Borkum

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Image:Blick vom neuen Leuchtturm der Insel Borkum in der Nordsee.jpg

Borkum is an island in the Leer District in Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany. It has an area of about 30.6 km² (11.84 sq miles) and a population of about 5,587. Borkum is bordered to the west by the Westereems strait (which forms the border with the Netherlands), to the east by the Osterems strait, to the north by the North Sea, and to the south by the Wadden Sea. It is the westernmost of the East Frisian Islands in the North Sea, due north of the Dutch province of Groningen.

Borkum formed from two islands which were still parted by a flow of shallow water in 1863. The seam between the former eastern and western parts is called Tüskendör ("through in between").

Werner von Braun launched on December 19th, 1934 and December 20th, 1934 "Max" and "Moritz", the two devices of the A2-rocket. Lager Borkum, the Nazi labour camp on Alderney was named after the island.

A number of former German soldiers of the 216th Marine-Flak-Abeitlung (Naval Flak Battalion) were tried for war crimes, as part of the US Military Tribunals at Dachau, from February 6 to March 21, 1946 (US v Kurt Goebell et al). They were charged with the unlawful execution of seven United States Army Air Forces personnel who had survived the crash of their damaged B-17 on the island on April 8, 1944. (See talk page for list of those tried).

The island is partially car-free. Off-season, driving by car is permitted everywhere, otherwise there are car-free zones. The only town on the island is also called Borkum.