Pilsum Lighthouse, Maritime navigation tower in Krummhörn, Germany
Pilsum Lighthouse is a cylindrical tower on the North Sea dyke near Pilsum in Krummhörn, Lower Saxony. Its riveted steel shell is painted in horizontal red and yellow bands, with a row of rectangular windows below a rounded, segmented copper dome topped by a small red sphere. The structure stands about 12 metres high with an outer diameter of 4.4 metres.
Planned in 1883 as one of five leading lights in a German-Dutch project to mark the Lower Ems, the tower was finished in 1890 and entered service with the others on 1 October 1891. It guided ships through a roughly five-kilometre stretch of the route between Borkum and Emden until June 1915, when its light was extinguished for the First World War. It was shut down for good in October 1919 after sand deposits shifted the channel.
The name comes from the village of Pilsum in the municipality of Krummhörn, where the tower has stood for more than a century. Many Germans recognize it from Otto Waalkes' 1989 film, which turned it into a popular photo spot for visitors from across the country.
The tower stands on the North Sea dike near Pilsum, reachable on foot along the dike path. Inside, a staircase links the three floors: the former oil and parts store below, the living quarters on the middle floor and the lamp room above. The tower is also used by the Krummhörn municipality as a wedding room.
The tower now serves as a wedding room for the municipality of Krummhörn. Love locks once hung on the window grilles; during renovation the Deichacht Krummhörn removed them and set up a separate grate near the tower for new locks.
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