Amrum (
Öömrang North FrisianÖömrang is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Amrum in the German region of North Frisia. Öömrang refers to the Öömrang Frisian name of Amrum, Oomram. Together with the Fering, Söl'ring, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
:
Oomram) is one of the
North Frisian IslandsThe North Frisian Islands are a group of islands in the Wadden Sea, a part of the North Sea, off the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The German islands are in the traditional region of North Frisia and are part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and the Kreis of...
on the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
North SeaThe North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf. The Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than long and wide, with an area of around...
coast, south of
SyltSylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
and west of
FöhrFöhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
. It is part of the
NordfrieslandNordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
district in the federal state of
Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the two historical duchies of Schleswig and Holstein...
. With the island being a refuge for many endangered species of plants and animals, its soil being largely unfavourable for agriculture and as a popular seaside resort in general, Amrum's population almost exclusively lives from the tourism industry.
Geography
Amrum's area measures 20.46 km², making it the tenth-largest island of Germany. It is one of three isles with a
geestlandGeestland or Geest is a type of landscape in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is slightly hilly and sandy terrain consisting of glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age.Geestlands are made up of moraines and sandars...
core in Nordfriesland. To the east, it borders to the Wadden Sea mud flats of the North Sea. The east side is also where the island's ancient hamlets are situated:
NorddorfNorddorf is a municipality on the island of Amrum in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.- History :...
,
NebelNebel is a municipality on the island of Amrum in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.- Geography and traffic :...
, Süddorf and Steenodde. On the geestland core one can find extended areas of heath and woodland which form a strip that runs along a north-south line on the axis. West of this woodland strip, the entire island is covered with
duneIn physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by aeolian processes. Dunes are subject to different forms and sizes based on their interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dune are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune, and a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the...
s. The maximal width of this area amounts to more than a kilometre, its length measures about 12 km. Amrum's tallest dune near Norddorf, called
a Siatler (the settling dune) reaches 32 m of height. Northward, the dune area extends into a small peninsula called
Odde. In the south of Amrum, the newest settlement,
WittdünWittdün is a municipality on the island of Amrum in the district of Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.- History :...
, is located. West of the dunes, the entire shore of Amrum is made up of the
Kniepsand beach; it counts among northern
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
's largest sand beaches. North of Norddorf there is some marshland, another small marsh area can be found between Süddorf and Steenodde. Both of them are protected from the sea by dikes. During low
tideTides are the rises and falls of sea level caused by the combined effect of rotation of the Earth and the gravitation of the Moon and the Sun. The tides occur with a period of approximately 12 and a half hours and are influenced by the shape of the near-shore bottom.Most coastal areas experience...
it is possible to reach the neighbouring island of Föhr by mudflat hiking.
Amrum's population amounts to about 2,300 and the island is divided into three municipalities: Norddorf, Nebel and Wittdün. They adhere to the
Amt Föhr-AmrumFöhr-Amrum is an Amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The Amt covers the islands Föhr and Amrum...
.
Villages
The northernmost settlement is the
seaside resortA seaside resort is a resort located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- History of the seaside resort :...
of Norddorf with a
decoyA decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.The decoy in war may for example be a...
pond and a sector light. Amrum's largest village, Nebel, is located near the eastern coastline. Notable sights there include the church of St. Clement, the
Öömrang Hüs - a museum of local history, a wind mill and the Cemetery of the Homeless. Süddorf, today a district of Nebel, is the island's oldest hamlet. The
Amrum LighthouseThe Amrum lighthouse is located in the southern part of the German island of Amrum, approximately 2 kilometres west of the village of Wittdün, yet still adhering to the municipality of Nebel. Its designation in German is Seefeuer Amrum...
is located there. Steenodde, also a neighbourhood of Nebel, had long been Amrum's only port until Wittdün, founded 1890, had taken over as the island's major ferry terminal. Of the three municipalities, Wittdün is most clearly influenced by tourism.
History
The oldest traces of settlements in the area date back to the Neolithicum, among them a number of
dolmenA dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone . Most date from the early Neolithic period...
s. Also many tomb sites from the
BronzeThe Bronze Age of a culture is the period when the most advanced metalworking in that culture utilised bronze. This could either have been based on the local smelting of copper and tin from ores, or trading for bronze from production areas elsewhere...
and
Iron AgeIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
s have been preserved. In the dunes west of the decoy pond the remainders of an Iron Age hamlet have been found. It is unknown whether the
AmbronesThe tribe of the Ambrones appears briefly in the Roman sources relating to the 2nd century BC. Their location at the beginning of their brief history was the coast of north Europe, north of the Rhinemouth, in the Frisian Islands, the region now occupied by what is left of the Zuider Zee, and...
