17 Facts About Heligoland

In some periods Heligoland was an excellent base point for huge herring catches.

Heligoland became a centre of resistance and intrigue against Napoleon.

British annexation of Heligoland was ratified by the Treaty of Paris signed on 30 May 1814, as part of a number of territorial reallocations following the abdication of Napoleon as Emperor of the French.

In 1826, Heligoland became a seaside spa and soon turned into a popular tourist resort for the European upper class.

Heligoland has an important place in the history of the study of ornithology, and especially the understanding of migration.

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The book Heligoland, an Ornithological Observatory by Heinrich Gatke, published in German in 1890 and in English in 1895, described an astonishing array of migrant birds on the island and was a major influence on future studies of bird migration.

The first naval engagement of the war, the Battle of Heligoland Bight, was fought nearby in the first month of the war.

Heligoland had a military function as a sea fortress in the Second World War.

On 3 December 1939, Heligoland was directly bombed by the Allies for the first time.

On 1 March 1952, Heligoland was returned to German control, and the former inhabitants were allowed to return.

Heligoland, like the small exclave Busingen am Hochrhein, is a holiday resort and enjoys a tax-exempt status, being part of Germany and the EU but excluded from the EU VAT area and customs union.

The ornithological heritage of Heligoland has been re-established, with the Heligoland Bird Observatory, now managed by the which was founded in 1991.

Heligoland was the site of a trial of GROWIAN, a large wind turbine testing project.

Climate of Heligoland is typical of an offshore climate, being almost free of pollen and thus ideal for people with pollen allergies.

Island of Heligoland is a geological oddity; the presence of the main island's characteristic red sedimentary rock in the middle of the German Bight is unusual.

Heligoland's rock is significantly harder than the postglacial sediments and sands forming the islands and coastlines to the east of the island.

Heligoland flag is very similar to its coat of arms—it is a tricolour flag with three horizontal bars, from top to bottom: green, red and white.