Långe Jan was first lit on 1 November 1785 after a construction period of almost two years. The lighthouse was then 60 el high (about 36 metres) with a diameter of about 12 metres and 197 steps to the top. Today, Långe Jan is 41.6 metres high, making it the tallest lighthouse in Sweden.
The official name of the lighthouse is Ölands zuidkaap. The name Långe Jan is derived from the medieval chapel Capella Beati Johannis or St John (Jan). This chapel stood in the old fishing village of Kyrkhamn on Öland's South Cape. The chapel was demolished after the Reformation and the stones were used to build the lighthouse. A stone cross west of the road between Långe Jan and Ottenby kungsgård marks the location of the former chapel.
Originally, the lighthouse was built as an open coal-fired lighthouse, with coal storage in the inner three rooms, the upper one being for the lighthouse staff. The current lantern and lens system dates from 1907. The tower was whitewashed in 1845 and received its ring, initially red and later black, sometime in the second half of the 19th century. The tower was electrified in 1948 and today is unmanned and fully automatic.
Hello everyone, how nice of you to end up at my work.
My name is Marc Hollenberg. I am a passionate photographer in photographing landscapes/nature. I became a carpenter in 2008 and worked in many different places, each time inspired by the beautiful landscapes that I drove through to..
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