Utersum

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title: "Utersum" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["föhr", "nordfriesland"] topic_path: "general/fohr" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utersum" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox German location"]

Field	Value
name	Utersum
Ödersem / Yttersum
image_photo	Utersum Triibergem Strunwai.jpg
image_caption	A thatched house in Utersum
image_coa	kein
coordinates
image_plan	Utersum in NF.PNG
state	Schleswig-Holstein
district	Nordfriesland
Amt	Föhr-Amrum
elevation	3
area	5.26
postal_code	25938
area_code	04683
licence	NF
Gemeindeschlüssel	01 0 54 143
website	www.utersum.de
mayor	Göntje Schwab
::

Utersum (Fering North Frisian: Ödersem, ) 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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Strand_von_Utersum_bei_Ebbe.jpg" caption="The beach at Utersum during low tide with a view at the northern headland of [[Amrum]]]] 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

|align=left |1667|239 |1678|251 |1689|265 |1700|295 |1711|320 |1722|335 |1787|294 |1801|292 |1834|205 |1860|204 |1880|177 |1900|171 |1939|255 |1961|330 |1982|500 |2016|414 |source= Three preserved dolmens testify of settlements from as early as the Bronze Age.

In the 17th and 18th century, whaling was an important trade on Föhr. A census in 1787 showed that Utersum and Hedehusum together had 294 inhabitants, 62 of whom were seafarers. 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 of 1864 did Utersum become part of Schleswig-Holstein due to the annexation of Schleswig-Holstein by Prussia in 1867.

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. Utersum was the hometown of Volkert & Boz Lorenzen and Arian Martens all able seaman lost at sea on the brig Mary Celeste in 1872.

References

Roeloffs, Brar C.. (1984). "Von der Seefahrt zur Landwirtschaft". Karl Wachholtz Verlag.
"Statistikamt Nord – Bevölkerung der Gemeinden in Schleswig-Holstein 4. Quartal 2016]"
Faltings, Jan I.. (2011). "Föhrer Grönlandfahrt im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert". Verlag Jens Quedens.
Faltings, Jan I., ''Föhrer Grönlandfahrt ...''. p. 30.

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