Liepāja Lighthouse : History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liepāja Lighthouse

Lighthouse in Liepaja, Latvia

Lighthouse

56°31′0.58″N 20°59′32.35″E / 56.5168278°N 20.9923194°E / 56.5168278; 20.9923194TowerConstructed1868Constructioncast iron towerHeight33 metres (108 ft)Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lanternMarkingswhite tower with red horizontal bands, red lanternHeritageNational industrial monument

LightFocal height32 metres (105 ft)Range16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)CharacteristicIso W 3s.Latvia no.UZ-700^[1] Map

The Liepāja Lighthouse (Latvian: Liepājas bāka) is a lighthouse located in Liepāja on the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea.^[2]

History

The lighthouse is located on the southern bank of the civil harbour of Liepāja, near the entrance. It was built of cast iron from resmelted ship-wreckage in 1868.^[3] During its lifetime the lighthouse suffered wartime damage, mainly during World War I, when it was hit by sixteen rounds fired by the German light cruiser SMS Augsburg. Their traces have survived to the present day, as indentations in the lighthouse's external cladding. The new iron sheets covering the lighthouse bear the inscription KOD, meaning they have come from Liepāja, the port and harbour town the lighthouse is located in. Currently the lighthouse's top viewing gallery can be accessed by an internal staircase of one hundred and forty nine steps.^[4]

References

^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Latvia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ "Main Page". Latvia Travel. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
^ "Liepaja Lighthouse". Lighthouse Digest. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
^ "Latvian Lighthouses". Bakas. Retrieved 10 May 2015.