Texel lighthouse. by Justin Sinner Photography (Photographer on Texel)

About "Texel lighthouse."

by Justin Sinner Photography (Photographer on Texel)

About the artwork

Texel's Eierland lighthouse during the blue hour.
The ridges of the sand carry you along to the lighthouse. A beautiful interplay of lines.

Eierland lighthouse stands at the northernmost tip of the island of Texel. Six of the eight floors can be climbed daily from March to November and during the holidays. In winter, the tower is open on Wednesdays and weekends. The bright red tower is particularly photogenic and therefore frequently appears in pictures of Texel.

Many ships have sunk in the Eierlandse Gat, off the coast of Texel, over the centuries. While there were lighthouses on Terschelling and in Den Helder at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Texel only had a wooden beacon. This was clearly insufficient; between 1848 and 1860, as many as 72 ships wrecked off the Texel coast.

The Texel notary Johannes Ludovicus Kikkert argued fervently for a lighthouse on the northern tip of Texel to protect seafarers. He lobbied in The Hague and used his influence as an alderman of Texel and as a member of the Provincial States of North Holland. Thanks to his many years of efforts, construction of the lighthouse began in 1863. Designer was Quirinus Harder, who also designed many other Dutch lighthouses. This tower is the only brick tower by his hand; the others are made of cast iron. The lighthouse was built on a 20-metre-high dune. In 1864, the nine-storey tower was completed; on 1 November of that year, Kikkert was allowed to light the