Rottumeroog is located at in the municipality of Eemsmond in the north of the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. It is situated off the coast of Groningen's mainland and it is the easternmost island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, east of the island of Rottumerplaat, north of the island of Zuiderduintjes, and west of the East Frisian island of Borkum. Rottumeroog does not have a solid core and slowly moves in southeastern direction as a result of sea currents. On the north side, land is gradually washed away; on the south side, new land is forming. Rottumeroog had a surface area of in 1995 and in 2007.
History
Between 1400 and 1540 CE, the island of Monnikenlangenoog had split into the islands of Bosch and Rottumeroog. Bosch had disappeared in the 18th century, but Rottumeroog still remains today. The name Rottumeroog means literally 'Island of Rottum', after the village of Rottum on the mainland of Groningen. The Benedictine St. Juliana's Abbey in Rottum used to own two-thirds of the island and used it for their livestock. After the Protestant Reformation the island's rights transferred to the province Groningen before being sold to private persons in the 17th century. The province bought the island back in 1738 due to back maintenance, eventually the central government took over. Until 1965 the island was inhabited by a vogt and his family; since then the island has been uninhabited. Several buildings have been built on the island. In the 19th century the navigational beacon Emder Kaap was built. The structure is listed as a national heritage site since 1988 and was moved southwards in 1999. The vogt had a house as well; this building was demolished in 1998 due to the encroaching North Sea. In February 2014, the bird observation post was removed from the island. Later in 2014 all remaining buildings on the islands, except for the Emder Kaap, were removed due to the changing shape and position of the island. The future area of the island is uncertain. In 2012, the island broke into two during high tide, giving rise to the claim that the island might disappear in the Emsestuary in the near future.
Natural reserve
The Wadden Sea, in which Rottumeroog is situated, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. Together with Rottumerplaat and Zuiderduintjes, the island forms the natural reserve Rottum. The island is generally not maintained, the shape and position are left for nature to change. The island is uninhabited and access is usually prohibited; several excursions to the islands are allowed each year under strict conditions. The island is home to birds and grey seals.
