Dithmarschen
Encyclopedia
Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən, Low Saxon
pronunciation: ˈdɪtmaːʃn̩, archaic in English: Ditmarsh, Middle Latin
: Tedmarsgo) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Nordfriesland
, Schleswig-Flensburg
, Rendsburg-Eckernförde
, and Steinburg
, by the state of Lower Saxony
(district of Stade
, from which it is separated by the Elbe
river), and by the North Sea
.
The district is located on the North Sea
. It is embraced by the Elbe
estuary to the south and the Eider
estuary to the north. Today it forms a kind of artificial island
, surrounded by the Eider river in the north and the Kiel Canal
in both the east and southeast. It is a rather flat countryside that was once full of fens and swamps.
To the north it borders on Nordfriesland
and Schleswig-Flensburg
, to the east on Rendsburg-Eckernförde
, and in the southeast on Steinburg
. Its landward boundaries have remained basically the same since the times of Charlemagne
. Land reclamation
, however, has almost doubled the size of Dithmarschen as land has been wrested from the sea.
Important towns are Hamburg
and Itzehoe
to the south, Husum to the north, and Kiel
and Rendsburg
to the east. The main roads and rail lines in Schleswig-Holstein follow a north-south direction, making Hamburg its most accessible city.
The district has a maximum north-south length of 54 kilometers and an east-west length of 41 kilometers. The highest point, near Schrum in the Geestland
, is 78 meters above sea level and the lowest point, near Burg, is 0.5 meters below sea level.
Dithmarschen's landscape owes its character to the North Sea. From west to east Dithmarschen consists of the Wadden Sea
, Marsh
, Bog
, and the Geestland
. The North Sea had a higher sea level 6,500 years ago than today and the coastline then ran along the Geestland. About 4,500 years ago, Geestland structures were connected by sand and gravel depositions that formed Spits
. Bogs, lakes, and swamps emerged as the area behind the spits no longer flooded. After the first plants (Glasswort
) took root, the land transformed first to salt marshes and finally to marshes. These marshes rank among the most fertile of Germany's soils. Vegetable farming in Dithmarschen produces the highest yields in Schleswig-Holstein.
Since about the 8th century, the people of Dithmarschen have been living on Terp
s for protection from the sea. In the 12th century, they began building Dikes to protect their pastures and fields. Since about the 15th century, they have been reclaiming land from the sea.
While the Geest has some woods, trees are found in marshlands only in form of wind protection around houses or villages. Traditional are the knicks, tree rows with strong underwood to protect agricultural land from the wind.
In Dithmarschen lay several bogs. A special position is taken with the "Weißes Moor" (White bog), the only bog still existing in quite natural shape in the Schleswig-Holstein marsh land.
Part of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park
is in Dithmarschen. It is the most important habitat in the district. Here live many molluscs, including Bivalvia and Gastropeda, Worms and Crustacea, are welcome nourishment to bigger species. Especially fish use the Wadden Sea as a "Kindergarten" where they can raise their offspring in a protected environment. Although many species of birds settle permanently in the Wadden Sea, use it as a winter habitat or as a resting place. Typical birds in Dithmarschen are Dunlin
, Red Knot
, Bar-tailed Godwit
, Lapwings, Charadriidae
, Eurasian Oystercatcher
, many species of Anatinae
- and Gull
s, Tern
s, Sandwich Tern, Pied Avocet
, Brent Goose
and Barnacle Goose
. 200,000 Common Shelduck
s alone come in August, The shelducks lose their feathers in the Wadden Sea and therefore are for around three weeks unable to fly. It is almost the whole Common Shelduck colony in North Western Europe. Big Salt marsh
are at the Friedrichskoog coast and in the Neufeld Bay.
Three sand banks, Trischen
, Tertius and Blauort
are in the sea. They are some of only a few still natural habitats at the German coast and of importance to sea birds and seals. After futile attempts in the 1930s to make them habitable to humans, now they are part of the national park, forbidden to humans. Many birds preferring wet grasslands live in the Eider-Treene Valley.
In medieval times
the marsh
land villages of Dithmarschen enjoyed remarkable autonomy. Neighbouring princes often tried to subject Dithmarschen.
After 1180 Prince-Archbishop Siegfried
ceded Dithmarschen, which supposed to belong to his Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, to his brother Bernhard III
, Duke of the younger Duchy of Saxony
. In his new position of Duke of Saxony he held the Land of Hadeln, opposite of Dithmarschen on the southern bank of the river Elbe
. Adolf III of Schauenburg
, Count of Holstein, at enmity with the Ascanian
s, had de facto taken a loose possession of Dithmarschen. So it was up to Bernhard to regain the territory, but he failed, he could only force Adolf to accept his overlordship in Dithmarschen.
Prince-Archbishop Hartwig II
prepared a campaign into Dithmarschen, religiously belonging to the Archdiocese of Bremen, represented by its subsidiary chapter
at Hamburg Concathedral, but rejecting Bremian secular princely overlordship. He persuaded Adolf III to waive his claim to Dithmarschen in return for regular dues levied from the to be subjected Ditmarsians. In 1187 and 1188 Hartwig and his ally Maurice I, Count of Oldenburg
, heading their troops, invaded Dithmarschen. The free peasants promised to pay him dues, only to mock about Hartwig, once he and his soldiers had left. The Ditmarsians gained support by Valdemar
, steward of the Duchy of Schleswig and Bishop of Schleswig. Hartwig, owing dues to Adolf III and the soldiers' pay to Maurice I, was trapped and could not afford to wage a second war.
In 1192 the Bremian Chapter elected Valdemar as its new Prince-Archbishop. Valdemar welcomed his election, hoping his new position could be helpful in his dispute with Duke Valdemar
of Schleswig and his elder brother Canute VI of Denmark
. Before entering the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen he won the support of Dithmarschen.
In the 15th century the Ditmarsians confederated in a peasants' republic. Several times neighbouring princely rulers, accompanied by their knight
s and mercenaries tried to subdue the independent ministate to feudalism
, however, without success. In 1468 Dithmarschen allied with Lübeck to protect their common interest as to commerce and containing the spreading feudalism in the region. Ditmarsians had established trade with Livonia
and neighbouring Baltic
destinations since the 15th century, based on the Hanseatic obligations and privileges since the pact with Lübeck. Both parties renewed their alliance several times and it thus lasted until Dithmarschen's final defeat and Dano-Holsatian annexation in 1559.
In 1484 Magnus of Saxe-Lauenburg
, then vicegerent of the Land of Hadeln, failed to subject the free Frisian
peasants in the Land of Wursten
, de facto an autonomous region in a North Sea marsh at the Weser estuary under the loose overlordship of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. This foreshadowed a series of feudal attempts to subdue regions of free presants, an alarming signal for the Ditmarsians and the free peasants in other marshes in the area.
