtturm to distinguish it from the island's two other lighthouses.
Visitors can climb the tower during visiting hours to view the island and surrounding waters from above. Wearing weather-appropriate clothing is recommended, as the island experiences frequent wind and rain.
Since 1 October 1891 the tower has carried a second light, the Westerems cross-mark light, at a height of 46 metres. It shows ships in the outer Ems the course change from the Westerems fairway into the Randzelgat. The main light, upgraded in 1908, has six lens panels forming three beam pairs of 2 million candela each, reaching 24.4 nautical miles.
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