Restaurants on Sylt: Kupferkanne
Historic Café in Artistically Transformed World War II Bunker
Aug 1, 2008
Artist Günther Rieck was not in a happy holiday mood when he first came to Sylt – it was 1945 and the German had been sent to the North Sea island as a soldier. But here his fate turned: Only eight days after his arrival war ended. The stranded 35-year-old had no place to stay and was assigned a disused flak bunker by the sea. This turned out to be the beginning of a very happy story after all.
Bunker Turns into Artist Studio
Being a sculptor helped down-to-earth Rieck in turning his humble abode into a home and an artist studio. After excavating his new bedroom he chiseled a big window out of the bunker wall – here he would take up working on his sculptures. The wadden sea at his doorstep became his source and inspiration: He took mud from the tidal flatlands and made it into vases, which he eventually started selling to tourists as souvenirs.
Friends and curious fellow artists kept visiting Rieck with unceasing pleasure, dropping in for a chat and a glass of wine and to review the progress on the unusual building. Word spread about the man who was artistically transforming a rather ugly and desolate place into something beautiful. The surrounding nature of Sylt's calm east coast helped his cause: Wavy heathland with an ancient hillgrave embraced the structures, which now seem to grow out of the ground organically. Over the years Rieck planted thousands of trees around the bunker and let flower meadows spread on its roof – the scars of war overgrew.
Artist Studio Turns into Tearoom and Society Haunt
Encouraged by the constant flock of enthusiastic visitors and also looking for a livelihood beyond his art Rieck gave his hospitality a professional makeover and kept on excavating and decorating. In 1949 he received the permission to open the Kupferkanne - German for copper can - as a bar and café. Its labyrinth of semi-underground niches and lounges and the romantic garden by the sea became an instant success. People would acknowledge that it was every inch an artist's masterwork.
During the first years the Sylt-loving jet set made Kupferkanne its second home and public playground - including industrialists like the Siemens family and the Krupp family as well as Gunter Sachs and publisher Axel Springer. More VIPs soon gathered in Kampen, too. While most of them eased into a more private lifestyle on the island over the years, the Kupferkanne always remained one of the top spots of Sylt. The late Günter Rieck's gift to the island that gave him a new home.
Kupferkanne Remains a Must-See on Sylt
Visiting Sylt it would still be a shame to give the Kupferkanne a miss. Apart from its fascinating history and the dreamy atmosphere it's the quality of food and drinks that makes it so popular: From breakfasts over light lunches to fantastic cakes the menu offers delicious delights; exclusively roasted coffee, a wide range of tea, wines and other beverages leave hardly anything to want for. While in summer many cyclists and hikers drop in for refreshments, in winter it is teatime that makes the Kupferkanne most attractive. The prices are slightly over average, but very much affordable, and there is a good mix of people and a relaxed flair. Bring plenty of time and allow for slow service on busy days. But where else would you want to be anyway?
You'll find the Kupferkanne in Kampen, Stapelhooger Wai – it is signposted from the village's main road.
More about the island of Sylt, what it has to offer and how to get there. Plus Restaurant Sansibar on the west coast of Sylt, with Germany's northernmost wine cellar.
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