In April 1499 Count John XIV of Oldenburg invaded the Weser and North Sea marshes of Stadland
and Butjadingen
, to both of which the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen claimed its overlordship, in order to subject their free peasants. Bremen's prince-archbishop Johann Rode
then tried to form a war alliance to repel these and prevent further invasions, first gaining the cities of Bremen
, Hamburg and Stade
, which considered the areas downstream the rivers Elbe
and Weser their own front yard existential for their free maritime trade connections. Rode further won the Ditmarsians for a defensive alliance in favour of Wursten, concluded on 1 May 1499.
On 1 August the allies, now also including Buxtehude
, committed themselves to supply 1,300 warriors and equipment to defend Wursten and / or invade Hadeln. Already on 24 November 1498 John V
and his son Magnus of Saxe-Lauenburg had allied with Henry IV the Elder of Brunswick and Lunenburg
, Prince of Wolfenbüttel to conquer Wursten. Henry IV obliged to send 3,000 lansquenet
s, who should gain their payment by ravaging and plundering the free peasants of Wursten, once successfully subjected.
Rode then waged feud
against John V of Saxe-Lauenburg on 9 September 1499. The allied forces, with the Ditmarsians invading crossing the Elbe, easily conquered the Land of Hadeln, defeating Magnus and even driving him out of Hadeln.
While the cities wanted a peaceful front yard without powerful influence of whomsoever, the Ditmarsians were more in favour of autonomy of free peasants. Hamburg and the Ditmarsians fell out with each other. On 16 September a lansquenet hired by Hamburg slayed Cordt von der Lieth, a member of Bremian ministerialis
, causing the Otterndorf Strife (Otterndorfer Streit). The lansquenet rumoured a Ditmarsian had slain von der Lieth and fled. Hamburg's lansquenets then attacked the uninvolved Ditmarsians and slayed 76 men in their military camp near Otterndorf
. Thus Dithmarschen cancelled its alliance with Rode, Bremen and Hamburg and the Ditmarsians returned home. Hamburg aimed at reestablishing its rule in Hadeln, as wielded between 1407 and 1481 when Saxe-Lauenburg had pawned Hadeln to Hamburg as security for a credit. The relationship between Dithmarschen and Hamburg then turned icy, Ditmarsians captured wrecked ships of Hamburg and their freight, foundered near or at the shores of Dithmarschen, according the traditional wrecking custom
, which earlier Hamburg and Dithmarschen had already replaced by a reward for rescuing ships, freight and crew. The parties only reconciled in 1512.
By 20 November 1499 Magnus hired the so-called Great or Black Guard of 6,000 ruthless and violent mostly Dutch and East Frisian mercenaries, commanded by Thomas Slentz, prior operating in the County of Oldenburg. The Black Guard invaded the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, crossing through and ravaging areas in the Prince-Bishopric of Verden
and the Brunswick-Lunenburgian Principality of Lunenburg-Celle
, leaving behind a wake of devastation on the countryside and especially in the looted monasteries.
Finally on Chrismas Eve arriving downstream the Weser in Lehe
the Black Guard tried to invade Wursten, however, the free peasants there repelled their attack near Weddewarden
on 26 December. So the Guard turned northeastwards, looting Neuenwalde nunnery underways, into Hadeln, repressing the joint forces of Rode and the cities – lacking support by Bremian knights and the Ditmarsians –, recapturing it for Magnus in early 1500.
Rode then converted Henry IV the Elder to his column, with Henry the Elder and his troops then hunting the Black Guard. Magnus, unable to pay the mercenaries so that they turned even the more oppressive for the local population, was like the Sorcerer's Apprentice
, who could not get rid of "the spirits that he called". By mid-January 1500 King John of Denmark hired the Guard and guaranteed for its safe conduct first southeastwards via Lunenburg-Cellean Winsen upon Luhe and Hoopte, crossing the Elbe by Zollenspieker Ferry
to the Hamburg-Lübeckian bi-urban condominium (Beiderstädtischer Besitz) of Bergedorf
and Vierlande.
From there the Black Guard headed northwestwards again through Holstein
in order to join more of King John's forces recruited in Holstein and by the Kalmar Union
. These forces then invaded Dithmarschen in order to subject the free Ditmarsians. The Ditmarsians took a vow to donate a monastery in honour of the then national patron saint
Mary of Nazareth if they could repel the invasion. On 17 February 1500, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt
, the outnumbered Ditmarsians, led by Wulf Isebrand, defeated the invading armies and thus destroyed King John's dream of subjecting Dithmarschen.
In 1513 the Ditmarsians founded a Franciscan
Friary in Lunden
fulfilling their vow, however, the Hamburg concathedral chapter, holding the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, demanded its say in appointing the prebendaries. After years of dispute, the Council of the 48, the elected governing body of the farmers' republic of Ditmarsh, decided to found a Gallicanist
kind of independent Catholic Church of Dithmarschen in August 1523, denying Hamburg's capitular jurisdiction in all of Dithmarschen. The chapter could not regain the jurisdiction, including its share in ecclesiastical fees and fines levied in Dithmarschen. After violently repelling the first preaching of proponents of the Reformation
, slaying Henry of Zutphen in December 1524, Lutheranism
nevertheless started to win over Ditmarsians. In 1533 the Council of the 48 turned the Ditmarsian Catholic Church into a Lutheran state church
.
After the victory of Hemmingstedt Dithmarschen regularly sent its delegates to the Hanseatic
Diets
(Hansetage). In 1554 the Hanseatic Diet confirmed, that free Ditmarsian peasants doing business cannot be considered equal to merchants being burgher
s of free or autonomous cities, but are, nevertheless, accepted as enjoying all Hanseatic advantages. Thus Ditmarsian merchants, along with those from Teutonic Prussia
, were the only beneficiaries of a quasi membership within the Hanse, although lacking the background of citizenship in an autonomous or free city
.
It was not until 1559 and the Last Feud between the King of Denmark and the Ditmarsians that the free peasants were forced to give up their political and religious autonomy by the successful invasion commanded by Count Johan Rantzau
from Steinburg
, one of the best strategists of the time. Since then the coat of arms of Dithmarschen has shown a warrior on horseback, representing a knight of Rantzau. This knight has later been identified with Saint George
, then considered to be the patron of Dithmarschen.
