Tidal change. Thatched roofs on the west coast

Thatch has been part of the architecture of the North Frisian coastal region for centuries. It shapes the appearance of many farms and houses, connects landscape and building culture, and represents a craft tradition that continues to this day.

Working with the material begins far out in the reed beds – and ends on the roofs of the buildings. This article shows two sides of a craft that carries the region's identity into the present day.

Reed harvesting on Sylt – winter work in the coastal wind

Reed harvesting was once part of farmers' self-sufficiency. Today, it is a rare, part-time craft facing loss of land, import pressure, and changing climate conditions. Nevertheless, local reed farmers secure a regional building material that remains indispensable for coastal architecture. Their work combines landscape conservation, tradition, and the supply of a craft that cannot survive without good materials.

Holger Schultz on Sylt is one of the few reed farmers still harvesting on the west coast. For him, the work is an additional activity – today primarily driven by a connection to the landscape and the material.

Harvesting takes place in winter, when the stalks have hardened and frost makes the marshy ground walkable. Holger Schultz then uses his self-modified reed-cutting machine, which not only cuts the reeds but also forms them into bundles and ties them together.

Maneuvering the heavy machine is strenuous – especially when a sharp east wind blows across the area in double-digit sub-zero temperatures, as I experienced during my visit last February.

Why would a part-time thatcher voluntarily take on such a challenge? For Holger Schultz, the answer is simple: He enjoys working outdoors, and he values ​​thatch as a natural raw material that has been part of coastal building culture for centuries.

Thatched roofing in Risum-Lindholm – Andersen-Hüs construction project

Thatching – recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Germany since 2014 – is one of the oldest building crafts. Its roots reach far back into North Frisia, and to this day it shapes the appearance of many farms and houses along the coast. In Germany, there are around 300 thatching companies, which together maintain approximately 50.000 thatched roofs.

One of the leading companies in North Frisia is Sönke Bartlefsen in Risum-Lindholm. They process both imported reeds and the scarce local material – including reeds from the west coast, as used in the Andersen-Hüs construction project in autumn 2025.

The Andersen family's over 300-year-old farmhouse is now a museum and cultural center. During renovations, one side of the roof was renewed. The photos from this project show the well-established process of thatching, which only works with a professional team: bundle by bundle, the thatch is applied, precisely aligned, and securely fastened until the covering achieves its characteristic texture.

Working on the thatched roof and the roof connects the landscape, the materials, and traditional craftsmanship. To preserve this knowledge, dedicated people are needed to pass it on.

The photographs on the topics of reed harvesting and thatching are part of my long-term project. tide and will be featured in the upcoming exhibition and accompanying book.