This blogpost has been in the works for quite some time. My view of a different aspect of Sylt’s capital, Westerland, went into hibernation for a few months. Then my blog slept a bit late and missed the Swiss spring while I was busy with extensions, remodeling, and interior-design projects. But now that all of Germany, including the North Sea, has (hopefully) put the nightmare that was the Corona virus pandemic behind it and is reaching towards the hope of planning a vacation, the time has come for a Midsummer Night’s Dream...
Sylt does a lot to support the tourism industry. For decades, the endangered coastlines have been restored using beach nourishment measures to the tune of 10 million euros annually in order to protect them from erosion. And there is so much to do here. If one is looking for something to do. Alternative camping or 5-star hotels, kiteboard vacation and/or a Porsche Cayenne, star chef “Johannes King” versus the burger joint “Beach Box”, kitesurfing on the waves, a polo tournament in the sand, golfing on vibrant greens or strolling barefoot along the tidal flats. There’s nothing quite like feeling the thousands of little organisms crawling around in that mud. By now, Sylt is not only a health resort (thanks to its bracing climate) and destination for jetsetters hoping to go skinny-dipping.
Upon arrival at Westerland’s train station, one quickly realizes that especially when it comes to matters of style and construction, many things have been, let’s say, forgotten. The attempt to greet incoming visitors with “modern art” in the form of the “green giants” that seem to bend in the wind is, in my humble opinion, far from tasteful. Be that as it may, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this piece may just be taking advantage of the privilege of the liberal arts.
In any case, 150 years of tourism have shaped Westerland in many ways - more so than any other place on the island of Sylt.
Those who are not distracted by the shopping frenzy in Westerland’s and Sylt’s most popular shopping street can still discover many a stylistic and architectural gem from times long past. Nevertheless, from time to time I also feel drawn to Friedrichstraße, a street well frequented by package holiday tourists, with its many boutiques, food stands, souvenir shops, pubs and stores of well-known franchises that can be found in any large city.
A wonderfully exotic fragrance draws me to a store. As soon as I set foot in the door, I’m being offered various tins containing fragrant herbal blends to smell. With a secretive look on his face, an exotic looking employee hands me a cup of tea with a sample of a herbal infusion called “Sylter Sommernachtstraum” (“Sylt Midsummer Night’s Dream”). I take a sip and am enchanted by the flavor and fragrance of the tea. There is an answer to every physical or mental ailment here! Melodic sounding tea blends such as “Sylter Sahne, Mond und Sterne” (“Cream, Moon and Stars of Sylt”), “Sylter Schmerz-Weg” (“Sylt Path of Pain”) or “Sylter Fliederbeeren Erdbeeren” (“Sylt Elderflower Strawberry”) can be discovered on the various labels. With 6 packets of herbal tea and one to relieve symptoms of dementia (the name eludes me, I guess I need a cup!), I find my way back to the throng of tourists lining the street. I direct my steps towards the waterside promenade. The scent of freshly baked ice cream cones tickles my nose, and my thoughts wander to a time when noble bath houses lined the waterfront... and Friedrichstraße was nothing but a pile of sand.
We are at the beginning of the 20th century. Westerland is considered one of the sophisticated seaside resorts of its time. Thomas Mann, Marlene Dietrich and Richard Strauss all come here in search of inspiration, recreation, the sea and wicker beach chairs.
Various features of classicism, historicism and Art Nouveau are mixed together here, features of the bathhouse architecture's unique style.
Two- to four-story bathhouses, called “white pearls” due to their white-washed walls, adorn the pathways and the promenade. Arches, curved gables and towers round off the top floors of the buildings. These are often wood constructions, delicate in shape and decorated with maritime and floral symbols.
The children usually sport naval outfits, the ladies long dresses, the gentlemen mustaches and monocles. People big and small are eagerly building sandcastles between the beach chairs.
What follows is a series of trying years.
The only Art Nouveau hotel preserved to this day, the long-established Hotel Miramar, which was the first to open its doors on the beach of Westerland in 1903, tells the story of a challenging fate: Flooding, two world wars, inflation and the swastika.
But at the end of the day, it wasn’t the bombs of World War II that destroyed the old guest houses, but rather the greed of some investors. During the construction boom of the 1960s, the city's most beautiful houses were torn down to make way for concrete buildings up to 14 stories high. In the years that followed, Westerland’s cityscape became a kaleidoscope of architectural mishaps.
And that is one of the reasons why we wanted to give you a glimpse of its venerable past. To revive the time of the bath houses just a little. Let’s hope that future investors and building contractors will be just as inspired by Westerland’s past as we are.
1.The beautiful handmade kitchens by humphreymunson.co.uk are the perfect fusion of contemporary comfort and classic design. Photographed by Paul Craig. 2. Antique finish chandelier from eichholtz.com. 3. „Heiress“ Sofa from ralphlaurenhome.com. 4. Mirror with gold leaf, from eichholtz.com . 5. Carefully handcrafted: Beach chair made of teak by strandkorbprofi.de. 6. Art Nouveau bar cart in the style of Adolf Loos, around 1902, Vienna. From 1stdibs.com. 7.The French Bedroom company brings a classy and elegant atmosphere in every bedroom. frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk. 8. Made by experienced artisans: Black waxed finish dining table „Wallace“ with spindled leggs from eichholtz.com. 9. Dining table chair „Boca Grande“ from eichholtz.com. 10. A tribute to the traditional oil lanterns of the 19th century: Pendant lamp „Capitol Hill“ from eichholtz.com. 11. & 12. Nostalgic tiles for all kind of wet areas: Equipeceramicas produces resilient tiles in a crackle effect of aged enamel while guaranteeing the impermeability properties of their product. equipeceramicas.com. 13. Green leather upholstered chair by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1910. From 1stdips.com. 14. Typical art nouveau: Ornamentic porcelain stoneware tiles by Golem Kunst- und Baukeramik.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Miramar Hotel for their wonderful book of nostalgic photographs.
P.S. The tea store and the tea blends mentioned really exist:
Sylter Tee Company, Friedrichstraße 3, Westerland.