The conquerors – King Frederick II
, Duke Adolf
, and Duke John II the Elder
– divided Dithmarschen into two parts: the south became a part of Holstein in personal union
with Denmark while the north came into the possession of the other Duke of Holstein. From 1773 all of Holstein was united in personal union with Denmark and remained so until 1864, when, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchies of Holstein and of Schleswig became an occupied territory of the German Confederation
. Two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War
, Dithmarschen became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
, which annexed Holstein and Schleswig making them subsequently the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
.
The Middle Ages in Dithmarschen are held to have continued into the 19th century, when the Kiel Canal
was completed, fens began to be drained, and agricultural reforms took place. Within the Bundesland
Schleswig-Holstein, the area remained divided into the districts of Norderdithmarschen (Northern Ditmarsh) and Süderdithmarschen (Southern Ditmarsh) before they were united in 1970 as the district of Dithmarschen.
The people of Dithmarschen have always displayed great pride in their history. In recent decades many traditions have been revitalized and new events in a traditional fashion have been created. (It may be hard to distinguish activities inspired by tradition and activities fostering tourism in the region.)
Traditional events in many smaller villages include rolandreiten, ringreiten, children's vogelschießen, and klootschieten
. In Heide the traditional festival is "Hohnbeer", in Nordhastedt
it is "Frunsbeer". In recent decades tourism promotion has focused on the Dithmarschen Cabbage Days
that begin with the cabbage harvest. The medieval festival in Heide tries to connect itself to the markets that were held in Heide in the Middle Ages but this festival is actually a latter-day recreation of the late 20th century. In Friedrichstadt and Büsum there are annual trawler regattas.
Traditional dishes include Ditmarsian mehlbeutel, schwarzsauer, buttermilk soup with klüten, kale
soup, and bread pudding with common shrimps
. Since the late 19th century cabbage
has become an important dish as well. In Northern Germany
Dithmarschen is well known for its Dithmarscher beer from the brewery Karl Hintz in Marne.
in its Holsteinisch
version still has a place in informal conversation. Until the 1960s Low German was the prevailing language of everyday communication. Most Ditmarsians born before 1960 still consider Low German their mother tongue. Low German is more common in rural regions than in urban regions and more likely to be spoken by older Ditmarsians.
The best known author of "high literature" in Low German was Klaus Groth
from Heide. The best known Low German speaker in Germany today is probably Wilhelm Wieben
, former anchorman of the popular German news Tagesschau, who now produces Low German audio book
s. Only two episodes of the popular crime television show Tatort
carried subtitles for its German audience. One of these episodes centered its plot in Dithmarschen: the Low German in the dialogue was thought to be too difficult for a generic German audience to follow!
The Dithmarschen landscape was long dominated by churches. Palaces were never built in the farmers' republic. The few castles that were constructed played only minor roles and have long since been reduced to groundworks. In contrast, churches were symbols of not only spiritual but also worldly power. The medieval republic organised itself into Parishes ("Kirchspiele") centered on churches. A Dithmarschen church was not just a sacral building; it was also the primary place for political meetings. Administration of spiritual and political matters was done by the same people in the same place, so little need for representative secular buildings arose. Political and religious life in Dithmarschen remained undivided until Schleswig-Holstein's integration into Prussia in 1867.
In the flat marshland of Dithmarschen, church towers can often be seen from more than 10 kilometers away. Churches are built on the highest point of the Terpen in the center of villages such as Wesselburen
, Marne
, and Wöhrden
. Village streets run toward the central church, giving these villages a distinct medieval character. It is likely that older houses were removed to make room for these churches. In the Geest, the village church stands on the medieval rim of the village or with other houses within it; the settlements of the Geest existed before their churches were built and there was no special need to protect these churches from flooding.
The most important church of Dithmarschen was the so-called Sankt-Johannis-Kirche (St. John's the Baptist Church) in Meldorf, due to its size also called Meldorf Cathedral. Between the 9th and 11th century it was the only church in Dithmarschen and one of the few north of the Elbe
River. In the Middle Ages the church was the venue of the repsentatives of the political parishes of Dithmarschen. The place around this church was the most important meeting place in Dithmarschen and Meldorf
itself was the only settlement to develop a distinct urban structure. Even after the political center moved to Heide, the St. John's in Meldorf remained the most important religious site in Dithmarschen. The Reformation
in Dithmarschen began there in 1524 with Dithmarschen converting to Lutheranism
.
Today's church was built in the 14th century. While the outside was mainly rebuilt in the 19th century, inside one can still see Gothic architecture from the years 1250 to 1300. The paintings are among the most magnificent in Schleswig-Holstein, giving an impression of the former wealth of the farmers' republic.
St. Jürgen church in Heide began as a chapel built in the 15th century. Due to conflicts in Dithmarschen, Meldorf lost its role as central meeting point. The people of northern Dithmarschen began to meet in 1447 "auf der Heide" ("on the heath"); later, the Council of the 48—representatives of the most important families and the central decision body of Dithmarschen—met at St. Jürgen. The core of the long, single-nave church is still the 15th-century building. Its outer appearance is dominated by a late-renaissance three-story tower added by Johann Georg Schott in 1724.
St. Bartholomäus in Wesselburen was also built in 1737/1738 by Johann Georg Schott. He constructed the baroque building from the remains of older churches after Wesselburen burned down in 1736. Its onion dome is highly unusual for Northern Germany. Also notable are the 12th century church in Tellingstedt
and the churches in Hemme and Büsum
, which display the traditional coat of arms of the "Geschlechter" inside.
(comparable to a Polytechnics) was established in Heide. There are 800 students studying economics, electrical engineering, information technology, international tourism management, and law at the Fachhochschule Westküste (Fachhochschule West Coast). The Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel has an outpost in the Büsum-based Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Westküste (Research and Technology Center West Coast), which researches coastal geology, coastal geography, and coastal protection.
In 2004, 17,900 students were studying in Dithmarschen schools. In the district there are six Gymnasia, three Fachgymnasia, two vocational schools, and 44 schools for primary education.
and in the south in Friedrichskoog
. Most tourists come as families to enjoy the North Sea beaches. A significant number of tourists also come for bicycle trekking. Almost all the approximately two million tourists each year come from Germany.
The unemployment rate was 11.6% in September 2004. After the Hartz concept
was implemented and new statistical methods were adopted, the unemployment rate rose to 17.4% in January 2005. The unemployment rate was far above the average for Schleswig-Holstein (12.7%) and the rest of Germany. The most important employers in the district are Bayer
in Brunsbüttel (1,000 employees), the Sparkasse Westholstein (600), the Royal Dutch Shell
refinery in Hemmingstedt (570), the Sasol
chemistry works in Brunsbüttel (570), the printing company Evers in Meldorf (560), and the Beyschlag manufacturing plant in Heide. The Bundeswehr
has a school for non-commissioned officers in Heide.
