Here to stay

The influx of tourists added about two dozen new motives to the already limited reasons for moving to the barren island 150 years ago. These included work, good business, inspiration, health, and of course... Love is one of the top arguments for Sylt. As a force that can apparently move mountains and dunes. 

This force must have been quite strong for the senior manager of the "Hotel Rungholt." Because the Hamburg native wasn't initially all that impressed with the sandy island. "It was a rainy summer day in 1955 when I first got to know the island. I was staying with a friend in the former riding stable on Wenningstedt's main street." My first vacation ever. During our orientation walk towards Braderup, I wasn't at all impressed by what I saw. I found the landscape rather bleak. We met two riders on this walk and got into conversation with them,” Gisela Erdmann recalls the moment, which she initially didn't attach much importance to. He changed her entire life.

Dietrich Erdmann, scion of a large Sylt hotelier family and one of the two horsemen, was immediately smitten with the young woman from Hamburg. He pulled out all the stops and used every contact he could. and discovered exactly where the two women were spending their summer vacation in Wenningstedt. Since data protection wasn't a major concern back then, his efforts paid off. The two met again, and Dietrich Erdmann wooed Gisela with all the finesse of a seasoned pro. Sometime later, much after he had also paid a visit to his future in-laws in Hamburg, he proposed to her during a romantic rendezvous at the "Kupferkanne" inn. 

Like many other Sylt residents in the post-war period, Dietrich Erdmann had found work in more productive regions of Germany. Tourism on the North Sea coast only slowly started to pick up again. Dietrich Erdmann therefore worked in a small industrial company in the Sauerland region and held a promising position there. Not least because Gisela couldn't quite warm to Sylt, the newlyweds moved to the Sauerland, where they had two children in 1960 and 1963 and led a wonderful life. Why did the family then relocate to Kampen in 1971 and transform a dilapidated hotel into Kampen's premier address? And why did Gisela Erdmann finally make peace with Sylt and can now rejoice that... "Rungholt" will remain a family business in the future - all of this can be found in the book “People, Kampen” Read 22 life stories from the village between the seas.

Merih's eyes light up when he talks about his favorite people. "During the summer holidays on Sylt, I always go to Turkey." "At my aunt Nazli's in Karşiyaka. That's in the province of Izmir. She's a hairdresser, a very good one at that," the fifth-grade student at the Sylt school center emphatically assures us.

The fact that classmates and friends have international, colorful and sometimes dramatic life paths is about as exciting to him as a winter storm on Sylt. Multicultural life is an everyday occurrence on Sylt: Around 20 percent of Sylt's inhabitants possess a first citizenship other than German. 

His story goes like this: His father's family is of Senegalese descent and lives in Turkey. Merih maintains close contact with his grandmother and his beloved aunt, but not with his biological father. "My parents separated." Then my mother, I was still very small, went back to her parents in Gaziantep. Luckily, Mom eventually met my dad - they first met in a shopping mall. Today we are a family with three children. “My little sisters and I,” says Merih. Merih’s father, Tolga Er, is also of Turkish descent and grew up in Flensburg in a large family. For many years he worked in a responsible position at Jürgen Gosch’s restaurant on Sylt. 

For Tolga and his wife Hatice it was a a momentous decision, to choose a life as a family on Sylt, where Tolga had already put down some roots. For Merih's mother, the start on the island was anything but easy. Nor was it easy for Merih himself. "My little sisters Zeynep and Hirah had it easier. They didn't know anything else." 

With language acquisition came a gradually positive outlook on life. Today, Hatice is a self-employed entrepreneur and successfully runs a cleaning company on Sylt. "I've been living in Wenningstedt for over five years now. We moved in when the Osterwiese* development was finished." That's cool because my best friends live right next door. “I love the nature on Sylt and the safety – you can always go out alone. And the school is okay too. My friends in Turkey don't have so many good things to say about their schools. But I really like life there. It's much more cheerful,” is Merih's nuanced assessment. 

