
Mandø or Manø () is one of the
Danish Wadden Sea islands
The Danish Wadden Sea Islands () are a group of islands on the western coast of Jutland, Denmark. They have belonged to the region of Southern Denmark since January 1, 2007. Previously they belonged to the counties of South Jutland and Ribe.
Th ...
off the southwest
coast
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
of
Jutland
Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in the
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea ( ; ; or ; ; ; ) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tida ...
, part of the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
. The island covers an area of and had between 27-31 inhabitants in January 2022. The island is part of
Esbjerg Municipality
Esbjerg Municipality (, ) is a '' kommune'' in the Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Jesper Frost Rasmussen, from the Venstre (Center-Right Party) political party. By 1 January ...
and is situated approximately southwest of the ancient town of
Ribe
Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...
.
Mandø is barely accessible by road at high tide over an unpaved surface level
causeway
A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
of about four kilometers in length that connects the island to the
mainland
Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or demogr ...
. Low tide transit is possible. Extensive
mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...
s and
tidal marsh
In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...
es encircle the island and provide
breeding
Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant.
Breeding may refer to:
* Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rab ...
areas to multitudes of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s and other
organism
An organism is any life, living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Many criteria, few of them widely accepted, have be ...
s. In the past centuries several large earthen
dikes
Dyke or dike may refer to:
General uses
* Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian"
* Dike (geology), formations of magma or sediment that cut through and across the layering of adjacent rocks
* Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess ...
have been constructed around the
perimeter
A perimeter is the length of a closed boundary that encompasses, surrounds, or outlines either a two-dimensional shape or a one-dimensional line. The perimeter of a circle or an ellipse is called its circumference.
Calculating the perimet ...
of the island, although substantially set back from the
shore
A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
line. This artifice has allowed conventional
farming
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
in the form of
grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
growing and
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
grazing
In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...
. Mandø is technically a
hallig
The ''Halligen'' (German, singular ''Hallig'', ) or the ''halliger'' (Danish, singular ''hallig'') are small islands without protective dikes. They are variously pluralized in English as the Halligen, Halligs, Hallig islands, or Halligen islands ...
, although it is far from the ten
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
islands commonly described by that term. The name was formerly often spelled Manø.
Logistics of access
Conventional motor vehicles can access Mandø Island via a
causeway
A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
, an unpaved
roadway
A carriageway (British English) or roadway (North American English) is a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move laterally. A carriageway generally consists of a number of traffic lane ...
, although this route is compromised in
storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
s at high tide. The nearest village on the mainland which is the gateway to Mandø Island is
Vester Vedsted. This simple causeway road is no more than copious gravel laid down on an immense mudflat, with required frequent periodic maintenance of added gravels. Alternatively many visitors reach the island by way of a specially designed
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...
-pulled bus with greatly oversized tires. This vehicle is capable of traversing some of the firmer mudflats, but only at the lowest tides. In any case private vehicles or the "Mandø bus" leave the mainland at the point of the Wadden Sea Centre, which offers nature information and boasts a small
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
devoted to the natural history of Mandø. Mandø is located midway between the two larger islands
Fanø
Fanø () is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands. Fanø Municipality () is the '' kommune'' that covers the island and its seat is the town of Nor ...
and
Rømø
Rømø (, ) is a Danish island in the Wadden Sea. Rømø is part of Tønder Municipality. The island had 650 inhabitants as of 1 January 2011, which are connected to the mainland by a ferry and a road running across a causeway, respectively.
Geology and regional setting
Mandø is geographically one of the northernmost islands among the
North Frisian Islands
The North Frisian Islands (, ; ''Öömrang'' and ''Fering'' ; ''Söl'ring'' ; ) are the Frisian Islands off the coast of North Frisia.
The term covers both the North Frisian Islands in the narrow sense (in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) and the Dan ...
off the southwestern Danish and northwestern German coast. The Frisian Islands are generally the line of demarcation separating the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
from the
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea ( ; ; or ; ; ; ) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tida ...
