Südfall
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Wadden Sea |
| Coordinates | 54°27′55″N 08°43′35″E / 54.46528°N 8.72639°ECoordinates: 54°27′55″N 08°43′35″E / 54.46528°N 8.72639°E |
| Archipelago | North Frisian Islands |
| Area | 56 ha (140 acres) |
| Length | 1,200 m (3,900 ft) |
| Width | 640 m (2,100 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
|
Germany
|
|
| State | Schleswig-Holstein |
| District | Nordfriesland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 2 |
Südfall (Danish: Sydfald) is a small island in the Wadden Sea off the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, one of the ten German Hallig islands. It has a permanent population of two people. It covers an area of 0.56 square kilometres (0.22 sq mi) and is administratively part of Pellworm Municipality.
Prior to the Grote Mandrenke flood in 1362, the area comprising the present-day island was a part of the former island of Strand in Edoms Hundred. As a result of the flood, which laid waste to much of Strand and submerged the city of Rungholt, three small islands were removed from the area of Strand: Südfall, Nübell (or "Nubel") and Nielandt. Over time, Südfall and Nübell were gradually eroded into the sea, and their inhabitants resettled on Nielandt, renaming it Südfall. In the catastrophic Burchardi flood of 1634, Strand was torn asunder by the sea and its largest settlements were destroyed, causing a great loss of life and property. Nearby Südfall, however, weathered the disaster. Its inhabitants made a living primarily by way of agriculture and fishing, supplemented by occasional beachcombing. The twelve families who lived on the island perished in the Great Hallig Flood on 3–4 February 1825. The three warfts on the western side of the island were totally submerged, and the total area of the island was halved. The single warft that remains on the island today was constructed in 1828. Ownership of the island has changed hands numerous times since then.
In 1910, the Countess Diana von Reventlow-Criminil purchased the island to spend her retirement years on it. After this, the Dethleffsen family rented out the island for a 50-year term. In 1921, Andreas Busch from Nordstrand discovered remnants of canal locks in the intertidal zone (German: Watt) around Südfall. He mapped the area and discovered numerous traces of the area's former inhabitants, such as wells, fields, paths, and graves. Based on these findings, it was determined that Rungholt was situated near present-day Südfall prior to its destruction in 1362. Since 1960, the number of times per year that the island has flooded has increased from around 30 to nearly 70.
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Wikipedia