In recent years the number of people who live in Dithmarschen but work in Hamburg
and its surroundings has steadily risen. In 2002 9,200 people drove to work outside the district, including 1,700 who commuted to Hamburg.
Commercial wind farming in Germany began in Dithmarschen. Germany's first wind park was opened 1987 in Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog
, the experimental GROWIAN ("Große Windkraftanlage" – big wind turbine) stood there from 1983 to 1987. As of 2008 the tallest wind turbine in the world is the experimental Enercon E-126
near Emden
.
In Dithmarschen stand around 800 wind turbine
s, almost all of them in marshland. That means that 5% of all German wind turbines stand on 0.15% of its area. Except for Büsum, where a small airport prevents their erection, and the nature reserve at Speicherkoog, the whole coastline is lined by wind turbines. In 2003 they produced around KWH
of energy, which is about half the energy demand of Dithmarschen. According to E.on
-Hanse, the local energy company, in the same time it paid 59 million Euro for the energy, 3 to 5 million Euro were paid to farmers on whose land the turbines stand. The income through taxes for the district is around 4 million Euro each year. Because commercial wind farming in Germany began in Dithmarschen, many wind turbines are relative old and produce only a small amount of electricity. For people interested in wind turbines this makes an interesting contrast, though, since it is possible to see many working varieties of wind turbines standing close to each other.
The offshore oil field Mittelplate
close to the coast produces 2 million tons of petroleum, around 54% of German production. The refinery in Hemmingstedt processes around 4 million tons of oil each year, partly from Mittelplate and partly from oil delivered through the Brunsbüttel port. Another oil field between Heide and Hemmingstedt was active until 1991. The nuclear power plant in Brunsbuttel is one of the oldest in Germany. It delivers clean cheap energy for the important aluminium industry in Schleswig-Holstein.
It is supposed to close down in 2009.
The main tourist attractions in Dithmarschen are the North Sea and the Wadden Sea National Park
. The district owns about 10 kilometers of green beaches; Büsum
also provides an artificial sandy beach. In 2003, 205,382 tourists spent 1,173,205 nights in Dithmarschen, most of them in Büsum (756,630 nights), which is ranked before Friedrichskoog
(75,654) and Büsumer Deichhausen
(33,811). Tourism has declined slightly over the last few years but not as much as tourism on the Schleswig-Holstein Baltic coast. Recent competition with the former Warsaw Pact states and their Baltic coasts has had less impact on Dithmarschen because their coastal formations are quite different.
Entrance fees for beaches raise heated controversy in the district. Büsum (around 1,000,000 beach visits each year) and Friedrichskoog (300,000) impose a fee. However, most smaller villages nearby do not.
The tourism industry in Dithmarschen is trying to diversify tourist attractions. Fitness and health play an increasing role in German life, so tracks and roads for bicycles and inline skates are being built. Part of the North Sea Cycle Route
crosses through Dithmarschen. In the east of Dithmarschen, ecological travel by canoe or kayak along the Eider is promoted. Policy makers and tourism agencies also emphasize the cultural and historical roots of the district.
Towns and municipalities in Dithmarschen developed from the old Parishwaes that were independent political divisions in the medieval farmers' republic. These parishes existed as primary political divisions until the 19th century. Only Meldorf was able to develop an urban structure during the Middle Ages.
In more recent times Heide became a rival to Meldorf. Wesselburen and Wöhrden had some importance as central villages of the rich northern marshland.
After Schleswig-Holstein was annexed by Prussia in 1867, some villages became towns and therefore administratively left their old parishes: Meldorf in 1869, Heide in 1878, Marne in 1891, and Wesselburen in 1899. The old village of Brunsbüttel and the newly-founded Brunsbüttelkoog united in 1970 to become the town of Brunsbüttel.
Parishes were finally dissolved and single villages became independent during the Nazi period. For efficient administration, municipalities are united in Ämtern, which for historical reasons are named Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinden (Amt Parish's Country Municipalities).
The largest town by population is Heide. Büsum has a special role as tourist resort. Although a member of an Amt, its summertime population swells to become the largest in the district.
In socio-geographics the difference between marshland and the higher, dryer uplands has played an important role. The fertile marshland was historically rich while the uplands were poor but less prone to flooding. The two most important towns, Heide and Meldorf, were built on the safe geest but directly adjacent to marshland where people could have their fields.
(Population on 30 September 2005)
, a borough in the British county of Cornwall. The main link is between St Austell and Newquay and Heide. However there are a lot more people who also make use of the twinning!
Northern Low Saxon
Northern Low Saxon is a West Low German dialect.As such, it covers a great part of the West Low-German-speaking areas of northern Germany, with the exception of the border regions where Eastphalian and Westphalian are spoken...
pronunciation: ˈdɪtmaːʃn̩, archaic in English: Ditmarsh, Middle Latin
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
: Tedmarsgo) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
, Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland, the Region Syddanmark in Denmark, the city of Flensburg and the Baltic Sea.-History:Written history in the area began about 800 AD, when the...
, Rendsburg-Eckernförde
Rendsburg-Eckernförde
Rendsburg-Eckernförde is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Kiel, the district of Plön, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Segeberg, Steinburg, Dithmarschen and Schleswig-Flensburg, and the Baltic Sea.-History:In 1867 the Prussian administration...
, and Steinburg
Steinburg
Steinburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Dithmarschen, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Segeberg and Pinneberg, and by the Elbe River .-History:...
, by the state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
(district of Stade
Stade (district)
Stade is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg and Cuxhaven, the Elbe River, and the city state of Hamburg.-History:...
, from which it is separated by the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river), and by the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
Geography
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. It is embraced by the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
estuary to the south and the Eider
Eider
Eiders are large seaducks in the genus Somateria. Steller's Eider, despite its name, is in a different genus.The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern hemisphere....
estuary to the north. Today it forms a kind of artificial island
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
, surrounded by the Eider river in the north and the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
in both the east and southeast. It is a rather flat countryside that was once full of fens and swamps.
To the north it borders on Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland, English "Northern Friesland" or "North Frisia", is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It includes almost all of traditional North Frisia along with adjacent areas to the east and south and is bounded by the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Dithmarschen, the North Sea and...
and Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland, the Region Syddanmark in Denmark, the city of Flensburg and the Baltic Sea.-History:Written history in the area began about 800 AD, when the...
, to the east on Rendsburg-Eckernförde
Rendsburg-Eckernförde
Rendsburg-Eckernförde is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Kiel, the district of Plön, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Segeberg, Steinburg, Dithmarschen and Schleswig-Flensburg, and the Baltic Sea.-History:In 1867 the Prussian administration...
