Heligoland
1807 |
Britain seized Heligoland, an island in the North Sea ruled by Danes, as a forward base to break Napoleon’s economic blockade. In 2017 Jan Ruger authored “Heligoland: Britain, Germany and the Struggle for the North Sea.” Links: Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Heligoland |
1841 Aug |
German poet Hoffman von Fallersleben (1798-1874) authored his poem "Das Lied der Deutschen" on the island of Heligoland. Its third stanza became the lyrics for the German national anthem. Links: Germany, Poet, Heligoland |
1890 |
Britain ceded the island of Heligoland to Germany in exchange for a free hand in the former slave-trading sultanate of Zanzibar. Links: Britain, Germany, Zanzibar, Heligoland |