Söderarm is the name of a deactivated Swedish lighthouse station and its surrounding small archipelago in the west part of the

Sea of Åland The Åland Sea (or the Sea of Åland; sv, Ålands hav, fi, Ahvenanmeri) is a waterway in the southern Gulf of Bothnia, between Åland and Sweden. It connects the Bothnian Sea with the Baltic Sea proper. The western part of the basin is in Swed ...

. The light station is located on the island of Thorskär. This area, together with the tiny island of Tjärven north of Söderarm, marks the entrance for the

shipping route A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterways such as oceans and large lakes, and is preferably safe, direct and economic. During the Age of Sail, they were determined ...

leading to the ports of

Kapellskär Kapellskär () is a port about north of Stockholm, in Sweden. It is located by the Baltic Sea, in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County. Services The port is served by frequent passenger ferry services to Mariehamn, Åland, Finland, operated ...

Norrtälje Norrtälje is a locality and the seat of Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 17,275 inhabitants in 2010. It is one of the largest towns in Roslagen. History Norrtälje’s early history dates back to the Iron Age. Around 225 ...

, and also the north entrance to Stockholm. The area has been severely fortified by the Swedish military and

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

, and many traces of military activity from the years during the second world war are still visible. On the island of Manskär, for example, a large military radar mast stood for many years. It was demolished in 2010. In 2002, the coastal artillery was formally liquidated at Söderarm, but still some islands are forbidden for the public to visit. The

Swedish Maritime Administration The Swedish Maritime Administration ( sv, Sjöfartsverket) is the government agency in Sweden which provides services to the transport sector by keeping the sea lanes open and safe. The agency is to a certain degree financed through fees levied o ...

has confirmed that many Russian mines dating from the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

may still lie on the sea bottom east of the light station, making anchoring or diving there dangerous.http://www.sjofartsverket.se/templates/SFVXPage____14061.aspx

History

In the 17th century, the first land beacons were constructed at Thorskär, Söderarm. In 1839, the lighthouse was built and the island staffed. The light ran on

colza oil Close-up of canola blooms Canola flower Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest known vegetable oils. There are both edible and industrial forms produced from rapeseed, the seed of several cultivars of the plant family Brassicaceae. Historically, ...

, and mirrors reflected it. More houses and buildings were added during the 19th century. In 1882, a kerosene lamp replaced the old lamp, but the mirrors remained until 1928 when a third order lens and

Gustaf Dalén Nils Gustaf Dalén (; 30 November 1869 – 9 December 1937) was a Swedish Nobel Laureate and industrialist, engineer, inventor and long-term CEO of the AGA AB, AGA company and inventor of the AGA cooker and the Dalén light. In 1912 he was award ...

s AGA-light replaced the old equipment. In 1953, the light was finally electrified and automated. The station was, however, staffed until September 1997. In 1999, a small aerobeacon mounted on a metallic mast replaced the traditional light, which was deactivated and taken away by the Swedish Maritime Administration in the summer of 2007. Söderarm had been seen as a typical example of a lighthouse not needed for modern commercial shipping. However, the old lens and light equipment remains, and plans to reactivate the lighthouse have been discussed. The metallic mast was removed in the autumn of 2009. A conference company currently promotes activity in the old light station buildings. Overnight accommodations are available in the keeper's house. Söderam is frequently reported as a weather station in the

Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute ( sv, Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut, abbreviated SMHI) is a Government agency in Sweden and operates under the Ministry of the Environment. SMHI has expertise within the a ...

(SMHI) shipping news. The lighthouse has been protected by Swedish

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

since 1935 as a culturally important building.

References

External links

Sjofartsverket

Söderarm Fyr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soderarm Lighthouses completed in 1839 Lighthouses in Sweden

History

See also

References

External links