The history of List on Sylt

337 years ago, the Danish King Christian V established a customs duty for shipping in List on Sylt. Unlike the rest of Sylt, List belonged to Denmark. The waters surrounding the port of List offered particularly good conditions for waterway trade, so shipping traffic steadily increased. Trading partners from surrounding countries sailed along the west coast and exchanged their cargo in the ports. Since the surrounding waters of the Lister Tief belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig and the Kingdom of Denmark, different laws automatically applied, which automatically led to diverse flows of goods. 

This trade was illegal, allowing smuggling to flourish. All of this took place duty-free in the Lister Tief until 1680 – then King Christian V put a stop to the activity in Lister Harbor, thus stopping all ships sailing via List on Sylt to the mainland or along the west coast. 

To coordinate the new customs regulations, the king commissioned the construction of a customs office. The customs chamber was built and a toll stone was placed in the east gable above the entrance door. This toll stone is on display in the Sylt Local History Museum. Sandstone was used as the material, and the monogram of King Christian V and his motto, "Pietate et Justitia" (Piety and Justice), were incorporated. The year 1682 can also be seen, and in the lower field is the inscription in Danish: "ListerDybsToldCammer" (Lister Deep Customs Chamber).

The merchants' joy at this additional financial burden was limited. They attempted to circumvent customs duties by sailing around List on Sylt. This led to the king again raising the issue of the duty, threatening drastic punitive tariffs. From then on, all ships passing Sylt were required to dock at least in List and pay their dues. Those unable to do so were required to pay their duties at surrounding customs stations, such as Amrum. 

In 1694, the Lister customs station was relocated to Hoyer. Debate over customs duties continued. Sylt didn't receive a customs office again until 1816. This was in Keitum, as the Lister harbor silted up. Later, the office moved to Westerland.

What happened to the Lister customs house? The Listers were given the opportunity to live there for a small fee. Hans Nielsen moved into this house in 1829, and in 1830, Niels Möller's widow became the owner of the former customs station.

The house was ultimately demolished in 1935. The stone remained as a reminder and testimony to this exciting Sylt history.

"One day," envisioned the ambitious officer Wolfgang von Gronau, who would later rise to the rank of major general, "I will fly to New York in my seaplane." His dream came true in 1930. At that time, Wolfgang von Gronau was in charge of the commercial pilot training school in List on the island of Sylt, and his assignment on August 18 of that year was: "Fly to the North Cape with your aircraft and then return to List."

At 14:20 p.m., the twin-engine "Dornier Wal D 1422" takes off in complete calm, carrying a fuel supply of 2350 liters. As the aircraft climbs into the clouds with its roaring engines, even the three remaining crew members are unaware that von Gronau has secretly plotted his own itinerary. It wasn't until two days later, in Iceland, that he asked his comrades the crucial question: "I want to continue on to New York. Are you flying with me?" Co-pilot Eduard Zimmer, radio operator Fritz Albrecht, and flight attendant Franz Hack nodded – and back home, the Minister of Transport was furious: Von Gronau had cabled Berlin succinctly: "Fly, subject to agreement, via Greenland to the USA."

The Dornier flying boat covers 150 kilometers per hour. After 44 hours, 25 minutes, and 6785 kilometers of flight time, the aircraft lands in New York Harbor. The aviation pioneer later recalled: "When we see New York on the afternoon of August 26th, the dream has become reality. The skyscrapers are a monumental sight. Then a great moment: the curve around the Statue of Liberty. Landing in the harbor with its heavy shipping traffic is not entirely easy. Finally, at 16:35 p.m., we touch down." There is a grand reception for the heroes of the skies. Crowds and media representatives flock curiously to the harbor, and the crew gives one interview after another. From Germany, the Reich Minister of Transport, now in a conciliatory mood again, sends a telegram: "With pride in the daring flight, with which you have rendered a good service to the reputation of our people in the world, I greet you and your crew." Wolfgang von Gronau and his men were whisked from one reception to the next, including a dinner in the presence of Charles Lindbergh, "which had a special charm."

But the social highlight was still to come. On September 4, Wolfgang von Gronau noted: "In the evening, a train ride to Washington. We are registered with the President as the culmination of our stay in the United States." One page further and a day later: "President Hoover is extremely amiable and talkative. We are filmed and photographed together. Then the memorable moment is over." Two years later, the now popular pilot faces a new challenge: a flight around the world this time. When he returns from his world tour on November 24, 1932, the people of Sylt give him an enthusiastic welcome and greet him at List harbor with a triple "Hurrah." Colorful garlands flutter in the wind, the band plays a march, and the schoolchildren sing, "Kommt ein Vogel" (A Bird Comes)
flown”.

In 1932, the municipality of List awarded Wolfgang von Gronau honorary citizenship, obligating the municipality not only to award him a certificate and a payment of 50 Reichsmarks, but also to provide him with a free burial. Since 1977, the List aviation pioneer has been laid to rest in the small cemetery amidst the List dunes. A memorial plaque at List harbor bears eloquent testimony to his deeds, and in the legendary Guinness Book of Records, he earned the eternal superlative "The first east-west Atlantic crossing in a flying boat" for his flight to New York.

