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island history

Borkums eventful island history

From Roman historians, fences made of whale tins and first bathers

It is difficult to find a BorkumHe who is not descended from a whaler. Stories and relics from that time are therefore easy to discover. They can be found on the North Sea island Borkum on every corner.

Newcomers to the island often drop their jaws when they turn into Wilhelm-Bakker-Straße for the first time. There is the house of the whaling commander Roloef Gerritsz Meyer – surrounded by a fence made of whale pinesBut the story BorkumIt begins long before the early whalers.

"Burkana Fabaria" (the "Bean Island") was first mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Strabo in Greek and Roman history. For more than a millennium, the story remains BorkumHowever, it then remained in the dark. It is reported that in the 13th century, crusader fleets anchored off "Borkna." The name Bant appears during the Carolingian period, when the area was converted to Christianity. Bant was originally a marsh island and encompassed the present islands. Borkum, Juist and the western part of Norderney. Until massive storm surges, which also caused major changes along the coast, destroyed the island. Remains of this island, which lies southeast of Borkum in front of the Krummhörn, disappeared in 1781.

 

Borkum historical

Our history

The name Borkum can be derived from the sequence of names:

  • Burchana
  • Byrchanisa
  • Borkna 1227
  • Borkyn 1398
  • Borckum 1462/1527

The first documented mention Borkumand other Dutch and East Frisian islands is dated 11 September 1398. During the Hanseatic League, Borkum Pirates (“Liekedeelers”) as a refuge and later also Dutch water geuzen who fought against the Spanish. From the end of the 14th century, the East Frisian chieftains were the lords of the island, and from 1484 onwards, the counts of East Frisia. The counts were entitled to a share of the goods that arose from strandings or the proceeds from flotsam and jetsam. This was a source of constant disputes with the islanders, who, in view of their constant worries about their existence, were urgently dependent on their share. Only with the beginning of whaling in the 17th century did the seafaring Borkumhe achieved a certain level of prosperity. Borkum provided many successful commanders and harpooners, especially on Dutch ships. However, towards the end of the 18th century, the catches declined. The Dutch-English naval war finally brought whaling to a complete standstill. As a result, the BorkumThe population was gripped by great poverty. Many inhabitants left the island. While in 1776 there were 852 islanders, in 1811 there were just 406 people. From 1810 to 1813 Borkum under Napoleonic rule. To enforce the Continental Blockade, the BorkumThe men and women who make the so-called Franzosenschanze.

It was in 1834 that the first holidaymakers arrived on the island. A fateful moment in the most positive sense in Borkums story. In 1844, the doctor Dr. Ripking founded a kind of tourist association, which provided the first bathing facilities.

Bathers were first registered in 1850: 252 people. But just seven years later, in 1857, the island counted 600 guests, and by 1865, the number had risen to a proud 1024. The trend continued: By 1900, the number of bathers had risen to 16474 and continued to grow steadily from then on. Even famous figures, such as the illustrator Wilhelm Busch, swore by the island's enchanting nature and healing climate. Borkums. In 2023, 302.100 island holidaymakers visited the island Borkum.

In recent decades, the North Sea spa Borkum Extensive investments have been made to ensure that the island remains a competitive tourist destination in the future. The former promenade was converted, allowing visitors to enjoy the view of the sea and the magnificent sunsets while enjoying the island's cuisine. A special highlight is the restaurant, completed in 2005. "Gezeitenland ~ Wasser und Wellness": It offers its visitors wellness and bathing fun in a new dimension: a panoramic sauna with a view of the North Sea, a Erlebnisbad with a giant slide and the FlowRider, the only indoor surfing facility in northern Germany. Equally remarkable are the wellness offerings in the narrower sense: natural mud treatments, floating baths in the floating shell, traditional East Frisian bathing ceremonies in the Borkumthe laundry room, thalassotherapy and treatments and much more… The cultural island as part of the GezeitenlandIt offers guests a modern conference centre, seminar rooms, catering and the “Great Hall” with a wide range of events. Performances by well-known artists, cabaret artists, comedians, concerts and slide shows take place here. The Culture Island continues to be a meeting point for cultural and informative gatherings. The Arche library and as an additional service there is a reading room. The daycare center “Spielinsel" near the cultural island offers the kids fun and games not only when the weather is bad.

Editor's tip:

The Dykhus Local History Museum – Whale watching with a difference: In the “Dykhus” you can look directly into the skeleton of the gigantic marine mammal – and also experience the eventful history Borkums from an unusual perspective: impressively close.

Contact:

Dykhus Borkum
Roelof-Gerritz-Meyer-Straße 8
26757 Borkum
Phone : 04922 4860

Further information at:
www.heimatverein-borkum.de

Opening hours and prices

Go to website: Opening hours and prices | Island Heritage Society Borkum eV (heimatverein-borkum.de)