History of Europe

Rungholt - North Frisia's Atlantis of the North Sea

The place is said to be as rich as Rome, and its sinking in a storm surge was a punishment from God. Many myths surround the North Frisian Rungholt. Even scientists argue about where the sunken place was.

by Levke Heed

On January 16, 1362, disaster was brewing on the North Frisian North Sea coast. A hurricane pushes the water masses against the wooden dykes, which break and the island of Nordstrand tears apart. Thousands of people die in the icy floods, entire villages are wiped out. One of the places that sinks in the so-called Great Mandränke is Rungholt. Countless myths surround the "Atlantis of the North Sea".

Sinking in a storm surge:God's punishment for drunkards?

Traces of culture such as these vessels are repeatedly flushed out in the mudflats.

The place is said to have been as rich as Rome, and the downfall was a punishment from God. According to a legend from the 16th century, farmers in an inn got a sow drunk and put him to bed. They called the preacher to give the "sick" the last anointing. When the preacher saw the fraud, he wanted to run away. But he was held, forced to drink and taunted. The communion utensils were poured with beer. Thereupon the preacher went into the church and asked God to punish the godless drunkards. Shortly thereafter, a violent storm came up and Rungholt went under.

Sage as inspiration for poets and writers

The poet Detlev von Liliencron was inspired by this legend. In his ballad "Trutz, Blanke Hans" from 1882 he says:"A single scream - the city has sunk and hundreds of thousands have drowned. Where yesterday there was noise and a merry table, the next day the dumb fish swam. Today I drove via Rungholt , the city went under five hundred years ago." Theodor Storm also mentions the submerged town of Rungholt in his novella " Eine Halligfahrt". Even today, people on the coast say that when the weather is calm you can hear the bells of Rungholt's church ringing on the mudflats.

Finds in the mudflats and documents prove Rungholt's existence

Are the stories about Rungholt pure fantasy? One thing is certain:Rungholt existed. Documents and papers prove this. The archaeologists assume that Rungholt was an important place with a harbor for that time. Remains of a sluice were found in the Watt. It is assumed that the inhabitants exported salt to the Rhineland and Flanders. The Rungholters probably also traded in wool and amber. The exact location has not yet been clarified with certainty, as there are no reliable records. In addition, the Wadden Sea is constantly changing due to the tides. The area is flooded twice a day, washing away and washing up material.

Where was Rungholt? - Scientists disagree

Nordstrander Andreas Busch is considered the discoverer of Rungholt.

The submerged Rungholt is believed to be near the Hallig Südfall. Andreas Busch is still considered the discoverer of the place. In the west and south of Südfall, the native of Nordstrander discovered traces of culture in the mudflats from 1921:posts from a lock, wells, ditches and the remains of mounds. The archaeological state office in Schleswig assumes that Busch's assumptions are correct. The ethnologist and author Hans-Peter Duerr, on the other hand, believes that Rungholt was located in the north of the Hallig Südfall.

Operation Rungholt in ancient times trade with Crete?

Duerr relies, among other things, on a map by Johannes Mejer from 1652, which was created around 200 years after the sinking of Rungolt. There the parish is listed north of Southfall. From 1994, Duerr, as a professor at the University of Bremen, undertook numerous excursions with his students to the Wadden Sea. You will find ceramics, coins, gems and, according to their own account, the wreck of a ship from the island of Crete. He feels confirmed in his assumption about Rungholt's situation. What's more - he believes that Rungholt was already a trading center in ancient times. Were seafarers from Crete traveling the North Sea to buy amber more than 3,000 years ago?

The archaeological state office in Schleswig has already secured many finds from the mudflats.

A dispute has flared up over these theses in recent years. The scientists at the Archaeological State Office are skeptical:the experts consider the finds that Duerr made unspectacular. They would not have seen the remains of the ship. Duerr, on the other hand, claims to have handed over a site plan with spectacular finds that remained in the mudflats to the state office. However, the state office does not know anything about this card.