, who together with the
CimbriThe Cimbri were a tribe from Northern Europe, who, together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late 2nd century BC. The Cimbri were probably Germanic, though some believe them to be of Celtic origin...
and Teutones threatened
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
around 100 B.C., stemmed from this island which back then was still connected to the mainland by a land bridge.
In the early
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
the island was colonised by the
FrisiansThe Frisians are an ethnic group of Germanic people living in coastal parts of The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
. Next to
salt makingIn Europe virtually all domestic salt is obtained by solution mining of underground salt formations although some is still obtained by the solar evaporation of sea water. Salt is extracted from the Brine using vacuum pans, where brine is heated in a partial vacuum in order to lower the boiling...
, agriculture, fishery and
whalingThe history of whaling is very extensive, stretching back for millennia. This article discusses the history of whaling up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986....
,
merchant shippingShip transport is watercraft carrying people or goods . Sea transport has been the largest carrier of freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to aviation, it is effective for short trips and pleasure cruises...
was one of the main sources of income for a long time.
Hark OlufsHark Olufs was a Frisian sailor.-Life:Hark Olufs was born as son of a nautical captain named Oluf Jensen on either July 17 or 19 in 1708 on the North Frisian island of Amrum, which then belonged to Denmark...
, a sailor from Süddorf who had been enslaved by
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
ns in 1724, advanced to the rank of a
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
ere he was allowed to return to his native island in 1736. During the late 19th century tourism became a rapidly emerging business on Amrum and effectively changed the island's economical structures.
During the Middle Ages Amrum as well as all of North Frisia proper belonged to the so-called
Uthlande, the Outer Lands, which only successively became parts of the Danish realm or the Duchy of
SchleswigSchleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark...
. After the conflicts between the Danish kings and the counts of
SchauenburgSchaumburg and Schauenburg are the two versions of the name of a regional German dynasty.The usage is scattered, historically as well as locally:* Schaumburg, a district and former county in Lower Saxony*Schauenburg, Hesse, a municipality in Germany...
about the rule over Schleswig, Amrum and western Föhr became an enclave of Denmark and contrary to neighbouring areas, it was not any longer a part of the Duchy of Schleswig. This state endured until 1864, when Denmark lost Schleswig to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
after the Second Schleswig War. For a brief period after that war Amrum was ruled together by Prussia and Austria, yet in 1867 the island came under Prussian rule and was made a part of the province of Schleswig-Holstein. At first, Amrum formed a municipality within the district of Tondern. In 1920, the
Schleswig PlebiscitesThe Schleswig Plebiscites were two plebiscites, organized according to section XII, articles 109 to 114 of the Treaty of Versailles of June 28 1919, in order to determine the future border between Denmark and Germany through the former duchy of Schleswig...
resulted in a clear majority vote for Amrum staying with Germany, while Tondern fell back to Denmark. Until 1972, Amrum belonged to the
Südtondern district which then merged into the newly created district of Nordfriesland.
Especially during the 19th century more than a quarter of Amrum's population emigrated - mainly to the USA. Today more people with ancestors from Amrum live in the United States than there are on Amrum proper. The connections between Amrum and the US are still being cultivated today.
On 29 October 1998 the
cargo shipA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
"Pallas" ran aground off Amrum, causing a severe
oil spillAn oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term often refers to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
in the region.
Language and culture
The main language on Amrum is
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
. The
Frisian languageThe Frisian languages are a closely related group of Germanic languages, spoken by about 500,000 members of Frisian ethnic groups, who live on the southern fringes of the North Sea in Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. The Frisian languages are the second most closely related living European...
in the
ÖömrangÖömrang is the dialect of the North Frisian language spoken on the island of Amrum in the German region of North Frisia. Öömrang refers to the Öömrang Frisian name of Amrum, Oomram. Together with the Fering, Söl'ring, and Heligolandic dialects, it forms part of the insular group of North Frisian...
dialect is spoken by roughly a third of the population. Those 800 Amrumers are all multilingual. Due to the isolated location of the islands the North Frisian dialects developed so differently, that
Öömrang can be understood by people from Föhr, yet is hardly recognisable for those from Sylt or mainland Nordfriesland. Many Amrumers moreover speak
Low GermanLow German or Low Saxon is any of the regional language varieties of the West Germanic languages spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands.-Geographical extent:-Low German in Europe:Dialects...
