How can one gain a personal understanding of a geopolitical conflict-ridden area? The Master's thesis ‘The Crowded Sea’ uses the ‘German’ part of the North Sea as a case study and analyses the area from different perspectives. It therefore sheds light on the different perspectives one can have, perceiving the North Sea as a territory, area of conflict, urbanized body of water, as illustration, as cartographic representation, as place of ownership, and a site of interconnectdness.