His plans for the future? First, he wants to spend some time on Sylt. Passion for dancing He wants to live life more intensely. There's a new project he's passionate about. He's also pleased that things are going better for him at school than they did in primary school. "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up yet. There's still time." Maybe a hairdresser - like my aunt. “I can easily imagine living in Turkey. We’ll see, maybe I’ll even stay here,” says Merih, trudging through the snow.

*The Easter meadow This is a housing project for families in Wenningstedt, developed and implemented by the municipality. Move-in took place in the summer of 2018.

The time when Sylt was the ideal A breeding ground for free spirits Those familiar with the island would likely place its history in the last century – primarily the 50s to 90s. Gret Palucca, Valeska Gert, the painter Sprotte, or innkeepers like Klaus Bambus… The island's image was partly shaped by its colorful characters. Today, the number of locals with eccentric lifestyles is rather small. Bohemianism and the avant-garde have given way to the mainstream. Fortunately, a handful of artists and creatives, unconventional hosts, and free spirits, for whom life by the sea, in the liberating island microcosm, provides fertile ground, can still be found. Halima Elkasmi is a prime example.

She's just come out of the sea. No spectacular winter splashing in front of an audience like at the Christmas swim. It's more like... Halima's quiet act of celebrating life. A ritual. An anchor. The moment to connect with oneself. “Reconnecting” That's the key phrase. "I simply sit in ice-cold water for a while, breathe, and see what my body tells me. It's wonderful – you arrive at yourself," assures the trainer, therapist, and life coach.

For Halima, the tool for connecting with oneself is the key to a happy life. And she shares these methods in Workshops, training courses, lectures and retreats Furthermore, when she's not working, studying, or traveling the world, she's been happiest on Sylt for years. The island offers her a sense of belonging, manageability, home, village-like closeness, but above all, the freedom and tolerance she needs to thrive.

She grew up with nine siblings and enjoyed a happy childhood in a place where coal was mined until recently. That was, in fact, her beloved father's job. Becoming the best possible version of herself and breaking free from all constraints—her family provided the foundation for this. "As a child, I could never sit still." Instead of giving me medication, my parents challenged me with sports. “I trained in Taekwondo and made it to the Youth World Championships,” reports the bundle of energy.

She had to cope with pain and injuries from an early age. She lost an eye while playing with a bow and arrow. She had to have cartilage transplanted in her ankle. She noticed that she had to change her posture, holistic living She had to in order to be pain-free and healthy. She became a yoga teacher in India and acquired many other qualifications; anatomy and neurology particularly fascinated her.

The modern movement training à la Halima It only peripherally relates to familiar concepts. With it, it suggests rediscovering one's own body on all levels, reclaiming forgotten movements. The beautiful woman with Moroccan roots It also helps athletes with injuries to regain their full strength. "Just do it." “If my clients are willing to practice, we will reach the desired goal,” she knows. “Practice what you preach” is another principle that makes Halima convincing.

With her restless nature, she needs a wide variety of activities to keep herself busy. Nature and the beach are ideal for letting off steam and finding your center again. She proves daily that hyperactivity is a quality, not a flaw, when channeled in the right direction. "Don't fight it, learn to manage it," is her motto. Therefore, it's no surprise that, as part of her diverse portfolio, she sometimes works as a waitress at the "Samoa Seahorse" restaurant – just as she did 15 years ago. "I love the job. It challenges me and financed my many training courses and travels back then." Each evening has its own dramaturgy.It's like being on a stage. If you're fully focused, the performance will be good. 

Does he still live on Sylt? Yes, he does. In Tinnum. With his wife Edeltraud, often in the company of his grandchildren. Without ever having questioned his home in recent decades. "The island has always been good to me. I owe it a lot." “My wife and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” Heinz Maurus assures us. 