, since it had been the language of the coastal sailors. Only a few people speak the
Danish languageDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
.
Amrum's
national costumeNational costume, , expresses an identity through costume which usually relates to a geographic area or a period of time in history, but can also indicate social, marital and/or religious status...
for girls and women is coloured black and white and is amply decorated with silver ornaments. It is mostly worn on confirmation services or at touristical events.
There are two peculiar traditions on Amrum. On February 21 the
BiakendaiThe Biikebrennen , Biikebrånen or Pers Awten is an annual celebration held on 21 February in North Frisia, in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and in South Jutland....
is celebrated, where a great bonfire is lit to dispel Winter. On the occasion people blacken each other's faces with soot. The festival originates from the old liturgical holiday of Cathedra Petri, which was originally celebrated on February 22. The custom is also popular in other North Frisian municipalities. On
New Year's EveNew Year's Eve or Old Year's Night is on , the final day of the Gregorian year, and the day before New Year's Day.New Year's Eve is a separate observance from the observance of New Year's Day...
the
Hulken takes place, where groups of mostly young people dress up in costumes and walk from house to house to let others guess their true identity (similar to
HalloweenHalloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Gaelic pagan festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones...
). According to their age, they are either treated with sweets or alcoholic drinks.
Economy
Amrum's main branch of economy is tourism. In 2007 the island could provide 12,000 beds. In 2004 approximately 125,000 tourists and 1.1 million lodgings were registered, as well as 80,000 day trip visitors.
Agriculture is also being practised on Amrum and the port hosts a single fisherman.
Traffic
The isle is connected to
FöhrFöhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
and to the mainland harbour of
DagebüllDagebüll is a municipality located at the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein in the Nordfriesland district, Germany. Today's Dagebüll was created in 1978 as a merger of the municipalities of Fahretoft, Juliane-Marien-Koog and Waygaard...
on the one hand and to the Halligen and the mainland terminal of Schlüttsiel on the other hand by two ferry routes. During the summer season, a fast passenger boat offers services between the ports of
HörnumHörnum is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the southern headland of the island of Sylt...
on Sylt, the Halligen
HoogeHooge can refer to:*Hooge, Prince Su*Houvenkopf Mountain known as "Hooge Kop"*Hooge, Germany, an island and municipality in northern Germany*Hooge, Belgium...
and
LangeneßLangeneß is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It consists of the halligen Langeneß and Oland. Before the flood of 1634 the two islands were directly attached....
and the harbour of Strucklahnungshörn on
NordstrandNordstrand is:* A borough in Oslo, Norway, see Nordstrand, Norway* A peninsula in Germany, see Nordstrand, Germany* The last name of a Danish footballer, Morten Nordstrand...
. Amrum's terminal is located at Wittdün, the ferries are operated by
Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei GmbH (W.D.R.). Most tourists will reach Amrum via Dagebüll. From there, a ferry will need 90 minutes to reach the island on a straight route, the more common routes with a stop at
Wyk auf FöhrWyk auf Föhr is the only town on Föhr, the second largest of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. Like the entire island it belongs to the district of Nordfriesland...
need 120 minutes of time.
On the island, the bicycle is the main means of transport next to cars; compared to other areas of Germany, Amrum provides an excellent network of bicycle routes. Numerous rental services may provide tourists with bicycles. A bus service connects Norddorf, Nebel and Wittdün on an hourly schedule (every 30 minutes even during the summer season). Like the ferries, the bus service is operated by W.D.R.. A rather uncommon sort of traffic is the mudflat hiking between Amrum and Föhr.
From 1893 to 1939, a railway service was operated on Amrum. There is no airstrip on the island, any plans to establish one have so far vehemently been opposed.
Flora and fauna
Plants and wild animals on Amrum are marked by the proximity to the sea, but some also distinguish themselves by extreme rarity and a high ecological value worth of protection. This fact was acknowledged by the establishment of two
nature reserveA nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s and Amrum's situation close to the
Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National ParkThe Wadden Sea National Parks a UNESCO World Heritage Site are located along the German coast of the North Sea. Named after the Wadden Sea, they consist of three national parks:...
