Altfriesisches Haus

About the museum

The low, thatched house on the Keitum cliff is a typical North Frisian (Uthland) timber-framed dwelling built for a sea captain's family; the Sölring Museen list it under the name "since 1640", while the literature mostly gives 1739 as the year of construction. In the 19th century it was home to the teacher, chronicler and collector Christian Peter Hansen, whose collection formed the core of the museum.

The house opened as a museum in 1908. It is run by the Sölring Foriining, an association founded in 1906 to promote Sylt's culture, language and heritage, which also operates the neighboring Sylt Museum, the Stone Age tomb Denghoog and the Vogelkoje nature trail.

In the eastern part, four rooms are furnished as in a Keitum captain's household: the kitchen with box beds (alcoves), the pantry, the heated living room and the Pesel, the formal parlor with a view of the Wadden Sea. The western part houses the ticket desk and a small exhibition covering the Neolithic to the 19th century, as well as the Hansen family. Numerous everyday objects such as mangle boards, spoon racks and wax taper holders tell of island life before the age of tourism.

Highlights

• Original living quarters of a Sylt sea captain's house
• Pesel and box beds – sleeping in a wall bed
• Collection of 19 decorated mangle boards
• Tribute to chronicler Christian Peter Hansen
• Setting right on the Keitum cliff above the mudflats

Permanent exhibitions

• Wohnen wie damals – Sylter Kapitänshaus – A furnished kitchen, living room, pantry and Pesel show the daily life of a Keitum sea captain's family in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Founded

1908

Operated by

Sölring Foriining e. V.

Admission & discounts

Adults €5 with the Sylt guest card, €10 without. Free admission for, among others, children under 6, members of the Sölring Foriining and the friends' association, Sylt school classes and kindergartens, and holders of a Museumsbund, ICOM or Museumsverband SH/HH card.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Historic building: according to the operator, visitors with walking impairments, in wheelchairs or with strollers will encounter obstacles; information on barriers at 04651 32805.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Family tours during the Easter and fall holidays (Sylt Family Weeks). Because of the historic building, visiting with a stroller is only possible with some obstacles.

Getting there & parking

Bicycle parking available.

Amenities & dining

Dogs not allowed.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 8 guests.

Civil wedding ceremonies in the Pesel for up to 8 people including the couple and witnesses (€750, as of 2026); arrange the date with the Sylt registry office first.

Plan your visit