Sylt, and especially its ruggedly honest inhabitants, prepared him for a distinguished political career as a CDU member of the state parliament, state secretary, and head of the state chancellery (to name just a few of his roles). He gained valuable experience on the island during the 80s and 90s as mayor of Sylt-Ost* and as head of the local administrative district. This created a deep connection that one does not give up when one knows its value.

Many years Heinz Maurus commuted unwaveringly between Berlin, Brussels and Tinnum Back and forth. "I tried to come to Sylt as often as possible on weekends," he assures us. With his packed schedule, he mostly left the day-to-day family life with three children to his wife. "I just wasn't there often. Even when I was still working on Sylt. Looking back, there are some things I might do differently," Heinz Maurus says thoughtfully. 
 
Currently, at just over 70, he is making a genuine effort to focus on the Traveling with a motorhome and sailing trips with friends and family to relocate. But the passionate reality shapers He's not out of his element. As president of the "Marine Association," he's a retired mariner "back to the roots." Maritime concerns are also the focus of his second major project: He uses his network and negotiating skills for the interests of the "Association of Mussel Farmers"He is chairman of the producer organization, which also includes... "Dittmeyer's Oyster Ompania" and represent the Hörnum mussel fishermen. In addition, there are of course various memberships and honorary positions, including with traditional Sylt clubs – all of this: A matter of honor… But that's also one reason why the agenda is still full.

Is one allowed to Sylt resident by choice with a respectable political career Can he actually be called a son of the island? Strictly speaking, of course not. But he is a Prime example for what happens when someone on the island strikes the right chord and finds fertile ground. Maurus was born and raised in Kaufbeuren in the AllgäuThere, it was his father's friend, a submarine sailor, who convincingly assured him: "Son, if you want to experience something, join the navy." So he ended up in Glückstadt and in January 1972 as a medic in List, then home to the huge Naval Supply School (MVS). "Honestly: When I arrived by bus through the lunar landscape towards the barracks “When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Where on earth have you landed?’” But his attitude quickly changed. On reflection, he also liked the lunar landscape, and he felt comfortable with his decision to pursue a career in the Navy. He completed the various steps of a military career with flying colors. 

Heinz Maurus gained a passion for politics, and politics for him – also because of his ability to To pragmatically translate visions into reality. His stories about life and activities during those years on Sylt could fill volumes. Here's a little anecdote that belongs more in the "entertaining" than the "politically factual" category: "The now deceased Wolfgang Schäuble always spent his holidays on Sylt. In a small group, he once asked if I knew where he could send his confidential faxes. I referred him to my mayor's office in Keitum. From then on, we always put the Interior Minister's faxes into secret envelopes there." "There is still this village-like sense of community, but also the wider world. And that blends together so beautifully." Maurus sums up one of the qualities of his home island.

He impressively demonstrated his ability to perform on both stages, the village stage and the grand stage. Now that he's spending more time on Sylt again, wouldn't he want to get involved in island politics – America's president is over 80? What advice would he give Sylt? "Nothing at all, that's not my place. Oh, perhaps just this one thing: We invoked the island spirit back then. That's the key to everything." Working together is absolutely essential.”

Before the eastern villages of Sylt, Rantum and Westerland, merged to form the municipality of Sylt in 2009, Munkmarsch, Keitum, Archsum, Morsum and Tinnum constituted the municipality of Sylt-Ost. Rantum and Westerland were independent municipalities – as are List, Wenningstedt-Braderup, Kampen and Hörnum to this day.

The list of cultural and humanitarian projects that Ambroise Gaglo has initiated on Sylt and around the world over the past 29 years is endless. To better understand the creativity and tireless dedication of this Sylt native, his life story offers a piece of the puzzle. Ambroise came to Sylt from Togo as an asylum seeker in 1995. He lived for two years in the mini-container village, which at the time served as makeshift accommodation for him and many others right next to the golf course because there was no adequate housing. The fact that refugees of various origins will soon be living in containers again for the same reason, only this time on the airport grounds, naturally affects him deeply.