.
Flora
Amrum's vegetation is determined by the sea and by the different types of landscapes on the island, most of which are low in
nutrientA nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. Nutrients are the substances that enrich the body. They build and repair tissues, give heat and energy, and regulate body processes...
s. In parts of the dune belt and on the
Kniepsand marram grassAmmophila is a genus consisting of two or three very similar species of grasses; common names for these grasses include Marram Grass, Bent Grass, and Beachgrass...
or
sea wormwoodArtemisia maritima is a species of wormwood known as sea wormwood and old woman.In its many variations of form it has an extremely wide distribution in the northern hemisphere of the Old World, occurring mostly in saltish soils...
grow, as well as numerous other sand-loving plants like
sheep's bitSheep's bit or sheep scabious is an ornamental plant.-External links:**...
which will bloom in sheltered areas between the dunes. Also some stunted pines, bent by the sea wind, and
Salix repens, the creeping willow can be found there. Until the 1970s, the rare
sea hollyThe Sea holly is a species of Eryngium in the plant family Apiaceae and native to most European coastlines. In some ways it resembles a flowering thistle, in that its flower is burr-shaped, though these are metallic blue, rather than mauve...
could still be seen in the dunes.
East of there are heaths and conifer or mixed forests. In some dune slacks, peat bogs can be found which occasionally host the carnivorous plant
common sundewDrosera rotundifolia is a species of sundew, a carnivorous plant often found in bogs, marshes and fens...
. The once abundant
marsh gentianGentiana pneumonanthe is a species of the genus Gentiana....
vanished during the 1990s.
The Amrum forest was mainly planted in 1948 on an area of heath. Until then only a few forested regions could be found around the decoy ponds. With 180 hectacres, Amrum has the largest ratio of forested land of all Germany's North Sea islands. Mainly pines, firs and birches can be found here. Meanwhile the forest has largely lost its artificial nature. So one will encounter numerous plants on all levels and many species of
fungiA fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria...
. The "geestland", east of the forest, is mostly used for farming. Its grassland grows plants such as Harebell (
Campanula rotundifolia), Sea Thrift (
Armeria maritimaArmeria maritima is the botanical name for a species of flowering plant.It is a popular garden flower, known by several common names, including "thrift", "sea thrift", and "sea pink". The plant has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower...
) and Carthusian Pink (
Dianthus carthusianorumDianthus carthusianorum is a species of Dianthus, native to Europe, from Spain north to Belgium and Poland, and east to Ukraine, occurring in dry, grassy habitats at altitudes of up to 2,500 m in mountains....
) and several species of
hawkweedHawkweed refers to any species in the very large genus Hieracium and its segregate genus Pilosella, in the sunflower family ....
.
In the small marshlands, some
sedgesCyperaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 4,000 species described in about 70 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical...
and the
ragged robinLychnis flos-cuculi, commonly called Ragged Robin, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is species is native to Europe, where it is found along roads and in wet meadows and pastures...
may be seen. Here is the most nutritious soil on Amrum. Even the soil of Amrum's gardens is so low in nutrients that only few sorts of plants, eg.
hollyhockAlcea rosea is an ornamental plant in the Malvaceae family.It was imported into Europe from China in the sixteenth century...
, will grow there without fertilising.
On the
saltmarshA salt marsh is a type of marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or brackish water . It is dominated by halophytic herbaceous plants. Historically, salt marshes have sometimes been treated as "wastelands", along with other wetlands...
es along the eastern shore of Amrum, many salt tolerant species can be found. Pioneer plants such as
Salicornia europaea and
alkali grassesPuccinellia is a genus of grasses which are known as alkali grass. These grasses grow in wet environments, often in saline or alkaline conditions...
, grow on and stabilize the mud flats.
Fauna
Like the vegetation, Amrum's wild beasts are determined by the island's location within the North Sea. Thus there are only a few species of wild
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
s on Amrum, like hare, mice, hedgehogs and bats. In the 12th century coneys were introduced as game. Still today they populate the island. A few years ago a pregnant vixen was set free on Amrum. She and her offspring caused severe damage to the island's fauna, but meanwhile they have been hunted down. In the sea and on the sand bars off Amrum, thus within the National Park, harbour seals,
grey sealThe Grey Seal is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus...
s and
harbour porpoiseThe Harbor Porpoise is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest ocean mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries and as such is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers...
s have their habitat. Occasionally in December and January young grey seals are washed ashore on Amrum's beaches due to storm surges and are thereafter nursed by the adults.