, and in the southeast on Steinburg
Steinburg
Steinburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Dithmarschen, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Segeberg and Pinneberg, and by the Elbe River .-History:...
. Its landward boundaries have remained basically the same since the times of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. Land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
, however, has almost doubled the size of Dithmarschen as land has been wrested from the sea.
Important towns are Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Itzehoe
Itzehoe
Itzehoe is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km northwest of Hamburg and 24 km north of Glückstadt...
to the south, Husum to the north, and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
and Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
to the east. The main roads and rail lines in Schleswig-Holstein follow a north-south direction, making Hamburg its most accessible city.
The district has a maximum north-south length of 54 kilometers and an east-west length of 41 kilometers. The highest point, near Schrum in the Geestland
Geestland
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
, is 78 meters above sea level and the lowest point, near Burg, is 0.5 meters below sea level.
Dithmarschen's landscape owes its character to the North Sea. From west to east Dithmarschen consists of the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
, Marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, Bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
, and the Geestland
Geestland
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
. The North Sea had a higher sea level 6,500 years ago than today and the coastline then ran along the Geestland. About 4,500 years ago, Geestland structures were connected by sand and gravel depositions that formed Spits
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
. Bogs, lakes, and swamps emerged as the area behind the spits no longer flooded. After the first plants (Glasswort
Glasswort
Salicornia is a genus of succulent, halophyte plants that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. Salicornia species are native to North America, Europe, South Africa, and South Asia...
) took root, the land transformed first to salt marshes and finally to marshes. These marshes rank among the most fertile of Germany's soils. Vegetable farming in Dithmarschen produces the highest yields in Schleswig-Holstein.
Since about the 8th century, the people of Dithmarschen have been living on Terp
Artificial dwelling hill
An artificial dwelling hill is a mound, created to provide safe ground during high tide and river floods....
s for protection from the sea. In the 12th century, they began building Dikes to protect their pastures and fields. Since about the 15th century, they have been reclaiming land from the sea.
Flora and fauna
In Dithmarschen lay several bogs. A special position is taken with the "Weißes Moor" (White bog), the only bog still existing in quite natural shape in the Schleswig-Holstein marsh land.
Wadden Sea National Parks
The Wadden Sea National Parks, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located along the German coast of the North Sea. Named after the Wadden Sea, they consist of three national parks:...
is in Dithmarschen. It is the most important habitat in the district. Here live many molluscs, including Bivalvia and Gastropeda, Worms and Crustacea, are welcome nourishment to bigger species. Especially fish use the Wadden Sea as a "Kindergarten" where they can raise their offspring in a protected environment. Although many species of birds settle permanently in the Wadden Sea, use it as a winter habitat or as a resting place. Typical birds in Dithmarschen are Dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
, Red Knot
Red Knot
The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
, Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
, Lapwings, Charadriidae
Charadriidae
The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...
, Eurasian Oystercatcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or just Oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widespread of the oystercatchers, with three races breeding in western Europe, central Eurasia,...
, many species of Anatinae
Anatinae
The Anatinae is a subfamily of the family Anatidae . Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving...
- and Gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
s, Tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s, Sandwich Tern, Pied Avocet
Pied Avocet
The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia...
, Brent Goose
Brent Goose
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
and Barnacle Goose
Barnacle Goose
The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species...
. 200,000 Common Shelduck
Common Shelduck
The Common Shelduck is a waterfowl species shelduck genus Tadorna. It is widespread and common in Eurasia, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb...
s alone come in August, The shelducks lose their feathers in the Wadden Sea and therefore are for around three weeks unable to fly. It is almost the whole Common Shelduck colony in North Western Europe. Big Salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
are at the Friedrichskoog coast and in the Neufeld Bay.
Three sand banks, Trischen
Trischen
Trischen is an uninhabited island in the Meldorf Bay, about 14 kilometres off the North Sea coast of Dithmarschen in north Germany – about 12 kilometres from the Trischendamm embankment. The island belongs to the municipality of Friedrichskoog and is only occupied from March to October by a bird...
, Tertius and Blauort
Blauort
Blauort is one of Germany's uninhabited North Sea sandy islets off the coast of Dithmarschen , and measures about 1,200 m from north to south and 500 metres from east to west...
are in the sea. They are some of only a few still natural habitats at the German coast and of importance to sea birds and seals. After futile attempts in the 1930s to make them habitable to humans, now they are part of the national park, forbidden to humans. Many birds preferring wet grasslands live in the Eider-Treene Valley.
History
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
land villages of Dithmarschen enjoyed remarkable autonomy. Neighbouring princes often tried to subject Dithmarschen.
After 1180 Prince-Archbishop Siegfried
Siegfried, Count of Anhalt
Siegfried of Anhalt was born as the third son of Sophie of Winzenburg and her husband Albert the Bear, then Count of Anhalt, of the House of Ascania. He was educated as a Roman Catholic clerk. In 1168 he was elected Archbishop of Bremen, but failed to gain control of the See...
ceded Dithmarschen, which supposed to belong to his Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, to his brother Bernhard III
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania, Count of Anhalt and Ballenstedt, and Lord of Bernburg through his paternal inheritance...
, Duke of the younger Duchy of Saxony
Saxe-Wittenberg
The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
. In his new position of Duke of Saxony he held the Land of Hadeln, opposite of Dithmarschen on the southern bank of the river Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. Adolf III of Schauenburg
Adolf III of Holstein
Adolf III, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein was the ruler of the Counties of Schauenburg and Holstein. He is particularly remembered for his establishment of a new settlement for traders on the banks of the Alster near the Neue Burg in Hamburg.- Descent :Adolf III was the only son of Count Adolf...
, Count of Holstein, at enmity with the Ascanian
Ascanian
The House of Ascania was a dynasty of German rulers. It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest-held possession.The Ascanians are named after Ascania Castle, which is located near and named after Aschersleben...
s, had de facto taken a loose possession of Dithmarschen. So it was up to Bernhard to regain the territory, but he failed, he could only force Adolf to accept his overlordship in Dithmarschen.
Prince-Archbishop Hartwig II
Hartwig of Uthlede
Hartwig of Uthlede was - as Hartwig II - Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and one of the originators of the Livonian Crusade. Coming from a family of the Bremian Ministerialis at Uthlede, he was a canon of Bremen Cathedral and a clerk of Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony, House of Guelph, before becoming...
prepared a campaign into Dithmarschen, religiously belonging to the Archdiocese of Bremen, represented by its subsidiary chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
at Hamburg Concathedral, but rejecting Bremian secular princely overlordship. He persuaded Adolf III to waive his claim to Dithmarschen in return for regular dues levied from the to be subjected Ditmarsians. In 1187 and 1188 Hartwig and his ally Maurice I, Count of Oldenburg
Maurice, Count of Oldenburg
Maurice I was Count of Oldenburg from 1169 through 1211.-External links:*...
