The German Foundation for Monument Protection announced on Wednesday that a new location was being sought for the Roter Sand lighthouse. The poor condition of the lighthouse in the Weser estuary was recognised in an expert report. Steffen Skudelny, Chairman of the German Foundation for Monument Protection, sees a move as the best compromise. Renovation at the current location between Bremerhaven and Helgoland would be far too costly. The plan is therefore to lift the lighthouse from its foundations by crane ship and transport it in one piece to a new location on the coast. As the owner of the structure, the federal government is looking for a suitable site. However, it will be several years before this is found and the lighthouse is erected there.
Roter Sand lighthouse the world's first offshore structure
The tower has been a listed building since 1982 and is only relevant for navigation during the day. Roter Sand was put into operation in 1885 and is considered to be the world's first offshore structure. Maintenance is carried out jointly by the German Foundation for Monument Protection and the Roter Sand Lighthouse Foundation. Previously, a new coat of paint was due every five years. However, due to problems with the foundations of the almost 140-year-old structure, the move seems unavoidable.
Steffen Skudelny expects the removal to cost several million euros. Only the tower is to be dismantled, not the foundations.