 “But let’s talk about the good things one can do,” he will say, thus summarizing what defines him. When he came to Sylt, his brother was here, he spoke the language, had learned German almost perfectly, and had the firm intention of making the most of his life on the island. "Language is the key." I tell that to everyone who comes to me for advice. She opens doors and hearts. “Back then I really wanted to join the police. I still have a folder with my applications – including the uninspired rejection letter stating that it was completely impossible for an asylum seeker to join the police,” he recalls with a laugh, also at his own naivety at the time.

Ambroise wouldn't be himself if the initial rejection, as well as all the setbacks that followed, had shaken him in the long run. Twenty-four years ago, he attended a vocational school for social pedagogy in Niebüll and has been working for the municipality of Sylt at the open all-day school in Westerland since 2011. But Ambroise also offered from the very beginning... musical projects, his drumming courses, his multicultural festivals He is committed to social and cultural coexistence and takes a stand against exclusion and racism. Throughout three decades, he has consistently come up with new ideas, not least to honor his African roots and to create a meaningful [context/purpose]. Connection between his old and his new home To produce, he developed the concept for the “Yes Award Sylt”The "YES" stands for "Yearly Education Support": In Lomé, Togo's capital, the project will support one young person between the ages of 16 and 20 each year with a scholarship to help them with their studies. Sponsors are urgently needed. Ambroise is happy to provide more information about his award.

He reports on a cultural festival for the African community planned for the Niebüll town hall in the summer of 2024. They are still in discussions with the town of Niebüll. Time is of the essence, as he now has an appointment with an African family for a consultation at his office on Stephanstrasse in Westerland. Three people from Sylt offer advice to people who are planning to live and work on the island. There is also a consultation hour in Polish, and then there's Ambroise, who speaks English, French, and two African languages. He conducts an average of two to three consultations there per week. 

The ways people find him are as varied as life itself. Sometimes he even approaches people he doesn't know yet. "Yes, I actually know all 300 people in the African community." I love the family-like, manageable atmosphere of Sylt. I couldn't live in Hamburg.” He sees the short distances and his knowledge of who to contact for effective help as a great advantage of his life on Sylt. “We can achieve a lot here – regardless of the problem. Whether someone is suffering from discrimination, or there are questions about language courses, schools, jobs, or housing. Of course, I can only offer advice when it comes to finding an apartment. I would like to be able to do more in that area.”

>> All personal advisors <

If you have no questions but would like to work on Sylt, you can go directly to the job portal here:

5:16 a.m. - Departure from Langenhorn train station. Arrival home: never before 4 p.m. Under three hours for the commute from her front door in idyllic Büttjebüll to Wenningstedt. Sylt Clinic And back? "That would be unrealistic. I'll probably need longer." Because, without exaggeration, there aren't many days when the train service runs completely smoothly." Nina Krainz, who, with her 20-member team, ensures that families feel completely at ease during their rehabilitation at the SyltKlinik and are pampered with healthy food, knows this.

However, Nina hasn't been able to go to work for a year now: In January 2023, she was hit by a car on her way to Langenhorn train station. The injuries to her leg are healing slowly. "The gratitude for still being alive is stronger than any other feeling." The view of life has changed., she assures us. 

When the commuting starts again soon, she will approach it with equanimity, just as always. "We have been living on the mainland since 2007." “I have never regretted my decision to leave Sylt as my home base, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my 15 years of island life. But when I immerse myself in the idyllic setting of Büttjebüll here in the evenings, I always know why,” Nina explains. 

What they, on the other hand, consider A huge waste of time How does she feel? "When the train app says everything is fine and I'm still standing at the station waiting. I'd rather have a hot cup of tea in the morning and work longer in the afternoon." She uses the journey itself for nice chats with fellow commuters, for a power nap, but above all for "train office": "I can plan and organize wonderfully in those 50 minutes."