, heading their troops, invaded Dithmarschen. The free peasants promised to pay him dues, only to mock about Hartwig, once he and his soldiers had left. The Ditmarsians gained support by Valdemar
Valdemar of Denmark (bishop)
Valdemar Knudsen was a Danish clergyman and statesman. His mother gave birth to him as the posthumous illegitimate son of Canute V of Denmark...
, steward of the Duchy of Schleswig and Bishop of Schleswig. Hartwig, owing dues to Adolf III and the soldiers' pay to Maurice I, was trapped and could not afford to wage a second war.
In 1192 the Bremian Chapter elected Valdemar as its new Prince-Archbishop. Valdemar welcomed his election, hoping his new position could be helpful in his dispute with Duke Valdemar
Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II , called Valdemar the Victorious or Valdemar the Conqueror , was the King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. The nickname Sejr is a later invention and was not used during the King's own lifetime...
of Schleswig and his elder brother Canute VI of Denmark
Canute VI of Denmark
Canute VI was King of Denmark . Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk.-Life:...
. Before entering the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen he won the support of Dithmarschen.
In the 15th century the Ditmarsians confederated in a peasants' republic. Several times neighbouring princely rulers, accompanied by their knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and mercenaries tried to subdue the independent ministate to feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
, however, without success. In 1468 Dithmarschen allied with Lübeck to protect their common interest as to commerce and containing the spreading feudalism in the region. Ditmarsians had established trade with Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
and neighbouring Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
destinations since the 15th century, based on the Hanseatic obligations and privileges since the pact with Lübeck. Both parties renewed their alliance several times and it thus lasted until Dithmarschen's final defeat and Dano-Holsatian annexation in 1559.
In 1484 Magnus of Saxe-Lauenburg
Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg was a Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg from the House of Ascania.-Life:...
, then vicegerent of the Land of Hadeln, failed to subject the free Frisian
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
peasants in the Land of Wursten
Land Wursten
Land Wursten is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km southwest of Cuxhaven, and 15 km north of Bremerhaven...
, de facto an autonomous region in a North Sea marsh at the Weser estuary under the loose overlordship of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. This foreshadowed a series of feudal attempts to subdue regions of free presants, an alarming signal for the Ditmarsians and the free peasants in other marshes in the area.
In April 1499 Count John XIV of Oldenburg invaded the Weser and North Sea marshes of Stadland
Stadland
Stadland is a municipality in the district of Wesermarsch, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 32 km northeast of Oldenburg, and 42 km northwest of Bremen. On the west side Stadland bordered to the Jade Bight...
and Butjadingen
Butjadingen
Butjadingen is a peninsula and municipality in the Wesermarsch districts, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Butjadingen is situated on the German North Sea coast. It is bordered on the west and southwest by the Jade River and on the east by the Weser River. It forms the northern part of the...
, to both of which the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen claimed its overlordship, in order to subject their free peasants. Bremen's prince-archbishop Johann Rode
Johann Rode von Wale
Johann Rode von Wale was a Catholic cleric, a Doctor of Canon and Civil Law, a chronicler, a long-serving government official and as John III Prince-archbishop of Bremen between 1497 and...
then tried to form a war alliance to repel these and prevent further invasions, first gaining the cities of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Hamburg and Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
, which considered the areas downstream the rivers Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
and Weser their own front yard existential for their free maritime trade connections. Rode further won the Ditmarsians for a defensive alliance in favour of Wursten, concluded on 1 May 1499.
On 1 August the allies, now also including Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land within easy reach of...
, committed themselves to supply 1,300 warriors and equipment to defend Wursten and / or invade Hadeln. Already on 24 November 1498 John V
John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
John V of Saxe-Lauenburg was the eldest son of Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg and Adelheid of Pomerania-Stolp , daughter of Duke Bogislaus VIII of Pomerania-Stolp...
and his son Magnus of Saxe-Lauenburg had allied with Henry IV the Elder of Brunswick and Lunenburg
Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Henry , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, called Henry the Elder or Henry the Evil, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1491 until his death.-Life:...
, Prince of Wolfenbüttel to conquer Wursten. Henry IV obliged to send 3,000 lansquenet
Lansquenet
Lansquenet is a card game. Lansquenet also refers to 15th and 16th century German foot soldiers; the lansquenet drum is a type of field drum used by these soldiers.-Game play:The dealer or banker stakes a certain sum, and this must be met by the nearest to the dealer first, and so...
s, who should gain their payment by ravaging and plundering the free peasants of Wursten, once successfully subjected.
Rode then waged feud
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
against John V of Saxe-Lauenburg on 9 September 1499. The allied forces, with the Ditmarsians invading crossing the Elbe, easily conquered the Land of Hadeln, defeating Magnus and even driving him out of Hadeln.
While the cities wanted a peaceful front yard without powerful influence of whomsoever, the Ditmarsians were more in favour of autonomy of free peasants. Hamburg and the Ditmarsians fell out with each other. On 16 September a lansquenet hired by Hamburg slayed Cordt von der Lieth, a member of Bremian ministerialis
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
, causing the Otterndorf Strife (Otterndorfer Streit). The lansquenet rumoured a Ditmarsian had slain von der Lieth and fled. Hamburg's lansquenets then attacked the uninvolved Ditmarsians and slayed 76 men in their military camp near Otterndorf
Otterndorf
Otterndorf is a town on the coast of the North Sea in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, and is part of the Samtgemeinde Land Hadeln . The town is at the mouth of the river Medem on part of the Elbe delta in the district Cuxhaven...
. Thus Dithmarschen cancelled its alliance with Rode, Bremen and Hamburg and the Ditmarsians returned home. Hamburg aimed at reestablishing its rule in Hadeln, as wielded between 1407 and 1481 when Saxe-Lauenburg had pawned Hadeln to Hamburg as security for a credit. The relationship between Dithmarschen and Hamburg then turned icy, Ditmarsians captured wrecked ships of Hamburg and their freight, foundered near or at the shores of Dithmarschen, according the traditional wrecking custom
Wrecking (shipwreck)
Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a shipwreck which has foundered near or close to shore. Often an unregulated activity of opportunity in coastal communities, wrecking has been subjected to increasing regulation and evolved into what is now known as marine salvage...
, which earlier Hamburg and Dithmarschen had already replaced by a reward for rescuing ships, freight and crew. The parties only reconciled in 1512.
