Hoy is an uninhabited island in

Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...

in Germany. It lies 400 metres east of the island of Lindau in the Bay of Reutin and 100 metres south of the lakeshore near the mouth of the ''Oberreitnauer Ach'' (''Lindauer Ach'').

Geography

Description

The island is roughly rectangular in shape, with a length of nine metres and a width of five to six metres. It covers an area of 53 m². The island of Hoy is part of the quarter and '' Gemarkung'' of Reutin in the borough of Lindau, which, until 1922, was an independent municipality. A willow tree dominates the tiny island, its crown covering most of the surface area. The shore of the island is enclosed by a wall, the top of which is 2 metres above the surface of the lake.

Nature reserve

Hoy and the surrounding

Bay of Reutin A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

(''Reutiner Bucht'') is designated as a nature reserve. It has certain similarities with an artificial island in the lake of

Chiemsee Chiemsee () is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, near Rosenheim. It is often called "the Bavarian Sea". The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake from the south, and the river Alz flows out towards the north. The Alz flows in ...

, the Schalch, which is also in Bavaria.

History

According to locals, Hoy is occasionally (but incorrectly) called

Galgeninsel The Galgeninsel is a peninsula on the shore of Lake Constance near Lindau in the Bay of Reutin in Germany. Geography The Galgeninsel peninsula lies 550 metres east of the island of Hoy and about 200 metres south of the loading sidings of Reutin ...

("Gallows Island"), but the real Galgeninsel, a former imperial execution site, lies 550 metres further east and has been a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

since the mid-19th century. In reality, Hoy is a small artificial island, which was built by the then owner of the nearby ''Villa Seeheim'' (on the left, eastern bank of the Lindauer Ach river, opposite the town council offices). Construction was started on 20 February 1922 and, in 1934, the completion of the island was celebrated with the raising of a flag, singing and speeches. The island was used in the years that followed as a private bathing island; it also had a bathing hut, which burned down in 1945. {{authority control Islands of Bavaria Uninhabited islands of Germany Islands of Lake Constance in Germany Artificial islands of Europe Lindau (district)