North Frisian Islands

The North Frisian Islands (

Söl'ring North Frisian: Nuurđfriisk Ailönen, Danish: Nordfrisiske Øer, German: Nordfriesische Inseln) are the Frisian Islands off the coast of North Frisia

.

The term covers both the North Frisian Islands in the narrow sense (in

own unique dialect of Frisian

.

History

After the Frisian and Danish colonisation of the islands in the 8th century, the Frisian-populated

hundreds (between Eiderstedt and Sylt) became the Uthlande. The North Frisians in the Uthlande were ruled directly by the Danish king and were known as Königsfriesen or "King's Frisians". Only later did the Uthlande transfer to the Duchy of Schleswig, with the exception of small Danish royal enclaves. Part of Rømø was also ruled by the Schleswig duke. After the German-Danish wars, the islands from Nordstrand to Rømø became Prussian in 1866. After the referendum in 1920, the current border between the islands of Sylt and Rømø

was fixed.

A good and thorough overview of the life, work, languages, costumes and customs of the island Frisians is portrayed by the Carl Haeberlin Frisian Museum in Wyk auf Föhr.

Islands

There are four larger islands and ten tiny islets. The names of the large islands are

medieval times, the present-day peninsula Nordstrand and Pellworm as well as the Halligen were part of the large island of Strand. This island was torn to pieces in a disastrous storm tide

in 1634.

concentration camp on Alderney

, was named after the island.

Compared with Sylt,

Fering North Frisian: Feer; Danish: Før) is a relatively silent island. Its area is 82 km². Sixteen old hamlets are scattered over the island, some of which already existed in the 13th century. The main town is Wyk

on the south eastern shore. Wyk is a popular German seaside resort. There is no bridge or causeway connecting Föhr and the mainland, so ferries are the only connection. The ferry port, the harbour and Föhr marina are in Wyk.

Öömrang North Frisian

: Oomram) is only 20 km², but it is popular with tourists, though less crowded than Sylt. The western half of the island features a beach 12 km in length and 1 km in width. The villages are situated on the eastern shore, with Wittdün being the most important of them.

Mooring North Frisian: Pälweerm; Danish: Pelvorm) and the peninsula of Nordstrand (Mooring: Nordströön) are the remains of the submerged island of Strand. The main town of this sunken island was Rungholt

, thought to be the largest town in the surrounding area, but it was totally destroyed and submerged by a storm in 1362, 272 years before another storm destroyed Strand itself. Nordstrand has an area of 49 km², Pellworm 37 km².

Smaller remains of Strand are the ten islets called

Oland, Südfall, Gröde-Appelland, Hooge, Habel and the Hamburger Hallig

.

West off the Halligen, three drying

sandbanks form the so-called North Frisian Barrier Islands: Japsand, Norderoogsand and Süderoogsand

.