By 20 November 1499 Magnus hired the so-called Great or Black Guard of 6,000 ruthless and violent mostly Dutch and East Frisian mercenaries, commanded by Thomas Slentz, prior operating in the County of Oldenburg. The Black Guard invaded the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, crossing through and ravaging areas in the Prince-Bishopric of Verden
Verden (state)
The historic territory of Verden emerged from the secular estates of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Verden in the area of present-day central and northeastern Lower Saxony and existed as such until 1648. The territory managed by secular lords for the bishops was not identical with that of the...
and the Brunswick-Lunenburgian Principality of Lunenburg-Celle
Principality of Lüneburg
The Principality of Lüneburg was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory lay within the modern-day state of Lower Saxony in Germany...
, leaving behind a wake of devastation on the countryside and especially in the looted monasteries.
Finally on Chrismas Eve arriving downstream the Weser in Lehe
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
the Black Guard tried to invade Wursten, however, the free peasants there repelled their attack near Weddewarden
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
on 26 December. So the Guard turned northeastwards, looting Neuenwalde nunnery underways, into Hadeln, repressing the joint forces of Rode and the cities – lacking support by Bremian knights and the Ditmarsians –, recapturing it for Magnus in early 1500.
Rode then converted Henry IV the Elder to his column, with Henry the Elder and his troops then hunting the Black Guard. Magnus, unable to pay the mercenaries so that they turned even the more oppressive for the local population, was like the Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the English name of a poem by Goethe, Der Zauberlehrling, written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in fourteen stanzas.-Story:...
, who could not get rid of "the spirits that he called". By mid-January 1500 King John of Denmark hired the Guard and guaranteed for its safe conduct first southeastwards via Lunenburg-Cellean Winsen upon Luhe and Hoopte, crossing the Elbe by Zollenspieker Ferry
Zollenspieker Ferry
The Zollenspieker Ferry is a ferry across the Elbe river in Germany. It crosses between Zollenspieker, a part of the quarter Kirchwerder of the Bergedorf borough of the city-state of Hamburg, and Hoopte, part of the town Winsen , in the state of Lower Saxony, and is about south-east of Hamburg...
to the Hamburg-Lübeckian bi-urban condominium (Beiderstädtischer Besitz) of Bergedorf
Bergedorf (quarter)
Bergedorf is a quarter in the homonymous borough of the Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg in northern Germany. In 2006, the population was 41,019.-History:The quarter was first mentioned in 1162...
and Vierlande.
From there the Black Guard headed northwestwards again through Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
in order to join more of King John's forces recruited in Holstein and by the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
. These forces then invaded Dithmarschen in order to subject the free Ditmarsians. The Ditmarsians took a vow to donate a monastery in honour of the then national patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
Mary of Nazareth if they could repel the invasion. On 17 February 1500, in the Battle of Hemmingstedt
Battle of Hemmingstedt
The Battle of Hemmingstedt took place on February 17, 1500 south of the village of Hemmingstedt, near the present village of Epenwöhrden, in the western part of present-day Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It was an attempt by Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen,...
, the outnumbered Ditmarsians, led by Wulf Isebrand, defeated the invading armies and thus destroyed King John's dream of subjecting Dithmarschen.
In 1513 the Ditmarsians founded a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Friary in Lunden
Lunden
Lunden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider, approx. 16 km north of Heide.Lunden is part of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider....
fulfilling their vow, however, the Hamburg concathedral chapter, holding the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, demanded its say in appointing the prebendaries. After years of dispute, the Council of the 48, the elected governing body of the farmers' republic of Ditmarsh, decided to found a Gallicanist
Gallicanism
Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by the monarchs' authority or the State's authority—over the Catholic Church is comparable to that of the Pope's...
kind of independent Catholic Church of Dithmarschen in August 1523, denying Hamburg's capitular jurisdiction in all of Dithmarschen. The chapter could not regain the jurisdiction, including its share in ecclesiastical fees and fines levied in Dithmarschen. After violently repelling the first preaching of proponents of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, slaying Henry of Zutphen in December 1524, Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
nevertheless started to win over Ditmarsians. In 1533 the Council of the 48 turned the Ditmarsian Catholic Church into a Lutheran state church
State church
State churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state...
.
After the victory of Hemmingstedt Dithmarschen regularly sent its delegates to the Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
Diets
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
(Hansetage). In 1554 the Hanseatic Diet confirmed, that free Ditmarsian peasants doing business cannot be considered equal to merchants being burgher
Burgher
Burgher may refer to:* A citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to middle class* A resident of a burgh* A formally defined class in medieval German cities, usually the only group from which city officials could be drawn...
s of free or autonomous cities, but are, nevertheless, accepted as enjoying all Hanseatic advantages. Thus Ditmarsian merchants, along with those from Teutonic Prussia
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
, were the only beneficiaries of a quasi membership within the Hanse, although lacking the background of citizenship in an autonomous or free city
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
.
It was not until 1559 and the Last Feud between the King of Denmark and the Ditmarsians that the free peasants were forced to give up their political and religious autonomy by the successful invasion commanded by Count Johan Rantzau
Johan Rantzau
Johan Rantzau was a German-Danish general and statesman known for his role in the Count's Feud.Rantzau was born at the castle of Steinburg near Itzehoe into nobility...
from Steinburg
Steinburg
Steinburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Dithmarschen, Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Segeberg and Pinneberg, and by the Elbe River .-History:...
, one of the best strategists of the time. Since then the coat of arms of Dithmarschen has shown a warrior on horseback, representing a knight of Rantzau. This knight has later been identified with Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
, then considered to be the patron of Dithmarschen.
The conquerors – King Frederick II
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
, Duke Adolf
Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp was the first Duke of Holstein-Gottorp from the line of Holstein-Gottorp of the House of Oldenburg....
, and Duke John II the Elder
John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev
John the Elder was the only Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Haderslev. The predicate the Elder is sometimes used to distinguish him from his nephew John the Younger, who held Sønderborg from 1564 as a partitioned-off duke...
– divided Dithmarschen into two parts: the south became a part of Holstein in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with Denmark while the north came into the possession of the other Duke of Holstein. From 1773 all of Holstein was united in personal union with Denmark and remained so until 1864, when, following the Second Schleswig War, the Duchies of Holstein and of Schleswig became an occupied territory of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
. Two years later, following the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, Dithmarschen became part of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, which annexed Holstein and Schleswig making them subsequently the Province of Schleswig-Holstein
Province of Schleswig-Holstein
The Province of Schleswig-Holstein was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946. It was created from the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which had been conquered by Prussia and the Austrian Empire from Denmark in the Second War of Schleswig in 1864...
.
