Lindesnes fyr

Today's lighthouse from 1915 from the east with a height of 50 m above sea level and a range of 19 nautical miles

The lindesnes lighthouse is Norway's oldest and südlichster lighthouse on the mainland. Norway's first beacon was lit here on February 27, 1655. Lindesnes lighthouse is located on the territory of the municipality Lindesnes .

history

middle Ages

Lindesnes fyr has been one of the most important landmarks between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea since the Middle Ages .

The important coastline meets the high seas at Norway's southern tip. Most of the sailing ships that wanted to sail across the Skagerrak chose the southern tip as their destination and starting point, especially since the coast offers many opportunities for refuge in the form of natural harbors. On the Danish side, on the other hand, there is only Jammer Bay to find shelter from the weather and wind. At the end of the 15th century, the Norwegian priest and historian Peder Claussøn describes Friis Lindesnes as "the headland that all seafarers know".

The fairway around Lindesnes was still feared, as the Skagerrak and the North Sea meet there. Strong winds and currents have put many sailing ships there on the ground: the route between Lindesnes and Lista is described by maritime historians as a “classic shipwreck area”.

17th century

It is no coincidence that Norway's first beacon was lit in Lindesnes of all places. The Danish King Fredrik III. gave Pouell Hansønn ( Kristiansand ) the privilege to operate a beacon in Lindesnes on July 18, 1655 . The operation should be financed with a tax on all ports between Bergen and Båhuslen .

The time for the start in autumn 1655 was badly chosen - the three ships sent with materials and equipment from Kristiansand needed more than seven weeks for the journey to Lindesnes. The ship that was supposed to fetch coal from England also took an inordinate amount of time; therefore the fire was initially built as a 3-storey wooden tower with 30 candles behind leaded glass windows. This, of course, was a very unconventional construction; and so the first complaints were not long in coming. Even when the coal fire could finally be put into operation, the king felt compelled to stop the fire in autumn of the following year.

This is what the first beacon could have looked like (reconstruction)

18th century

The lighthouse on Lindesnes was not put back into operation until 69 years later. However, it was decided to set up 2 coal fires: the one on the headland and one in Markøy , a little further west. This should prevent confusion between the Lindesnes and Skagen ( Denmark ) beacons . Both fires were lit on February 1st, 1725 and consisted only of an open fire pot directly on the rock.

The foundation of the beacon from 1822

19th century

In 1822 both fires were converted to closed coal fires. The fire kettles were placed in a closed lamp room on a brick foundation with smoke channels, which led to a safer and more economical combustion. Both foundations of these closed coal fires are still in place today.

The fire in Markøy was dismantled in 1844. In 1854 the fire was rebuilt on Lindesnes; it received the first lens . The light source was a modern wick lamp with paraffin .

20th century

In 1915 the lens moved to a newly built cast iron tower. In addition, a new machine house was built in 1920 and a fog warning horn was installed. This gave the fire station the shape it still has today.

The lighthouse in Lindesnes had a permanent crew until 2003. In 1992 a separate foundation was set up to open and maintain the lighthouse and the beacon for visitors. In 2000 the Lindesnes fyr was chosen as the "Millennium" of the Fylke Vest-Agder ; as a result, a new switching station was built in the rock under the lighthouse. The Lindesnes fyr has also been proposed as the headquarters for a national lighthouse museum.

tourism

The lighthouse is one of the most visited places in Agder, just after the animal park in Kristiansand. 100,000 people climb the tower every year. In 2004 Norway's first lighthouse museum opened at Lindesnes fyr.

The lighthouse today

The lighthouse is now operated by the museum; other activities and services are also offered. In the newly built, large rock hall under today's tower, concerts, church services and community events (including film screenings) take place throughout the tourist season.

Lindesnes fyr is the southernmost point of Norway (2006)
Lindesnes Fyr from the west, a lighthouse in a cast iron tower construction (2010)
The head of the lighthouse with the so-called. Lantern
The lens of the lantern from the outside
Well visible cast iron construction with internal stairs
Lens of the beacon seen from the inside
Lens drive with gear for the beacon
View from today's lighthouse onto the substructure of the earlier lighthouse
West view of the coast and bunkers WWII
On the left (Millennium-) Fjellhallen (built into the rock between 2000 and 2004), on the right the lighthouse museum
The newly built rock hall near the lighthouse (photo 2006)
Pax-Stien Monument for Peace and the memory of the victims of the sinking of the freighter Palatia in 1942 off Cape Lindesnes