Gollwitz lighthouse, Lighthouse on Poel island, Germany

The Gollwitz lighthouse is a white, square concrete tower 7.5 m tall, rising from the facade of a one-storey white machine house on the north coast of Poel island. A gallery-terrace and a cylindrical red lantern with a white roof sit on top, and the upper section is clad in steel sheet. Its light stands at a focal height of 13 m.

A metal lattice tower was built at this spot in 1929 to warn ships about the shallows of Wismar bay, running on gas at a time when electricity was not yet available. In 1953, it was replaced by the current concrete tower, which was connected to the electric grid and produced a much brighter signal.

The tower is one of two main beacons on Poel island, together with the lighthouse in Timmendorf harbour. Its triangular top sign, mounted on the building, served as a daytime identification mark for sailors. The lantern window once faced right as well as forward; today it faces only forward.

The tower stands about half a mile (1 kilometer) northwest of the village of Gollwitz and is easy to reach on foot or by bike along the coastal paths. It is not open to visitors inside, but can be seen clearly from the outside.

The light is controlled remotely from Travemünde, with no one on site to operate it. Its beam is divided into white, red, and green sectors, each visible at a different range, so that sailors can tell exactly where they are relative to the safe channel.