Since British forces blew up chunks of Heligoland, bombed it flat and used it as a firing range, the German island has found it difficult to find its feet as a tourist destination.
Now the former British colony in the North Sea is about to take a gamble — rebranding itself by expanding its 1.7 sq km by 25 per cent with the help of several million tonnes of sand, turning the remote outcrop into a sought-after place for green-minded golfers and spa visitors.
Tomorrow, the 1,000 inhabitants will vote in a referendum on whether the island, torn asunder by a fierce storm in the winter of 1720, should be reunited.
It is an emotional issue for the whole of Germany. This, after all, is