Die Schäden der Weihnachtsflut von 1717 an der Nordseeküste Schleswig-Holsteins

摘要

This article describes the storm surge disaster of 1717-1718 of the North-Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The Christmasflood from 1717 and the Ice Flood of 1718 were one of the heaviest disasters in the early younger period and caused a large damage at the German North-Sea coast. Most of the dikes were damaged or destroyed and the marsh lands were over flooded by the salt water. More than 11,000 humans, 10,000 horses, 40,000 cows, 10,000 pigs and 35,000 sheep were drowned and over 4,000 houses have been destroyed by the stormy sea. In Schleswig-Holstein 558 people, 10,996 cows and 1,692 sheep were drowned. More or less 390 houses were destroyed and 1185 were damaged. The storm surge of 1717 reached in Tönning a height from +0,93 m above the Main Tidal Water. The islands of Fahr as well as Pellworm and Nordstrand were inundated by salt water after a lot of dike breaches. Reason for the disaster were the dikes, which are partly too low and too steep. The storm surges of 1717-1718 caused also heavy damage on the Halligen. On the North-Frisian mainland the dike of the Wiedingharde broke. In the bay of Dagebüll the salt water reached a height from NN +4,90 m until NN +5,68 m. The last part of the so-called Lundenbergharde, the former medieval land-connection between the peninsula of Eiderstedt and the island of Strand, was lost in 1718 and could not be reclaimed. Parts of the peninsula Eiderstedt have been inundated by salt water. A lot of dikes, especially along the Hever in the North and the Eider in the south were destroyed. Also new dikes, f.e the Grothusenkoog, broke. The dunes in the west of the peninsula near St. Peter-Ording were partly destroyed. The Christmasflood caused most damage in Dithmarschen. The hole marshland was drowned by salt water after a lot of dike breaks. The heavy dike break of the Brake near Brunsbüttel caused a large tidal inlet. Also parts of the Elbe river marshes were inundated by salt water. In spite of the fact that the marshland in Schleswig-Holstein has been overflowed no large land losses occurred. This was also the result of a better coastal protection than even before in history. But catastrophe plans was still unknown in the early 18th century.%Die Weihnachtsflut von 1717 gehört zu den größten Naturkatastrophen der frühen Neuzeit an der südlichen Nordseeküste von den Niederlanden bis nach Schleswig-Holstein. An der gesamten Nordseeküste dürften über 11.000 Menschen, 10.000 Pferde, 40.000 Rinder, 10.000 Schweine und 35.000 Schafe ertrunken und über 4.000 Häuser vom stürmischen Meer weggerissen worden sein. Entsprechend der Lückenhaftigkeit der historischen Quellen ist eine Gesamtschadenbilanz schwierig zu erstellen, doch kann man in Schleswig-Holstein von mindestens 558 Toten, 10.996 ertrunkenen Rindern und 1.692 ertrunkenen Schafen ausgehen. Mindestens 390 Häuser waren weggerissen und weitere 1185 beschädigt worden. Der folgende Artikel fasst anhand einer Auswertung der schriftlichen und geoarchäologischen Überlieferung sowie rekonstruierter Überflutungskarten die Schäden für die schleswig-holsteinische Nordseeküste zusammen.