Eidum
Encyclopedia
Eidum or Eydum was a historic place on the German
island of Sylt
in the North Sea
. It was several hundred metres west of the present coast line of the present-day village of Westerland.
s and then rebuilt again. The All Saints Day Flood of 1436
probably wreaked so much damage and so many casualties in the village of Eidum that survivors left it and founded a new settlement about 2 kilometres further east. Their choice alighted on the higher geest
ridge in the area of Tinnum. This settlement was called Südhedig; from it arose the present day village of Westerland. The later name "Westerland" is supposed to have derived from an old Tinnum field name, on which this new settlement stood. The land was west of the village, hence "Wester-land".
The church tower of the old Eidum village survived the storm tide and was said to have been visible for a long time afterwards. It finally collapsed, according to contemporary sources, "at night and in calm weather". In any case the Westerland folk presented a petition for a grant towards the construction of a new village church, St. Neil's, two months before the Burchardi Flood
im August 1634. The Eidum church was mentioned for the last time in the Dankwardt Chronicle of 1652.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
island of Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. It was several hundred metres west of the present coast line of the present-day village of Westerland.
History
According to historic tradition the settlement of Eidum was destroyed several times by storm tideStorm tide
A storm tide is a tide with a high flood period caused by a storm. Storm tides can be a severe danger to the coast and the people living along the coast. The water level can rise to more than 5 meters above the normal tide....
s and then rebuilt again. The All Saints Day Flood of 1436
All Saints Day Flood of 1436
The All Saints Day Flood of 1436 on All Saints' Day in 1436 was a storm tide that hit the entire North Sea coast of the German Bight....
probably wreaked so much damage and so many casualties in the village of Eidum that survivors left it and founded a new settlement about 2 kilometres further east. Their choice alighted on the higher geest
Geest (topography)
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
ridge in the area of Tinnum. This settlement was called Südhedig; from it arose the present day village of Westerland. The later name "Westerland" is supposed to have derived from an old Tinnum field name, on which this new settlement stood. The land was west of the village, hence "Wester-land".
The church tower of the old Eidum village survived the storm tide and was said to have been visible for a long time afterwards. It finally collapsed, according to contemporary sources, "at night and in calm weather". In any case the Westerland folk presented a petition for a grant towards the construction of a new village church, St. Neil's, two months before the Burchardi Flood
Burchardi flood
The Burchardi Flood was a storm tide that struck the North Sea coast of North Frisia and Dithmarschen on the night between 11 and 12 October 1634. Overrunning dikes, it shattered the coastline and caused thousands of deaths and catastrophic material damage...
im August 1634. The Eidum church was mentioned for the last time in the Dankwardt Chronicle of 1652.