<==Waalfisch
seen from the sky
Waalfisch Island, located 5N57 and 11E26 is located half way between the southern end of Poel Island and the Mecklenburg Coastline in the Wismar Bay. The island is quite small, and the highest land is a warft, located near the centre.
The island is covered with low grass, some stooded trees and low bushes. A group of houses are located in the warft and a ruined fortification. The only permanent inhabitans are thousends of nisting seabirds, and so the island is absolutely closed for public between the start of April till the end of the summer month.
The today known name of the island was first reported in 1567 on a map of an unknown German mapper. In 1718 on the strategical important island a large fortification was errected to save the Wismar Bay in the 30 years War. In 1859 a first wooden lighttower was errected to save the habour of Wismar. In 1902 the light, former a daytime beacon, was overbuilt on its top by a gas-light. This tower was ruined during a heavy strom in 1903, and rebuilt in 1906 as a steel-framework-tower. This tower was modernisated in 1938 and a second time in 1985, when the light was automatisated.