DE-13872769

One more German lighthouse. 

The “Dicke Berta” is a 13 meters high, listed museum lighthouse in Cuxhaven-Altenbruch. It is located in the area of the mouth of the Elbe and offers you a magnificent view over the Elbe and the North Sea. 

 

 DE-13872769, sent by Betty.

The “Dicke Berta” was put into operation at the end of the 19th century because shipping traffic on the North Sea was increasing and the existing lighthouses (in Cuxhaven and Neuwerk) were no longer sufficient to provide a safe travel guarantee for the ships.  

The “Big Berta” and her lighthouse keepers served for many years and guided thousands of ships safely through the mouth of the Elbe, before lighthouses with the latest technology took over the functions of the lighthouse in 1968. On March 1, 1983, the lamp of the old lighthouse went out forever.  

The tower was actually supposed to be demolished, but the people of Altenbruch in particular wanted to keep their beloved “Big Berta” and founded the support association of the same name in order to preserve the maritime contact point at the Altenbruch harbor.  

Besides visiting the museum and the tower, like in other lighthouses in the North Sea, it is also possible to officially say “I do”. What better way to navigate the storms and shoals of a marriage than with the help of a lighthouse?