Kollicker Ort beacon: Rügen says goodbye after 120 years!

Kollicker Ort beacon: Rügen says goodbye after 120 years!

The beacon at Kollicker Ort on Rügen is now part of history. After an impressive 120 years, the historic tower was dismantled to prevent the acute risk of falling due to the retreating coastline. This challenge was successfully overcome thanks to careful planning and the use of a helicopter, as the head of the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office, Stefan Grammann, proudly announced. The lighthouse, built in 1904, weighed an impressive seven tons and was originally designed as a cross-marking light for the port of Sassnitz and as an orientation light for the Prorer Wiek. With a height of six meters and a conical copper roof with a compass rose, the tower was a striking landmark in the region. The beacon was technically decommissioned at the end of July 2025 and sailors were asked to remove it from their nautical charts. As a replacement, three cardinal buoys were laid offshore to ensure the safety of navigation, which is essential in this area!

Dismantling the beacon was no easy task because the terrain around the tower's location is steep and impassable. The weeks of preparation that were necessary to carry out this dismantling properly were all the more important. The lighthouse, which was built in 1904 by the Julius Pintsch company and put into operation on April 1, 1905, consisted of 24 cast-iron elements and functioned via remote maintenance until it was extinguished in August 2025.

A part of maritime history

Lighthouses like the Kolliker Ort have a long tradition in shipping. Not only are they a symbol of safety, but they are also an important tool for seafarers to orientate themselves day and night. In the past, this has often prevented ships from getting into distress due to incorrect positioning. With the conversion of the lighthouse from gas operation to electric light in 1936 and further modifications in 1978 and 2000, when halogen lamps and belt lens operation were introduced, the lighthouse always met the requirements of the time.

Rügen is not only scenically attractive, but is also home to many other maritime buildings. Lighthouses are a symbol of the history of maritime architecture and are listed as historical monuments in many places. Around a third of German lighthouses are protected for this reason. The oldest lighthouse on the German Baltic Sea coast is in Travemünde and is no longer in operation, but is open to the public.

Lighthouses today and tomorrow

With around 1,000 fixed beacons on the German North and Baltic Sea coasts, these structures continue to make an important contribution to safety at sea. They not only serve as navigation aids, but also as antenna carriers for radar and radio systems. If you look at the entire history of the lighthouse system, it becomes clear that lighthouses have had a significant impact on shipping for centuries, and there are numerous examples of their importance around the world, be it the Torre de Hércules in Spain, the oldest lighthouse still in operation, or the Buk in Bastorf, the highest in Germany.

Although Kollicker Ort is now history, the memory of this magnificent lighthouse remains part of the cultural heritage of the Rügen region. For shipping, safety at this point is maintained by modern alternatives so that seafarers can continue to navigate well in the future.