Utersum

Infobox Ort in Deutschland
image_photo =
Wappen = kein
lat_deg = 54 |lat_min = 43
lon_deg = 8 |lon_min = 24
Lageplan = Utersum in NF.pngBundesland = Schleswig-Holstein
Kreis = Nordfriesland
Amt = Föhr-Amrum
Höhe = 3
Fläche = 5.26
Einwohner = 417
Stand = 2007-12-31
PLZ = 25938
Vorwahl = 04683
Kfz = NF
Gemeindeschlüssel = 01 0 54 143
Adresse-Verband = Hafenstr. 23
25938 Wyk auf Föhr
Website = [http://www.utersum.de/ www.utersum.de]
Bürgermeister = Jürgen Schmidt

Utersum (Fering North Frisian: "Ödersem", Danish: "Yttersum") is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The municipality includes the hamlet of Hedehusum.

Geography

The village is located between pine woods and dunes in the utmost southwest of Föhr, within the sight of the neighbouring islands of Amrum and Sylt. It is the smallest seaside resort on Föhr. In Utersum there is a sanitorium that specialises in diseases of the lung and in oncology and gynecology.

In the lowlands along the river Godel, plants like salicornia and sea aster can be found. They thrive on salt marshes whose salt content is determined by abundant floodings with sea water. Sea birds like the pied avocet use to hatch there.

A bus service links the place to the other villages on Föhr and to the town of Wyk.

History

Three preserved dolmens testify of settlements from as early as the Bronze Age.

As a part of Western Föhr, Utersum belonged to the Danish Enclaves and was thus directly linked to the Danish Kingdom while Eastern Föhr and Wyk adhered to the Duchy of Schleswig. Only when Denmark lost Schleswig to Prussia after the Second Schleswig War in 1864 did Utersum become part of Schleswig-Holstein.

Utersum, Hedehusum and the adjacent municipality of Witsum were the only ones in Zone II of the Schleswig Plebiscites in 1920 to vote for Denmark; as they were not directly situated at the border though, they remained with Germany.

Politics

Since the municipal elections of 2008, the independent "FWU" holds five seats in the municipality's council, the equally independent "UWG" holds four.

Notable people

Utersum became the favourite resort of entertainer Hans Rosenthal (1925-1987). He was made an honorary citizen of the village.

External links

* [http://www.utersum.de/ Utersum] de icon
* [http://www.hedehusum.de/ Hedehusum] de icon
*Translation/ref|de|Utersum|oldid=48797354