In a treaty of 1460, Schleswig and Holstein were linked to the Danish crown, but List remained part of the royal enclaves, small areas of the Kingdom of Denmark situated within the Duchy of Schleswig, but directly controlled by the Danish king.

[4] From the 16th century, the people of List mostly made a living from oyster farming, raising sheep and collecting and selling gull eggs.

[3]: 231 After the end of World War II, the small town of List had to house around 2,000 displaced Germans, including 15 families from Heligoland, occupied by the British.

[3]: 231 More recently, the military presence was withdrawn from the area, shifting the focus of List's economy more and more towards the tourist industry.

[4] List is the northernmost municipality of Germany, located at the northern part of the island of Sylt.

[3]: 231 The Erlebniszentrum Naturgewalten, opened in 2009, features an exhibit on the powers of sea, wind and sand that have shaped the island as well as on local flora and fauna.

[8] In May 2017, a 35 meter high Ferris wheel was erected in the harbor for the 725th anniversary of the municipality of List.

Until 2004, List was amtsfrei but since then has been part of the Amt Landschaft Sylt, a collective administrative body.

List was connected to the rest of Sylt by the Sylter Nordbahn ( a narrow gauge railway) from 1908 to 1970, when it was discontinued.

[5] List hosts a facility of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research that studies the Wadden Sea.