Tjark Evers

His tragic fate by drowning in the Wadden Sea made him notable soon after his death and he became known beyond his native region of East Frisia.

[2] At Christmas 1866, Evers wanted to pay a surprise visit to his parents in Baltrum and boarded a small rowing boat early on 23 December at the harbour of Westaccumersiel.

Convinced to have reached the latter island, they berthed at a sandy shoreline and Tjark Evers departed the vessel.

Soon Evers noticed though that he had not reached Baltrum but had been left at a shoal in the Accumer Ee gat which would submerge during high tide.

[4] His death is certified in the journal of the Baltrum Lutheran parish[4] as well as by the numerous search requests published by his parents in regional newspapers of 1867.

Death by drowning was not uncommon at the time in this region, but the exceptional circumstances and the preserved letter of farewell made Evers' case a special one.

On 19 March 2002, Horst Evers gave the notebook and the box to a local heritage society in Baltrum where they were first shown in the "Nordseehaus" and from 2007 in the museum "Altes Zollhaus".

[4] In 2008 a short film titled Die Zigarrenkiste [The Cigar Box] was published by actor Matthias Klimsa.

[5] In 2013, authors Astrid Dehe and Achim Engstler adapted the death of Evers in their novelette Auflaufend Wasser [Rising Tide].