, which is a shallow sea of approximately 5,000 square kilometers in size, riddled with small islands and tidal flats. The entire Wadden Sea area was formed by intervening
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
ine depositional periods between
Ice Age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
movements and the island consists of sedimentary deposits and sand.
Ecology
The principal
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
s on this island are:
tidal marsh
In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...
;
mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...
;
littoral
The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely i ...
zone; and upland
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...
. In fact, there is about as much land area in mudflats as the considerable arable land of the island. Mandø Island is known for its extensive birdlife. Breeding birds consist of
tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated in eleven genera in a subgroup of the family Laridae, which also ...
s,
sandpiper
Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds, or waders, which mainly includes many species known as sandpipers, but also others such as woodcocks, curlews and snipes. Most of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or so ...
s, many
wader
245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s and
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
s including
eider
The eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
The down feathers of eider ducks and some other ducks and geese are used to fill pillows and qu ...
s. Mudflats and marshes afford birds a safe and undisturbed location for feeding, resting and breeding.
There are also a variety of insects, marine organisms and small mammals that find habitat on this island. Many grasses and
wildflower
A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...
s populate the upland portion of the island, in addition to marsh grasses in the intertidal zone. Besides the indigenous
wildlife
Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...
there are sheep which are grazed on the island and along part of the causeway.
History
The first written record of Mandø dates from 1231.
[Store Danske Encyklopædi, CD-rom edition, entry: ''Mandø'', Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 2004 ] but it is believed people lived there before then, with archaeological remains of Gammel Mandø village, located close to the mainland causeway. In 1558, a violent storm surge raged, and the town of Mandø, which was then located on the northernmost part of Mandø island, was destroyed. The storm surge "split" Mandø into two larger islands at the so-called "Store Lo", and the residents built their new houses on the southernmost of the two islands, "New Mandø", near the current settlement on dunes to the western side. Accretion and dikes have joined them again.
There was a further flood event on 11 October 1634. A 1909 storm surge was only 5 cm from going over the seawall. The years 1909, 1911, 1923, 1928, 1936, 1968, 1976, 1981, and 1999 saw extensive flooding, as marked on a post on the island. Among many
storm flood
A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
s, a dyke known as ''Bydiget'' ('village dyke') was constructed in 1887 east of the main settlement, its predecessor having been built largely by women, when men were away at sea. A second one, ''Havnediget'' ('harbour dyke'), was constructed in 1937 protecting the northern part of the island, ''Gammel Mandø'' ('Old Mandø'). Both dykes were breached in a flood in 1981.
Surges are now severe enough to threaten livelihoods and properties.
The meaning of the original name ''Mannæø'' or ''Mannø'' is disputed. According to one interpretation the name means the Isle of Men.
It has also been interpreted as relating to a burial site for victims of shipwrecks. A number of islands in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
have similar names with this meaning. A third interpretation explains it as derived from the name ''Manni''.
A local archival source, ''Avia Ripensis'' (), mentions the existence of a local church in 1340.
In the 16th and 17th century, storm surges destroyed the first two churches, and the current, whitewashed church dates to 1639 (restored in 1727). It was built on the highest point of the dunes. The island belonged to the royal
demesne
A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...
until 1741 when the islanders purchased it at auction.
Mandø remains sparsely populated compared to the neighbouring islands,
Fanø
Fanø () is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands. Fanø Municipality () is the '' kommune'' that covers the island and its seat is the town of Nor ...
and
Rømø
Rømø (, ) is a Danish island in the Wadden Sea. Rømø is part of Tønder Municipality. The island had 650 inhabitants as of 1 January 2011, .
The population has generally declined over decades and centuries. It was 97 in 1860, 244 in 1870 (following the effects of the Prussian war), and the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 1890 records the island's population as 262, a number which dwindled by 2023 to c. 27.
Life on the island was first supported by a combination of agriculture and fishing. Fishing was the responsibility of the island's men and agriculture was managed by the women. Until the 18th century, none of the island's fields were enclosed. Residents often experienced that an early autumn storm surge washed away the entire hay harvest. In 1652 there were approx. 130 people, and since it was difficult to make a living from agriculture alone, some of the residents began to fish. The island was later associated with seafaring. From the middle of the 18th century to around 1900, shipping was important and men took jobs as sailors, helmsmen and captains on ships around the world.
