Frauenfeld, Switzerland
13th century
Bischofszell, Switzerland
1419
Arbon, Switzerland
13th century
Diessenhofen, Switzerland
12th century
Salenstein, Switzerland
1546
Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
11th century
Gottlieben, Switzerland
1251
Mammern, Switzerland
13th century
Amriswil, Switzerland
13th century
Hüttwilen, Switzerland
c. 1200
Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
15th century
Stettfurt, Switzerland
13th century
Wigoltingen, Switzerland
16th century
Herdern, Switzerland
13th century
Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.