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Bornholm is an island surrounded by rocks and reefs, which often have brought boats in great danger in bad weather. Throughout the history of the island many boats were stranded or wrecked on the coast. Place names on Hammerknuden tell about the power of the sea, e.g. Dogningeskaer (the Rock of Death) and Vragvigen (the Bay of Wrecks).
The island has an area of 227 square miles. Its northern two-thirds are composed of granite with a rocky cliff coast and a hilly wooded interior. With a population of 45,000 people, one of its primary sources of revenue is tourism.
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Therefore, quite early, the need for a lighthouse was felt, and in 1802 the first lighthouse on Bornholm was established on Stejlebjerg on Hammerknuden. It was a coal fire on an octagonal tower.
The present Lighthouse of Hammeren was built in 1872. The granite for the building of the tower was taken from the nearby granite quarry, where you now find the Crystal Lake. Each stone was carefully shaped, and the wall of the lighthouse is an example of accurate and beautiful workmanship.
The lighthouse shone from a paraffin lamp placed inside a big lens of hand-ground crystal made in Paris in 1870.
It was decided to build the Lighthouse of Hammeren on Ornebjerg, approximately 70 m above sea level. In this way the lighthouse became -and still is- the highest situated lighthouse in Scandinavia. However, this situation soon turned out to be a mistake. Even in clear weather, fog or mist often gathers round the top of Hammerenknuder so that the light of the lighthouse can't be seen at sea. Therefore, in 1895, a new lighthouse was built at Hammer Odde, which is the northernmost point of Bornholm. However, the Lighthouse of Hammeren still continued its function as a lighthouse.
In connection with the lighthouse, a house was built for the principle lighthouse keeper. The house was attached to the lighthouse by a corridor. Opposite this house you can see the building that used to house the assistant lighthouse keepers. Along the paths in this area you can still see the lighthouse keeper's gardens enclosed with stone walls.
In 1951 the lighthouse was automated and thereby became the first automatic lighthouse in Denmark. At the same time an electric bulb of 1000 watts was installed. The light from the bulb was intensified 300 times through the lens, and this light intensity of 300,000 HL (Hefner light) could be seen at a distance of 20 nautical miles, approximately 40 km. In case of an interruption of electricity or a faulty bulb, an acetylene light will start automatically. The light intensity of this, however, was only one third of the normal intensity. The light was switched on and off automatically by a photo-electric cell, giving 6 seconds of light followed by 6 seconds of darkness (ISO 12 sec.).
In 1990, the lighthouse was closed down, as modern equipment of navigation had made it unnecessary to have two lighthouses on Hammerknuden. In 1992, the Lighthouse of Hammeren was taken over by the National Forest and Nature Agency.
From the top of the lighthouse, 91 m above sea level, there is a fine view over Sandvig and further along the coast to Gudhjem. On the west coast you can see the castle of Hammershus, and further south the exposed granite walls of the quarry of Almelokken rise over the quaint fishing village of Vang.
In clear weather, the shores of Sweden appear towards the northwest (about 40 km away), and on the horizon towards the east you can see the island of Christianso (27 km away).
This story appeared in the February 1998 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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