Helgoland

Helgoland, or Heligoland, island in the North Sea. Strategically important to Germany during both world wars, it was the target of extensive Allied bombing during World War II. After the war, the British evacuated the population and destroyed the remaining military installations by setting off high explosives that altered the features of much of the island. Returned to West Germany in 1952, the island has been developed as a resort area.