Oldsum
municipality on the island of Föhr
Oldsum (Fering: Olersem) is a municipality on the island of Föhr, in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
Geography
The municipality of Oldsum consists of the three hamlets of Oldsum, Klintum (Fering: Klantem) and Toftum (Fering: Taftem) which are spread over some two kilometres along a main road. The population number about 600. The landscape is marked by well-preserved thatched farmhouses. Oldsum's landmark is an ancient thatched windmill whose antecessor presumably dates back to the year 1700. Though burned down 200 years later, it was rebuilt and subsequently was in use until 1954. Since 1972 the mill is exclusively used as a dwelling house. Oldsum is situated approximately two kilometres from the western shore of the island, the northern coastline is a little closer. Oldsum adjoins Süderende to the south, Dunsum to the southwest and Alkersum and Midlum to the east.
History
Oldsum was first recorded in 1462 as Uluersum.
“Oldsum” enters the record as municipality on the island of Föhr. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Oldsum, municipality and island can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Oldsum” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Oldsum, municipality and island provides the most credible route into that argument.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 23, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q20785. VIAF identifies the subject as 780146998436218940727. Authority coordinates are 54.733, 8.450. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1700, 1954, 1972 and 1462.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Oldsum”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Oldsum primary sources, Oldsum archive and Oldsum research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Oldsum”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Oldsum” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.