Westerland, Germany

Westerland
Ortsteil of Sylt
Kurpromenade in 2003
Westerland
Location of Westerland within the Nordfriesland district
Coordinates	54°54′36″N 8°18′27″E
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Schleswig-Holstein
District	Nordfriesland
Town	Sylt
Mayor	Petra Reiber
Basic statistics
Area	10.45 km2 (4.03 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m  (16 ft)
Population	9,032  (31 December 2007)
- Density	864 /km2 (2,239 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	NF
Postal codes	25969–25980
Area code	04651
Website	www.gemeinde-sylt.de

Westerland (Danish: Vesterland; Söl'ring North Frisian: Wäästerlön’) lies on the North Sea island of Sylt and is Germany's northernmost town and a former municipality. Only the smaller communities of List, Wenningstedt and Kampen – none an incorporated town – lie farther north in Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it has been part of the municipality Sylt. Westerland belongs to the Nordfriesland district in Schleswig-Holstein. It lies about 70 km northwest of Husum, 74 km west of Flensburg, 134 km northwest of Kiel and 186 km northwest of Hamburg. Westerland is very posh and expensive and is quite often revered as the "Beverly Hills" of Germany.

History

Westerland is one of the younger places on Sylt. After the All Hallows Flood on 1 November 1436 had utterly destroyed the community of Eidum, the survivors built a new community to the northeast on a heath. The old town, now called Alt-Westerland ("alt" meaning "old") had its first documentary mention in 1462. In 1855, it became a seaside bathing community, and in 1905 it was granted town rights. In 1949 came official recognition as a seaside spa town, thereby raising Westerland's status to that of Sylt's main town. Until then, Keitum had always enjoyed this distinction. For instance, even as late as the turn of the 20th century, Keitum had the island's only pharmacy. Owing to its central location at the hub of all transportation routes, and of its position in accordance to the main beaches, Westerland has affirmed its supremacy among all other places on Sylt over the last one hundred and fifty years.

Economy

Westerland's economy is strongly oriented towards the island's tourism industry. In 2002, Westerland was second after Sankt Peter-Ording in importance to Schleswig-Holstein's tourism industry: 96,120 guests, of those 271 (0.28%) from abroad, booked 819,935 overnight stays. The town had 9,159 beds available for this purpose. In the town's south end near Hörnum is a campground. Westerland is the central hub for supply, retailing, and numerous services that provide for the inhabitants and visitors throughout the island of Sylt.

Transport

Inauguration of the new railway connecting Sylt with Westerland in 1927

Sylt, and thereby also Westerland, cannot be reached by road. Instead, there is a shuttle train that carries cars, the Sylt-Shuttle, running between Niebüll and Westerland. The railway line, called the Marsh Railway (Marschbahn), runs across the 11.3 km-long Hindenburgdamm, a causeway across the Wadden Sea adjoining Sylt to the mainland. Passenger trains, both local and long-distance, also serve Westerland, reaching it across the causeway. Westerland may also be reached by air through Sylt Airport, and by car ferry from the nearby Danish island of Rømø.

Personalities

• Uwe Dallmeier (born 27 August 1923 in Dithmarschen; died 19 November 1985), actor, died here at his residence.
• Heinz Reinefarth an SS Brigadeführer who became mayor in December 1951

Trivia

• A song by the German punk band Die Ärzte is named after Westerland.

Gallery

• 

  Westerland Beach

• 

  Westerland Beach by mixlab

• 

  Fish rolls at Gosch's Snack Shop by mixlab

• 

  Bandshell on the beach promenade

External links

• Westerland's official website
• Information for tourists
• Town planning office