The oldest building on Sylt, St. Severin's was built in the 13th century from fieldstone and brick on a low rise overlooking the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea. The thick whitewashed walls, the small round-arched windows, and the simple wooden interior all speak of a frontier church serving a community that lived from fishing and salvage. A medieval baptismal font of black granite from Gotland sits inside; the wooden pulpit is from the Renaissance.
The churchyard, walled in fieldstone, holds the graves of generations of Sylt sea captains — most of the headstones face the sea, in the local tradition. The site is at the heart of the historic village of Keitum, the prettiest place on the island, and a walk through the lanes of thatched-roof captains' houses leads naturally to the church door.