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Founded: 1305Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)
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The village Rappin was first mentioned in 1305 and the construction of the brick church started around 1300. Subsequently, the rib-vaulted nave was added, as were a vestibule and sacristy. The wooden bell tower was created only in 1635. A limestone font, the oldest piece in the church, dates back to the second half of the 13th century, and is decorated with motifs of round arches and faces. Escutcheons and memorial slabs from the 18th century bear witness to the many aristocratic families of the knights' estates in the area.
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.