Her work at the Sylt Clinic has provided her with a meaningful life's purpose for the past 2,5 decades. She wouldn't trade this quality for anything. “I am a trained chef and came to Sylt directly after my apprenticeship in 1992, first to the ‘Vogelkoje’ restaurant, then to the Sylt Clinic. I couldn’t imagine a better position in my profession than the one I have today,” she assures us, looking forward to starting again soon. 

Besides family, work and friends, there is another thing for Nina: other life content, which was actually the reason why she moved away from Sylt 15 years ago. “Back then, we had five dogs, four cats, 30 to 40 sheep – also for the proper care of our Border Collies – and two horses. Many of our leisure activities were related to the animals – seminars and workshops.” And we also went on holiday with the animals. Sylt had simply become too far away from everything and too small for our zoo.”, she says, laughing. 

The consequence: She and her husband, Jörg-Eric Zarth, a native of Wenningstedt, set out to find a Farmstead on the mainland. After a charming interim period, the family now lives in the former school in Büttjebüll – and there's certainly no lack of space to complain about. "When my son was younger, some days all his caregivers were working on Sylt. In case of a storm, strike, or other unforeseen circumstances, we always had a good backup of people – you never know," Nina explains.

Island love finds its expression in a variety of ways: mostly in quiet enjoyment, but sometimes also with devoted posts on social media, with Sylt songs and poems, and if necessary, still with the classic: the island silhouette on the back of the car. 

Regular guest Alexander Heil has his deep connection to the sand dune He has created a highly aesthetic monument. One that touches the soul: For years, the father of the family has been discreetly taking photographs, as if they were a picture diary of his holidays. the people around "Stage 16"These photos, set against a breathtaking backdrop, reflect a deep connection in exquisitely beautiful handwriting. He has now published a selection of them in an XXL coffee-table book. A declaration of love, which weighs heavily and largely manages without words. That's why we at "Naturally Sylt" asked again how his connection to the island came about.

Wow! Your work is largely location-independent. As much as you and your family love Sylt: Do you ever think about moving to the island? You have many friends there, you're rooted there…
Alexander Heil: This is indeed a recurring topic of conversation for us. But it would, of course, be a huge step – with school and the children. Perhaps sometimes it's right for certain dreams to remain unfulfilled and for one to live with the longing for a little while…

What's your tip for when people find the beach life around "Buhne 16" too hectic in the summer?
Alexander Heil: Just a few hundred meters further north and you'll practically have the beach to yourself, even in summer. Or you can head a little south to the central beach: there's a wonderful nudist beach there with a lovely atmosphere and a kiosk run by the guys from the "Buhne" (a local bar). Or you might find your favorite spot somewhere else along the 40-kilometer stretch of beach…

Boots on, pitchfork and bucket at the ready. Let's go. On the way to the "private" beach of the Nature Experience Center, we meet Diane Seidel on this wild, gray, penultimate day of December. The natural problem this morning: "The water level is about 1,5 meters above normal. Despite the low tide, we can't go out very far," Diane explains. 

The Sylt resident and biologist would like to personally introduce us to a mudflat immigrant: The Japanese rock crabIt was first sighted in 2006 by a volunteer (that's what the volunteers were called back then, now FÖJ = Voluntary Ecological Year) in the Wadden Sea. It migrated from Japan to the east coast of the USA, found ideal conditions there, and then probably traveled as a stowaway on a ship to the North Sea.

While searching for the rock crab, which, as its name suggests, feels at home under stones, we find it among the stones. Slipper snails"An immigrant from 1934," Diane asks, holding a snail shell in her hand. "It goes through a male phase, a neutral phase, and a female phase in its life cycle—isn't that fantastic?" Her fascination with these unique creatures of the Wadden Sea is immediately contagious.

Diane also reports on the neobiota Brackish water barnacle, which settles on mussels and the Sea walnut, a new jellyfish species, up to 10 cm in size, which originates from the western Atlantic. Visitors can watch it hunting and bioluminescent on large monitors in the visitor center. 

"Oh yes, we also have some export hits to our name: Our local..." Shore Crab feels at home in North America, Australia and South Africa as well.”