North Frisia

North Frisia is northernmost part of the Frisian area of settlings.

North Frisia or Northern Friesland is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located primarily in Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau/Vidå. It includes a number of islands, e.g., Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, Nordstrand, and Heligoland.

History

See also: Nordfriesland

The Frisians immigrated into North Frisia from the South in two waves. During the 8th century A.D. the mostly settled on the islands Heligoland, Sylt, Föhr, Amrum and presumably also in parts of the Eiderstedt peninsula. The coastal marshlands of the mainland were settled in a second wave and after a series of storm surges the Frisians also used to settle on the higher inland geest. The Frisian Uthlande region used to have its own jurisdiction, the so-called Siebenhardenbeliebung (the compact of the seven hundreds). North Frisia as a region was first recorded in 1424.

Until 1864, North Frisia was a part of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig (South Jutland). It is now part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein with all of North Frisia except for Heligoland contained within the district of Nordfriesland. The district extends beyond the traditional area of North Frisia to the south and east.

Languages and names

The historical coat of arms of North Frisia with its motto Lever duad as Slav (Better dead than slave). The North Frisian coat of arms is not identical with that of modern Nordfriesland district.

Main article: North Frisian language

In addition to standard German, North Frisia has speakers of Low German, the various dialects of the North Frisian language, and Danish, including South Jutlandic. Today some 10,000 people still speak a dialect of North Frisian.

North Frisia is called Nordfriesland in German and Noordfreesland in Low German. In the various North Frisian dialects, it is called Nordfraschlönj in Mooring, Noordfreeskluin in Wiedingharde Frisian, Nuurdfriislön’ in Söl'ring, Nuurdfresklun , Nuardfresklun or nordfriislun in Fering, and Nöördfreesklöön in Halligen Frisian. The region is called Nordfrisland in Danish.

Notable North Frisians

• Oluf Braren, born 1787 in Oldsum on Föhr island, was a painter of naive art.
• Theodor Mommsen, born in Garding, Eiderstedt, is considered one of the most important 19th century German historians.
• Painter Emil Nolde (born Emil Hansen) from Nolde, now part of Denmark, called his father a North Frisian. For most of his life, Nolde lived in Seebüll near the Vidå river.
• Frederik Paulsen Sr, founder of Ferring Pharmaceuticals and the Ferring Foundation.
• Friede Springer (born 1942 in Oldsum) is a publisher and widow of Axel Springer.
• Theodor Storm is probably the most notable author from North Frisia. He was born in Husum.
• Ferdinand Tönnies (born in Oldenswort) was a major contributor to early sociology.
• Oskar Vogt (born in Husum) was a pioneer of modern neuroscience.

Wind farms

There are more than 60 wind farms with a capacity of about 700 MW in North Frisia, and 90 percent are community-owned. North Frisia is seen to be a model location for community wind energy, leading the way for other regions, especially in southern Germany.

See also

• Frisia
• Nordfriesland
• North Frisian language