Editing Neuwerk (section)

== History ==
[[File:Leuchtturm Neuwerk 2018.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Great Tower Neuwerk|Neuwerk lighthouse]] of 1369.]]
[[File:13-09-29-nordfriesisches-wattenmeer-RalfR-15.jpg|thumb|In this aerial picture, the island Neuwerk appears in green.]]

Because the Elbe was vital to Hamburg, a member of the [[Hanseatic League]], the city's merchants with those from Bremen and Stade obtained the permission (a deed of 24 April 1286<ref>The deed documented a contract between the Saxon dukes and Bremen's Prince-Archbishop {{Interlanguage link multi|Gilbert of Brunckhorst|de|3=Giselbert von Brunkhorst}} as to the jurisdiction and taxation over the island today named Neuwerk, which at that time was a seasonal hot spot of herring fishery and sale by merchants from Bremen, Hamburg and Stade, the permission was granted without Hamburg being a contractual party.</ref>) from [[Albert II, Duke of Saxony]] and his minor nephews [[Albert III, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg|Albert III]], [[Eric I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg|Eric I]] and [[John II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg|John II]], altogether co-ruling feudal lords of the [[Land of Hadeln]] of which Neuwerk formed a part then, to maintain a permanent fire on a mud flat island, then named ''O'' or ''Nige O'', in the mouth of the Elbe.<ref name="Ferber 1909 17">Kurt Ferber, „Der Turm und das Leuchtfeuer auf Neuwerk“, in: ''Zeitschrift des Vereins für Hamburgische Geschichte'', vol. XIV (1909), pp. 1–36, here p.&nbsp;17.</ref>

On 1 November 1299 Albert III and John II allowed the Hamburg and other seafaring merchants to build a fortified tower, named the ''new work'' (Neuwerk).<ref name="Ferber 1909 18">Kurt Ferber, „Der Turm und das Leuchtfeuer auf Neuwerk“, in: ''Zeitschrift des Vereins für Hamburgische Geschichte'', vol. XIV (1909), pp. 1–36, here p.&nbsp;18.</ref> Right after work commenced on a {{convert|35|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} [[watchtower]] that could act as a [[daymark]]; the tower was completed in 1310.<ref>{{cite web|title=Neuwerk Lighthouse|url=http://www.lighthousedigest.com/digest/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=1318|website=Lighthouse Digest|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> After its completion, an alderman and ten men-at-arms seized the tower. The oldest existing document that mentions Neuwerk is a Frisian contract of 1316. This document uses the island's old name of ''Nige O''.

The current tower dates to 1367, 1369, or 1377 (accounts vary), built after a fire destroyed its wooden predecessor. The tower is Hamburg's oldest existing building as well as the last remainder of Hamburg's fortifications.

In 1648 the tower received a beacon fire that was lit at night. The tower was converted into a lighthouse in 1814. Still, the island was the site of numerous shipwrecks.

During World War I, a shell destroyed the beacon and its signalling apparatus. On 3 September 1915 lightning struck the  [[Zeppelin P Class|Zeppelin LZ&nbsp;40 (L&nbsp;10)]], causing it to crash into the North Sea near Neuwerk, with the loss of the entire 20-man crew.

Due to the [[Gesetz über Groß-Hamburg und andere Gebietsbereinigungen|Greater Hamburg Law]] Neuwerk became part of [[Prussia]] in 1937, and thus after [[World War II]] it became part of the new state of [[Lower Saxony]].

In 1946 an 18&nbsp;kW [[wind turbine]], {{convert|15|m|ft}} in diameter, installed to economize on diesel fuel, helped power the lighthouse and residences on the island. This installation ran for around 20 years before a submarine cable to the mainland replaced it.<ref>Dimitri R. Stein, "Pioneer in the North Sea: 1946 Insel Neuwerk Turbine", in ''IEEE Power and Energy Magazine'', September/October 2009, pp. 62-68.</ref>

In 1969 Hamburg waived older rights on harbour estate in Cuxhaven in favour of Neuwerk and Scharhörn.<ref>Law about the agreement with the state Lower Saxony ... [http://hh.juris.de/hh/gesamt/NeuOCuxNDStVtrDAbkG_HA.htm#NeuOCuxNDStVtrDAbkG_HA_rahmen]{{Dead link|date=April 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} {{in lang|de}}</ref>