Scharhörnbake

The Scharhörnbake was the most important daymark on the German North Sea coast for several centuries. First erected in 1661 by the City of Hamburg on the sandbank Scharhörn and south side of the Elbe estuary, it was rebuilt over centuries and taken down in 1979 after 318 years. Equipped with a room, it also functioned as a refuge beacon for shipwreck survivors from 1840 to 1965. The only remaining element today is the boulder stone foundation near Nigehörn.

With a height of 29.10 meters (95'6"), it was the highest daymark from 1898 until 23 December 1914 on the North Sea coast.

Often destroyed by storms, it was also taken down in wartime to make navigation harder for enemy ships.