Rungholt

Rungholt was a rich city in Nordfriesland, northern Germany. It sank on January 16 1362 due to a storm tide in the North Sea.

Rungholt was situated on the island of Strand, which broke apart due to another storm tide in 1632, resulting in the islands of Pellworm and Nordstrand.

Relics of the city were being found in the Wadden Sea until the late 20th century, but the sediment movements of the sea have rinsed the last of these into the sea.

Impressed by the fate of the city and the relics, the German poet Detlev von Liliencron wrote a poem about this lost city which starts with the words: "Heut bin ich über Rungholt gefahren, die Stadt ging wohl unter vor tausend Jahren". (Today I travelled to Rungholt, the City went under a thousand years ago)

See also: Lost cities