×

island history

Borkum's eventful island history

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

It is difficult to find a Borkumer who is not descended from a whaler. Stories and relics from that time are therefore easy to discover. You come across them on every corner on the North Sea island of Borkum.

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 history of Borkum begins long before the early whalers.

"Burchana fabaria" (the "bean island") is first mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Strabo in Greek and Roman history. For more than a millennium, however, the history of Borkum remains obscure. It is reported that in the 13th century, crusader fleets anchored off "Borkna". The name Bant appears during the Carolingian rule, when the area was won over to Christianity. Bant was originally a marsh island and included the current islands of Borkum, Juist and the western part of Norderney. Until massive storm surges, which also caused major changes on the coast, destroyed the island. Remains of this island, which was located southeast of Borkum in front of the Krummhörn, disappeared in 1781.

 

Borkum historical

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 of Borkum and other Dutch and East Frisian islands is dated September 11.9.1398, 14. During the Hanseatic League, Borkum served as a hideout for pirates (“Liekedeelers”) and later also for Dutch watermen who fought against the Spanish. From the end of the 1484th century, the East Frisian chiefs were the masters of the island, and from 17 onwards the counts of East Frisia. The counts were entitled to a portion of the goods that were stranded or the proceeds from flotsam and jetsam. This was a source of constant disputes with the islanders, who were in dire need of their share in view of their permanent worries about their existence. It was only with the start of whaling in the 18th century that the seafaring Borkumers achieved a certain level of prosperity. Borkum provided many successful commanders and harpooners, particularly on Dutch ships. But towards the end of the 1776th century, the catch volumes decreased. The Dutch-English naval war finally brought whaling to a complete standstill. As a result, the Borkum population was hit by great poverty. Many residents left the island. While there were still 852 islanders in 1811, by 406 there were just 1810 people. From 1813 to XNUMX Borkum was under Napoleonic rule. To enforce the Continental Blockade, the men and women of Borkum had to build the so-called Franzosenschanze.

It was in 1834 when the first holidaymakers came to the island. A fateful moment in Borkum's history in the best sense of the word. In 1844, the doctor Dr. Ripking founded a kind of tourist association, which provided the first bathing facilities.

Bathers were first registered in 1850: there were 252 people. But just seven years later, in 1857, the island had 600 guests and by 1865 there were already an impressive 1024. The trend was rising: by 1900 the number of bathers had increased to 16474 people and continued to rise steadily from then on. Even famous personalities, such as the draftsman Wilhelm Busch, swore by the enchanting island nature and the healing climate of Borkum. In 2023, 302.100 island holidaymakers visited the island of Borkum.

In recent decades, the North Sea spa town of Borkum has made extensive investments in order to remain competitive among other tourist destinations in the future. The former promenade hall was converted so that visitors can enjoy the view of the sea and the wonderful sunsets while enjoying the island's cuisine. A special highlight is the restaurant, which was completed in 2005. "Gezeitenland ~ Water and Wellness": It offers its visitors wellness and bathing fun in a new dimension: a panoramic sauna with a view of the North Sea, an adventure pool with a giant slide and the FlowRider, the only indoor surfing facility in northern Germany. The wellness offers in the narrower sense are just as remarkable: natural mud treatments, floating baths in the floating shell, traditional East Frisian bathing ceremonies in the Borkum washhouse, 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 of Borkum from an unusual perspective: namely impressively close up.

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 | Heimatverein der Insel Borkum eV (heimatverein-borkum.de)