Munkmarsch (Frisian: ''Munkmersk'') is a village on 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 ...

island of

Sylt Sylt (; ; Söl'ring North Frisian: ) is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, with a distinctively shaped shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Fris ...

in the district of

Nordfriesland Nordfriesland (; ; Low German: Noordfreesland), also known as North Frisia, is the northernmost Districts of Germany, district of Germany, part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia (with the e ...

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Today, it is an ''Ortsteil'' of the '' Gemeinde Sylt''.

Etymology

Munkmarsch (Frisian: ''Munkmersk'') derives from "marsh of the monks".

History

The village is located on territory that once belonged to the monastery of St. Canute's Abbey, Odense. In 1573, the area was known as ''Sankt Knutsmarsch''. A 1648 map referred to ''Munckmarsch'', a map from 1778 used ''Monckmarsch''. In 1744, a mill was constructed, flour produced there was mainly sent to Norway. From 1755, mail boats touched at the local harbour. The port was the main connection between Sylt and the mainland after Keitum harbour silted up in the 1850s. In 1859, a 100-metre pier for ferry ships was constructed. Paddlesteamers docked there and the passengers then took coaches to Westerland. In 1869, an inn was built, this later became the ''Fährhaus'' which still exists today. A shipyard was also constructed. In 1888, Munkmarsch was linked to Westerland by the , reducing the travel time to 12 minutes. Munkmarsch retained some of its importance until construction of the Hindenburgdamm in 1927, although after 1901 ferry traffic increasingly shifted to Hörnum. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Munkmarsch was a major landing area for materiel and men when the island was fortified.

Geography

Munkmarsch is located between Braderup and Keitum on 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 ...

side of the island.

Demographics

Munkmarsch has a population of around 100 (2013).

Economy

Today, tourism dominates the local economy. The port now serves as a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

and is used by ''Sylter Segel-Club''. To the north of the village there are gravel pits in which sand for local construction is won and which have also yielded numerous fossils in the past.

Attractions

Today, the 19th-century ''Fährhaus'' is a luxury hotel which sports a restaurant with two Michelin stars.

Government

Prior to the ''Gebietsreform'' of 1970, Munkmarsch had been an ''Ortsteil'' of Keitum. In 1970, it became part of Sylt-Ost. Sylt-Ost was merged on 1 January 2009 with Rantum and the town of Westerland. In separate referendums in 2008, Westerland (by a large majority) and Sylt-Ost (narrowly) agreed to the merger in May 2008. Rantum followed. In September 2008, the merger contract was signed. Munkmarsch is now an ''Ortsteil'' of ''Gemeinde Sylt''. Since 1 May 2015, the mayor of ''Gemeinde Sylt'' has been Nikolas Häckel.

Infrastructure

Transport

The K118 road connects Munkmarsch to Keitum and Braderup. ' operates buses that provide public transport on the island. Sylt Airport is located immediately to the west of the village. However, the terminal is on the western side of the airfield, near Westerland.

References

External links

Munkmarsch tourist office (German)Chronicle of Munkmarsch and its inhabitants (German)
{{authority control Villages in Schleswig-Holstein Sylt Nordfriesland