Name and Location

The Leuchtturm Wremertief “Kleiner Preuße” (Little Prussian) is a lighthouse situated at the western mole of the Wremer Kutterhafen fishing harbor, on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony, Germany. Its official address is Kleiner Preuße, Strandstraße, 27638 Wurster Nordseeküste-Wremen, Germany. The coordinates are 53°38′50″ N, 8°29′31″ E (53.6473395, 8.4919105).

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed in 1906 to guide fishing vessels and small craft through the Wremertief inlet into the harbour. The purpose of the construction is not documented, but it is likely that the German Imperial Waterways Authority (Kaiserliche Admiralität) supervised its erection. The lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in 1974 and has been unmanned since.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features a functional early-20th-century maritime industrial design with subtly historicist brick detailing. It is constructed from red brick with white brick quoining (corner stones) and a small steel gallery rail. The tower stands approximately 9 meters tall, rising directly from a stepped base, and is topped by a hexagonal lantern room.

4. Light and Navigation

The current function of the lighthouse is an active leading light for local navigation. It is electrically powered and features sealed beam optics. The characteristic of the light is not officially published, but local sources report an occulting red light at six-second intervals. The range of the light is approximately 4 nautical miles (7 km), and it is visible over the harbour entrance with bearings aligned to the western mole.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The tower itself is closed to visitors. Exterior viewing and photography are permitted year-round from the harbor promenade. Visitors can access the area on foot via Strandstraße in Wremen, just west of the Kutterhafen entrance. Limited parking is available nearby, but it is recommended to reach the area on foot or by bicycle along the dyke path. Facilities include benches and information boards on local birdlife; a small café and marina services are available in the adjacent harbour area.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse commands panoramic views of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Zone, with salt marshes, migrating bird flocks, and at low tide, the exposed “Watten” flats. To the north lies the open vista of the Heligoland Bight; to the south, the sandy harbour basin where traditional cutters (Kutter) tie up.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

The twin towers earned their “Prussian” nicknames in local speech, possibly a playful reference to the red-and-white paint scheme. During severe North Sea storms, villagers recalled seeing the little lantern beam flicker as breakers washed over the harbour wall; such events sped the drive toward full automation.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is listed as a historic monument (Denkmalliste) of the Wurster Nordseeküste municipality. The managing authority is the Waterways and Shipping Office Cuxhaven (Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Cuxhaven). Nautical charts include German ADMIRALTY chart B7 (North Sea – Weser–Elbe approach); German chart series BSH 514.

9. Further Information

For further reading, see the German Wikipedia article on Kleiner Preuße and the Commons category “Leuchtturm Wremertief Wremen”. The Waterways and Shipping Office Cuxhaven (www.wsa-cuxhaven.de) and Meyer's book “Leuchttürme an der deutschen Nordseeküste” (2012) also provide additional information.