Oldsum

Oldsum
The windmill is Oldsum's landmark
Oldsum
Location of Oldsum within Nordfriesland district
Coordinates	54°44′N 8°27′E
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Schleswig-Holstein
District	Nordfriesland
Municipal assoc.	Föhr-Amrum
Mayor	Jens Pedersen
Basic statistics
Area	13.3 km2 (5.1 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m  (13 ft)
Population	566 (31 December 2010)
- Density	43 /km2 (110 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	NF
Postal code	25938
Area code	04683
Website	www.oldsum-auf-foehr.de

Oldsum (Fering: Olersem) is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Geography

A typical thatched house in Oldsum

The municipality of Oldsum consists of the three hamlets of Oldsum, Klintum (Fering: Klantem) and Toftum (Fering: Taftem) which are extended for some two kilometers along a main road. The population count about 600. The view of the place is marked by well-preserved thatched farmhouses. Oldsum's landmark is an ancient thatched windmill whose antecessor presumably dates back to the year 1700, burned down 200 years later, was rebuilt and subsequently was in use until 1954. Since 1972 the mill is exclusively used as a dwelling house. Oldsum is situated approximately two kilometers from the western shore of the island, the northern coastline is just a little closer. Oldsum adjoins to Süderende to the south, Dunsum to the southwest and Alkersum and Midlum to the east.

History

Oldsum was first recorded in 1462 as Uluersum. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Oldsum, Klintum and Toftum were important whaling villages. A census in 1787 showed that the three places together had 961 inhabitants, 211 of whom were seafarers. One of the most successful whalers, Matthias Petersen (1632–1706) lived in Oldsum proper. In his lifetime he was able to catch 373 whales, his tomb can still be visited in the graveyard of the St. Laurentii church in Süderende.

As a part of Westerland Föhr, Oldsum belonged to the Royal Enclaves of Denmark and thus was a direct part of the Danish crown while Osterland Föhr belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig. Only when Denmark lost Schleswig to Prussia in the Second Schleswig War, Oldsum became a part of Schleswig-Holstein.

Politics

Since the communal elections of 2008, the Oldsumer Wählergemeinschaft holds eight seats out of nine in the municipality's council. The ninth seat is held by an independent contestant.

Economy

With the rise of tourism, agriculture began to play an ever lesser role. Today there are only a few farmsteads scattered across the village. Some farms were evacuated out of the town in the 1950s and 60's and are now situated outside the village proper but still in the municipality's area. Oldsum underwent a transformation from a farmers' to an artists' village, numerous studios and galleries can now be found there. Other important economical factors are a rising number of crafts enterprises as well as retailing.

Notable people

• Matthias Petersen, 17th century whaling captain, called "Lucky"
• Hinrich Braren, 19th century nautical examiner who wrote the first nautical textbook in German language
• Oluf Braren, 18th century painter
• Friede Springer, widow of Axel Springer and major shareholder of Axel Springer AG

External links

• Media related to Oldsum at Wikimedia Commons
• Oldsum