Langeoog ( nds, Langeoog) is one of the seven inhabited

East Frisian Islands The East Frisian Islands (German: ''Ostfriesische Inseln'', West Frisian: ''Eastfryske eilannen'', stq, Aastefräiske Ailounds) are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Germany. The islands extend f ...

at the edge of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea in the southern

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

, located between Baltrum Island (west), and Spiekeroog (east). It is also a municipality in the district of

Wittmund Wittmund is a town and capital of the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Geography Wittmund is a town of 21,000 inhabitants located in Germany's historic coastal district of East Frisia, between the towns of Aurich and Jever. The ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The name ''Langeoog'' means ''Long Island'' in the Low German dialect.

Geography

Langeoog's beach is long. Langeoog's actual size depends on the level of

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

, which rises and falls about in 6 hours.

Geology

Langeoog is geologically nothing but sand. Rainwater that falls into the sand has a lower density than saltwater, which makes a kind of freshwater bubble float over the saltwater surrounding and deep under the island. The beach and the dunes are eroded by the sea in the western part of the island. Since about 1970, Langeoog's western end has moved several hundred metres to the east. This happens on every East Frisian islandsome islands moved so far that the town had to be rebuilt several times. Every island except

Juist Juist () ( nds, Juist) is an island and municipality in the district of Aurich in Lower Saxony in Germany. The island is one of seven East Frisian Islands at the edge of the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea in the southern North Sea. It is located between ...

and Langeoog has large concrete groynes at its western end to reduce erosion.

History

Storm tides

In 1717 Langeoog was cut in three parts by the Christmas storm tide.

Deaths

Johannes Letzmann Johannes Peter Letzmann (19 July 1885 – 21 May 1971) was an Estonian meteorologist, and a pioneering tornado researcher. His prolific output related to severe storms concepts included: developing tornado damage studies, atmospheric vortices, t ...

died on Langeoog.

Transportation

Langeoog can be reached from port on the East Frisian mainland by the

ferries A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...

of the Langeoog Shipping Company: Langeoog I, Langeoog II, Langeoog III and Langeoog IV. Langeoog ferries' schedule does not depend on the

, which is unusual among East Frisian ferries. The port and the town are linked by a railway, and Langeoog also has an airport. Langeoog largely has a ''no automobile'' policy. Visitors to the island have to leave their cars on the mainland. Only the fire department and ambulance service have standard motorized vehicles. Tractors and heavy construction vehicles can be operated within limits. The policemen and doctors get about on bicycles. Some companies (construction, drink delivery, post office, etc.) have electric cars. The post office and the shipping company have one electric car each. If one does not want to walk, one can rent a bicycle or take a horse carriage taxi.

Tourism

Tourism is the main source of income for Langeoog's economy. There are guest rooms in almost all island buildings. There are also several hotels. The youth hostel is several kilometers outside the town. The island's unpolluted air makes it popular with people who have respiratory problems.

Landmarks

* Langeoog's water tower * The tower of the Catholic Church * The tower of the Protestant church * The ''Melkhörndüne''This was once East Frisia's highest natural elevation and, as such, a tourist attraction. The thousands of visitors every year walking to the top of it shifted the sand and the dune is no longer the highest point, which is now the White Dune on the neighbouring island of Spiekeroog. * The ''Seenotbeobachtungsstelle'', the watchtower of the lifeboat service

Famous people

Singer-songwriter

Lale Andersen Lale Andersen (23 March 1905 – 29 August 1972) was a German chanson singer-songwriter and actress born in Lehe (now part of Bremerhaven). She is best known for her interpretation of the song ''Lili Marleen'' in 1939, which by 1941 transcend ...

, whose 1939 interpretation of the song

Lili Marleen "Lili Marleen" (also spelled "Lili Marlen'", "Lilli Marlene", "Lily Marlene", "Lili Marlène" among others; ) is a German love song that became popular during World War II throughout Europe and the Mediterranean among both Axis and Allied troo ...

became tremendously popular during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, lived here for several years. Although she died in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1972, she is buried on the island's dune cemetery. A bronze memorial in her honor has been erected on Langeoog.

References

External links

*
Langeoog Island Ferry

Langeoog Online – Travel and Tourism Directory

Die Langeooger – Photos from former boarding school times
{{Authority control Islands of Lower Saxony East Frisian Islands Towns and villages in East Frisia Car-free zones in Europe Seaside resorts in Germany Wittmund (district)