Kleiner Leuchtturm , Cast iron lighthouse in Borkum, Germany.
Kleiner Leuchtturm is a cast iron tower standing 32 meters high with a distinctive sixteen-sided shape, located on a ten-meter dune on Borkum's southwest coast. Its bold red and white striped pattern is visible from far away and makes it stand out in the flat island landscape.
The tower was built in 1891 as part of a German-Dutch navigation project to guide ships through the Ems river channels. It operated for over a century before being decommissioned in 2003.
The tower serves as a distinctive landmark on the island that visitors immediately recognize when arriving. Its striped exterior has become part of how locals and travelers think about Borkum's maritime character.
The tower is visible from the beach and can be reached by walking paths that cross the dune area. The location is best visited during calm weather since the surrounding dune landscape is quite exposed.
This tower was Germany's first electrically powered lighthouse and operated with its own coal power plant before switching to diesel generators. This technical achievement made it a pioneer in modern lighthouse technology along the German coast.
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