Schulau Mole

Gazing out at the Elbe River, can you imagine navigating these waters before modern aids? The Schulau Mole, with its crucial beacon, has been guiding ships for over a century. The Schulau Mole itself saw significant development in 1898 and 1899. Prussia established Schulau Harbor as both a protective haven and a bustling fishing port. Early records from 1848 mention navigational markers at Schulau. A black buoy marked the eastern side of the Süder-Fahrwasser entrance, while a white buoy stood on the west. By 1910, a formal harbor light was operational on the eastern Schulau Mole. This early light, just 5 meters above high water, was mounted on a 3.6-meter wooden pole behind a small wooden hut. It was an unguarded light, overseen by the Schleswig government. Imagine the solitary keeper tending this vital beacon. During World War II, with the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, the Elbe River’s lights, including those at Schulau Mole, were extinguished for safety. The lights were rekindled in the post-war era. By 1950, both the east and west Schulau Moles boasted new pyramidal iron structures. These structures supported lanterns and distinctive colored “kettles”. Green for the east mole, red for the west. The Schulau Mole saw further modernization in 1970. Both mole lights were updated, now flashing every 6 seconds. A red pole marked the west mole’s light, a black pole the east. Their character changed again in 1989 to fixed green and red lights. The Schulau Mole continued its evolution. In 2015, amidst harbor renovations, the old mole lights were removed. A new light structure was erected on the west mole, continuing Schulau Mole’s legacy as a vital navigational aid.