1778 until 1792 was the German poet and translator Johann Heinrich Voss. In many of the brick gables of the old buildings of the town, there has been incorporated into the brickwork the patterned shape of a witches broom. The superstitious residents of the town believed the “thunder broom” would ward off evil spirits and forces. Other prominent buildings in the town include: The Yellow Baroque House, which until 1768 was the home of the Courthouse Director. The City Hall, recently restored, displays oil paintings by Karl Otto Matthaei, Carl Long and Karl Hein. The sinking of SS Kaffraria A British cargo ship by the name of SS Kaffraria owned by Bailey & Leetham of Hull ran aground at Otterndorf on 7 January 1891. The ship had a cargo of general export goods such as kitchen utensils, children's toys, bundles of wool, hand tools and all kinds of domestic appliances. This precious cargo was very swiftly removed by the local residents by both legal and illegal methods. The ship sank during the evening of 8 January. The wreck became a threat to shipping and was removed in 1984. The stern of the ship with the rudder and screw can be seen today at Otterndorf. The Church of St Severi The church of the town of Otterndorf is called St Severi. It is believed that there has been a church on this site since the 11th century but the first document evidence of a church comes from 1261 when a place of worship is mentioned by the priest Godefridus. The church bell tower dates from 1807. Inside the church there is a richly decorated altar in the Baroque style which dates from 1649. There is also a pulpit which incorporates a gallery, both are highly decorated and date from 1644. The present church organ was built by Christoph Dietrich Gloger in 1740 and was restored in 1976. The church has a sermon chair that is decorated with biblical figures and was constructed in 1661 by Juergen Heydtmann. The font is made from solid bronze and dates from the middle of the 14th century. The saga of the Knight Macke Hanging from the ceiling in the church is the rapier or Degen of a knight by the name of Macke. The legend of this relic comes from the time of witch burnings in the town of Otterndorf. The knight was in the