Cuxhaven

Cuxhaven marks the meeting of the Elbe and the North Sea with the Kugelbake, a tall wooden navigation landmark. Standing about twenty-nine metres high, the structure once carried a light to guide ships at night. Modern navigation has removed that practical necessity, but the protected landmark remains an emblem of the town and its maritime setting. For emigrants leaving through the Elbe, it could also become one of the last visible signs of the German coast. Its simple framework gathers several histories around a single point: the management of a shipping route, the experience of departure and the preservation of a coastal symbol.