In the 20th century, agriculture became the dominant activity again.
At its peak, the number of farms was 25, a number dwindling to a single one by 1997.
The dairy closed in 1971. In World War II the island was under German occupation, with a German air traffic control station. It had a wooden tower with binoculars, and the crew lived in barracks. Mandø was also used as a recreation site for German soldiers who had been on the Eastern Front during the war. In 1952, Mandø got its own electricity plant. Until then, the inhabitants had used kerosene lamps. The electricity plant was closed in 1971, when an electric cable was laid from the mainland to the island. In 1978, a water pipeline was buried from the mainland to the island.
Tourists visit mainly in the summer months, with up to approx. 80,000 one-day tourists per year. Aside from 14 lodgings there is a campsite, hotel & restaurant (Vadehavet), cafe (Café Mandøpigen) and one shop. On 18 June 2010, a tractor-drawn tourist vehicle overturned in a one meter wide, 50 cm deep hole in the Wadden Sea between Mandø and Koresand. Three were killed and 36 were injured. It appears from one research study that conflicts exist among the residents, tourists, and some departed islanders who retain holiday homes.
Media
A novel by Kjersti Vik (b. 1974) entitled ''Mandø'' was published in 2009, and describes the petty intrigues and struggles of a group of friends holidaying on the island, with reference to the mudflats and sea level rise.
A 2023 movie produced by Elk Films, ''As the Tide Comes In'' (''Før stormen'', 1h 28m) by Juan Palacios and Sofie Husum Johannesen shows the struggles of the remaining 27 islanders, focussing on the oldest and the youngest (in his 40s), with rising sea levels as a storm surge advances.
One review says "Impressively, the film walks that delicate line of both celebrating Mando as an entirely unique place, an island lost in time, and holding it up as a King Canute-esque symbol for humanity’s ongoing fight to hold back the tide."
Notable natives
*
Eugenius Warming
Johannes Eugenius Bülow Warming (3 November 1841 – 2 April 1924), known as Eugen Warming, was a Danish botanist and a main founding figure of the scientific discipline of ecology. Warming wrote the first textbook (1895) on plant ecology, ta ...
(1841–1924), recognized as a major founding figure of the scientific discipline of Ecology, was born and lived until about the age of three on the island.
*
Villum Kann Rasmussen, (Danish Wiki) (1909–1993), construction engineer and businessman, founder of the roof windows company VELUX, was born and lived in Mandø until 1927 when he moved to
Sorø
Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand in east Denmark with a population of 8,433 (2025). , on Zealand to continue his education. Later in life Rasmussen established various foundations to support social and cultural initiatives, as granting scholarships to inhabitants of Mandø.
File:Mandø.Kirke.1.jpg, Mandø Kirke
File:Mandø Museum.1.jpg, Mandø Museum
File:Mandø Mølle.jpg, Mandø Mølle
File:Mandøbussen 2010.jpg, Mandøbussen
See also
*
Bay mud
Bay mud consists of thick deposits of soft, unconsolidated silty clay, which is saturated with water; these soil layers are situated at the bottom of certain estuary, estuaries, which are normally in temperate regions that have experienced cyclic ...
*
Halligen
The ''Halligen'' (German, singular ''Hallig'', ) or the ''halliger'' (Danish, singular ''hallig'') are small islands without protective levee, dikes. They are variously pluralized in English as the Halligen, Halligs, Hallig islands, or Halligen i ...
References
External links
Synopsis of Mandø Island*
ttps://darksky.org/news/the-danish-island-of-mando-becomes-denmarks-fourth-international-dark-sky-place/ "The Danish island of Mandø becomes Denmark’s fourth International Dark Sky Place" DarkSky International (March 14, 2024)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mando
Tidal islands
Islands of Denmark
Geography of Esbjerg Municipality