Alzey Castle, constructed in the 13th century, was the residence and headquarters of the district administration. The castle of Alzey was a favoured place of residence for the Palsgraves during the time of both Ruprechten, Ruprecht ll and Ruprecht lll. who was King Ruprecht I of Germany from 1400 - 1410.
In the 15th and 16th centuries the castle was built into a representative castle complex which was badly destroyed during the Palatine War of Succession. As a result of the romantically inspired castle restoration movement of the 19th century, the ruin was rebuilt and restored to its historical splendour at the beginning of the 20th century. Since this time it has been used as the district court house.
References: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.