Object of the Month – May 2026

13.05.2026 14:14 Uhr

Lighthouse Bulb

The Mecklenburg coast is treacherous. Shallow waters, shifting sandbanks and narrow channels have made precise maritime lighting essential since the 19th century. Our Object of the Month is the glowing heart of the Buk Lighthouse (Bastorf) and a technical powerhouse: a 1,000-watt special-purpose bulb. While a standard household bulb requires only a fraction of this energy, this lamp is designed for extreme conditions and maximum visibility – serving as a navigational light and a warning signal for the "Hannibal" sandbank at the entrance to Wismar Bay.

The Buk Lighthouse possesses a unique characteristic: at only 20.8 metres tall, it is one of Germany’s shortest lighthouses, yet it stands atop the 78.8-metre-high Bastorf Signalberg. Consequently, the tower, built in 1878, boasts a focal height of 95.3 metres, making it the highest lighthouse in Northern Germany – even surpassing the Dornbusch Lighthouse on the island of Hiddensee (95 m).

Following a planning phase spanning decades, the Buk Lighthouse was erected on the Buster Berg between 1877 and 1878, and its paraffin-wick system was converted to electric operation in 1925. Although the tower was classified as a restricted military site during the GDR era, it has been open to the public again since 1990 and now serves as a viewpoint and radio station. A particular technical feature is the original Fresnel lens from 1878, which remains in full use today despite wartime damage to the glass; following a regrouping of the lenses, it now displays a distinctive four-flash character. Today, the red-brick ensemble is a protected monument maintained by the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office.