Name and Location

The Gellen Lighthouse, also known as Leuchtfeuer Gellen, is a historic navigational beacon located at the southern tip of the island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea off Germany's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern coast. Its address is Leuchtfeuer Gellen, Grumkiel, 18565 Insel Hiddensee, Germany, with coordinates 54°30′29″ N, 13°04′27″ E.

Construction and History

The date of the lighthouse's first establishment is not documented in public sources. However, it has been recorded as "historic=yes" in OpenStreetMap/Wikidata (Q19946245). The image archive can be found on Commons (File:Leuchtturm_Gellen.jpg), and Wikipedia information is available under "de:Leuchtfeuer Gellen".

Architecture and Materials

The tower height is 12.5 m, with a focal plane approximately 10 m above ground level. It has a cylindrical pillar appearance, painted in horizontal bands of white, red, and green. The construction materials are not documented in available sources.

Light and Navigation

Gellen is fitted with a multi-sector occulting light, flashed from a single lantern at 10 m focal height. The characteristic is Oc (occulting) in a repeating group of 2 + 1 + 6 + 1 occultations every 10 seconds. The sectors and colors are: red for 13°–74° and 106°–169°, with ranges of 11 nmi; white for 74°–106° and 238°–360° (→13°), with ranges of 15 nmi; green for 219°–238°, with a range of 10 nmi.

Accessibility and Visiting

The tower itself is not open to general public entry. The best view of the lighthouse can be obtained from marked walking paths along the Gellen peninsula. Access is via foot or bicycle from the village of Vitte on Hiddensee; no direct vehicle road to the lighthouse. Nearest ferry connections are Stralsund → Hiddensee (Vitte).

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features a nature reserve, breeding ground for migratory birds, as well as coastal dunes and Baltic beaches popular for birdwatching and seal spotting. The village of Kloster and the Dornbusch cliffs at Hiddensee's northern end are also nearby attractions.

Anecdotes and Folklore

No anecdotes or folklore information available.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is automated, with no manned keeper station. It is managed by the German Waterways and Shipping Administration (Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes, WSV). The navigational role is active coastal light and landmark. Admiralty light list reference is C 2586.

Further Information

• OpenStreetMap: way/233359892 ("Leuchtfeuer Gellen")
• Wikidata entry Q19946245
• German Wikipedia: "Leuchtfeuer Gellen" (de.wikipedia.org)
• Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals, Volume B (Baltic Sea)
• Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung BfS publications on coastal lights