In 1973, List's municipal representatives voted unanimously to build the Kurgasthaus (HdK) in the island's northernmost town, after initial plans had already been drawn up more than twenty years earlier. There was unanimous agreement that "the town's spa scene should not stagnate" and that List should become a "modern seaside resort." The HdK was intended not only to serve tourism but also as a meeting place for locals and the soldiers stationed in List.

Thus, on December 05.12.1975, 1975, the foundation stone for the spa guest house was laid. The time capsule, which was embedded in the foundation stone on this occasion, contained the foundation stone deed, the building plan, a complete set of coins from 1.640, a copy of the daily newspaper from the day of the foundation stone laying, and a symbolic key. An indoor swimming pool, a drinking spa hall, the spa administration offices, a restaurant, and an event hall for 400 people were now built on a built-up area of ​​XNUMX square meters.

The building was in operation from 1977 to 2000. Afterward, it stood empty for a while until the site was sold to the Arosa Group. The Arosa Hotel opened there in 2009.

When the HdK was scheduled for demolition, one of the workers present at the groundbreaking ceremony in 1975 informed the demolition company and requested that the time capsule be recovered. Thanks to his initiative, the capsule was saved.

He then offered it to two List mayors, but they showed no interest. The capsule's savior then gave it to a friend, and finally, this piece of List history found its way to the List administration in early 2023. Thankfully, List Mayor Ronald Benck donated the capsule and its contents to the Sylt Archives. This piece of List history is now being preserved there and will one day contribute to research into the history of List in the 20th century.

The "Weststrandhalle" restaurant, idyllically located in the List dunes near the North Sea, has a varied history. Its history began in 1949, when a temporary wooden restaurant, the "Kurstrandhalle," was built on List's west beach. 

Just three years later, the building was modernized and expanded to accommodate 80 people. However, even this capacity soon proved insufficient: in 1959, the wooden beach hall was demolished and replaced by a new building with 260 seats.

The "Sylter Kurzeitung" reported at the time: "The old barracks have served their purpose once and for all; the modern new building is located several meters further into the dunes. In the future, the magnificent view will be even more enjoyable while enjoying tomato soup and cheesecake. In addition to the restaurant, there will also be space for a small foyer with a seawater bar, a reading room, and a kiosk. 

Over the following years, however, the sea drew threateningly closer – and took its toll on the night of November 5-6, 1985: A severe storm surge had eroded the dunes near the beach hall to such an extent that continued operations were no longer guaranteed. The consequence: The "Kurstrandhalle" was demolished and rebuilt a good hundred meters further east under the name "Weststrandhalle" within ten weeks.

The tenants since its opening in 1986 have been married couple Gertrude and Ulrich König. The two Austrian natives had already moved to the North Sea coast in 1978 – what was initially planned as a seasonal job turned into a new life: In 1981, the König couple started their own restaurant in List on Sylt, and five years later, they gladly accepted an offer from the List on Sylt spa administration to manage the new "Weststrandhalle."

Ulrich König still vividly remembers the scene after the storm surge in 1985: "The edge of the dunes practically reached right up to the front door, and the outbuildings had already collapsed onto the beach." The restaurant's appearance, however, has barely changed since it opened: rustic and unfussy, it presents itself both inside and out, with plenty of wood. "We've stayed true to our philosophy," says Ulrich König, and his many (regular) guests thank him for it. Among the most prominent visitors was then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl: He visited the "Weststrandhalle" as part of an election campaign event and enjoyed the crabs there.

Since 2016, the venerable Weststrandhalle has borne the name Wonnemeyer.

Where the headquarters of the municipality and spa administration of List on Sylt are today, a few years ago children were still diligently practicing their times tables: From 1935 to 2007, the striking brick building in the Landwehrdeich was the home of the List primary school. 

After the school was closed due to low student numbers, the children of List now attend classes at the Norddörfer School in Wenningstedt. The premises of the former school have been completely renovated and modernized, and are now occupied by the municipal administration, the List on Sylt tourist office, the German Red Cross (DRK), and the local library.

The striking exterior façade of the elongated building has been preserved, and the bronze statue in front of the entrance has also retained its place. Popularly known simply as "Emil," the statue depicting a decathlete was erected on this site in 1938.

With the closure of the elementary school, the history of List's school system lasted exactly 162 years. It began in 1820, when old captains regularly taught classes. It closed in 1838 because only one child was still attending. A new beginning occurred in 1863, when a school and a small church hall were established on "Am Brünk" street. In 1935, the school moved to its newly built home in Landwehrdeich. Due to the influx of refugees, the number of pupils reached a record high of 1951 in 575; in that year, List on Sylt had more than 4000 inhabitants. In 1972, the addition of a gymnasium and a recreation hall completed the building with its twelve classrooms.