The realm of birds is particularly plentiful. Amrum counts among the most important hatching areas for sea birds in Germany. It is the main hatching region for the
common eiderThe Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck, which is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia...
, but also
oystercatchersThe Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
,
shelducksThe Common Shelduck is a widespread and common duck of the Genus Tadorna. Fossil bones from Dorkovo described as Balcanas pliocaenica may actually belong to this species...
,
arctic ternThe Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding colonially in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America...
s, seagulls like
herring gullThe Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large gull , and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of Asia, western Europe, and North America. It breeds across North America, Europe and Asia...
s,
common gullThe Common Gull, Mew Gull or Sea Mew is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter...
and the
lesser black-backed gullThe Lesser Black-backed Gull is a large gull which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa...
as well as many other species use to hatch there on the beach, in between the dunes or at the mud flats. Additionally vast swarms of migratory birds will rest on Amrum during the season, e.g.
red knotThe Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia...
,
brent gooseThe Brant Goose , a goose of the genus Branta, is known in North America as Brant, Brent Goose or Black Brant. The spelling "Brant" is the original one, with "Brent" being a later folk-etymological idea that it was derived from a classical Greek waterbird name brenthos...
or
sanderlingThe Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
, all of whom are able to find sufficient food along the coasts of Amrum. Moreover, a number of
songbirdA songbird is a bird belonging to the order of Passeriformes , in which the vocal organ is developed in such a way as to produce various sound notes, commonly known as bird song...
s can be found and
pheasantPheasants is subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in...
s which were equally introduced as game are common.
LizardsThe viviparous lizard or common lizard is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other reptile species, and most populations are viviparous , rather than laying eggs as most other lizards do.-Identification:The length of the body is less than...
and amphibians, such as
moor frogThe Moor Frog is a slim, reddish-brown, semi-aquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. It is a member of the family Ranidae, or "true frogs".-Taxonomy:...
,
natterjack toadThe Natterjack Toad is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Northern Europe. Adults are 60 - 70 mm in length and are distinguished from the common toad by a yellow line down the middle of the back...
and
smooth newtThe Smooth Newt, also known as the Common Newt, Lissotriton vulgaris is the most common newt species of the Lissotriton genus of amphibians. L...
are other examples of land vertebrata.
In the sea surrounding Amrum numerous fish species typical of the North Sea can be found, like
plaiceEuropean plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, are a commercially important flatfish occurring on the sandy bottoms of the European shelf. Its geographical range is from the Barents Sea to the Mediterranean...
and
atlantic herringAtlantic herring is one of the most abundant species of fish on the planet. They can be found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean congregating together in large schools. They can grow up to 45 centimeters in length and weigh more than half a kilogram...
. The number of other marine species is equally great, the
hermit crabPagurus bernhardus is the common marine hermit crab of Europe's Atlantic coasts. It is sometimes referred to as the common hermit crab or soldier crab...
, the
common whelkBuccinum undatum, known as the common whelk, is a large edible marine gastropod in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.-Distribution:...
and the
lugwormThe lugworm or sandworm is a large marine worm of the phylum Annelida. Its coiled castings are a familiar sight on a beach at low tide but the animal itself is not seen except by those who, from curiosity or to use as fishing bait, dig the worm out of the sand.-Overview:When fully grown, the...
are all among them. Of them, mainly the
sand shrimpsCrangon crangon is a commercially important species of shrimp fished mainly in the southern North Sea, although also found in the Irish Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, as well as off much of Scandinavia and parts of Morocco's Atlantic coast.Adults are typically 30–50 mm...
are commercially used by "harvesting" them from the seabed with cutters. The shrimps are then wrongly marketed as "crabs" (
Krabben).
Media
The local newspaper is called
Der Insel-Bote (The Island Courier), it is published by Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag and is the common paper for Föhr and Amrum.
Moreover, Amrum was the set for many German cinematic and TV
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s, e.g.
Tod auf Amrum (1998) or
Sommer (2008).
External links