The original purpose was to host troops to defend the ships entering and leaving the Elbe from sea and beach pirates.

[2] The tower marked the most northern measuring point for the triangulation of the Kingdom of Hannover by Carl Friedrich Gauss[3] in July 1825.

Before the tower was turned into a lighthouse in 1814, the dangerous reef and sandbank of Scharhörn was marked by multiple beacons and bearing aids, most importantly the Scharhörnbake.

The late "Nord-Bake" (destroyed 2017) showed this form of a beacon to overshadow an open fire once the ships reached this bearing.

A fresnel lens of measuring a focal length of 700 mm was installed 1892 together with a five-wick kerosene lamp, to improve the brightness even further.

The luminous intensity was stated in 1952 to be 5700 Hefner lamps (HK) 13200 seaside, 1000 for the green and 550 for the red light.

Although belonging to Hamburg, the lighthouse was operated by the Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Cuxhaven, which is responsible for the Elbe estuary.

On 10 February 2014 it was officially shut down after almost 200 years in operation and continues as a "private light" under the authority of Hamburg.

The forementioned open fire beacon, the great and small lighthouses and today's "Nord-Bake" all were established on the same bearing.

[10] Apart from the floors for the guesthouse for the Hamburg state guests, the tower is home to the warden, a restaurant and their personnel.