The Middle Ages in Dithmarschen are held to have continued into the 19th century, when the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
was completed, fens began to be drained, and agricultural reforms took place. Within the Bundesland
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
Schleswig-Holstein, the area remained divided into the districts of Norderdithmarschen (Northern Ditmarsh) and Süderdithmarschen (Southern Ditmarsh) before they were united in 1970 as the district of Dithmarschen.
Traditions
Traditional events in many smaller villages include rolandreiten, ringreiten, children's vogelschießen, and klootschieten
Klootschieten
Klootschieten is a sport in the Netherlands and East Frisia, Germany. In the game, participants try to throw a ball as far as they can...
. In Heide the traditional festival is "Hohnbeer", in Nordhastedt
Nordhastedt
Nordhastedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
it is "Frunsbeer". In recent decades tourism promotion has focused on the Dithmarschen Cabbage Days
Dithmarschen Cabbage Days
The Dithmarschen Cabbage Days are held annually in September in the city of Heide, Dithmarschen, Germany, as well as in other towns and villages in the Dithmarschen area. The festival is related to the fact that Dithmarschen is Europe's largest cabbage-growing region...
that begin with the cabbage harvest. The medieval festival in Heide tries to connect itself to the markets that were held in Heide in the Middle Ages but this festival is actually a latter-day recreation of the late 20th century. In Friedrichstadt and Büsum there are annual trawler regattas.
Kale
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane , a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming,...
soup, and bread pudding with common shrimps
Crangon crangon
Crangon crangon is a commercially important species of shrimp fished mainly in the southern North Sea, although also found in the Irish Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, as well as off much of Scandinavia and parts of Morocco's Atlantic coast...
. Since the late 19th century cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
has become an important dish as well. In Northern Germany
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
Dithmarschen is well known for its Dithmarscher beer from the brewery Karl Hintz in Marne.
Language
High German is by now the dominant language but Low GermanLow German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
in its Holsteinisch
Holsteinisch
Holsteinisch is a Northern Low Saxon dialect spoken in Holstein, the southern part of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.Today it is spoken in Dithmarschen, around Neumünster, Rendsburg, Kiel and Lübeck....
version still has a place in informal conversation. Until the 1960s Low German was the prevailing language of everyday communication. Most Ditmarsians born before 1960 still consider Low German their mother tongue. Low German is more common in rural regions than in urban regions and more likely to be spoken by older Ditmarsians.
The best known author of "high literature" in Low German was Klaus Groth
Klaus Groth
Klaus Groth , Low German poet, was born at Heide in Schleswig-Holstein.After studying at the seminary in Tondern , he became a teacher at the girls school in his native village, but in 1847 went to Kiel to qualify for a higher educational post. Ill health interrupted his studies and it was not...
from Heide. The best known Low German speaker in Germany today is probably Wilhelm Wieben
Wilhelm Wieben
Wilhelm Wieben is a German journalist, actor and author.Wieben was born in Hennstedt, Dithmarschen. After school he studied theater at Max-Reinhardt-Schule für Schauspiel in Berlin. Later he worked as a journalist for Radio Bremen. From 1972 to 1998 Wieben was a news presenter on the TV channel...
, former anchorman of the popular German news Tagesschau, who now produces Low German audio book
Audio book
An audiobook or audio book is a recording of a text being read. It is not necessarily an exact audio version of a book or magazine.Spoken audio has been available in schools and public libraries and to a lesser extent in music shops since the 1930s. Many spoken word albums were made prior to the...
s. Only two episodes of the popular crime television show Tatort
Tatort
Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss , crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF 2 in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland...
carried subtitles for its German audience. One of these episodes centered its plot in Dithmarschen: the Low German in the dialogue was thought to be too difficult for a generic German audience to follow!
Architecture
In the flat marshland of Dithmarschen, church towers can often be seen from more than 10 kilometers away. Churches are built on the highest point of the Terpen in the center of villages such as Wesselburen
Wesselburen
Wesselburen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen in the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. It is situated near the North Sea coast, approximately 11 km west of Heide....
, Marne
Marne, Germany
Marne is a town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the North Sea coast, approx. 30 km south of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven....
, and Wöhrden
Wöhrden
Wöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
. Village streets run toward the central church, giving these villages a distinct medieval character. It is likely that older houses were removed to make room for these churches. In the Geest, the village church stands on the medieval rim of the village or with other houses within it; the settlements of the Geest existed before their churches were built and there was no special need to protect these churches from flooding.
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
River. In the Middle Ages the church was the venue of the repsentatives of the political parishes of Dithmarschen. The place around this church was the most important meeting place in Dithmarschen and Meldorf
Meldorf
Meldorf is a city in western Schleswig-Holstein, in the district of Dithmarschen, and straddling the Miele river. It was first mentioned in writing before 1250 ad, and it served as the capital of the Dithmarschen, a peasant republic with Allies in the Hanseatic league dating from 1468...
itself was the only settlement to develop a distinct urban structure. Even after the political center moved to Heide, the St. John's in Meldorf remained the most important religious site in Dithmarschen. The Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Dithmarschen began there in 1524 with Dithmarschen converting to Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
.
Today's church was built in the 14th century. While the outside was mainly rebuilt in the 19th century, inside one can still see Gothic architecture from the years 1250 to 1300. The paintings are among the most magnificent in Schleswig-Holstein, giving an impression of the former wealth of the farmers' republic.
St. Jürgen church in Heide began as a chapel built in the 15th century. Due to conflicts in Dithmarschen, Meldorf lost its role as central meeting point. The people of northern Dithmarschen began to meet in 1447 "auf der Heide" ("on the heath"); later, the Council of the 48—representatives of the most important families and the central decision body of Dithmarschen—met at St. Jürgen. The core of the long, single-nave church is still the 15th-century building. Its outer appearance is dominated by a late-renaissance three-story tower added by Johann Georg Schott in 1724.
St. Bartholomäus in Wesselburen was also built in 1737/1738 by Johann Georg Schott. He constructed the baroque building from the remains of older churches after Wesselburen burned down in 1736. Its onion dome is highly unusual for Northern Germany. Also notable are the 12th century church in Tellingstedt
Tellingstedt
Tellingstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 13 km east of Heide.Tellingstedt is part of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider....
and the churches in Hemme and Büsum
Büsum
Büsum is a fishing and tourist town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 18 km southwest of Heide....
, which display the traditional coat of arms of the "Geschlechter" inside.
Education
In 1993 Schleswig-Holstein's latest FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
(comparable to a Polytechnics) was established in Heide. There are 800 students studying economics, electrical engineering, information technology, international tourism management, and law at the Fachhochschule Westküste (Fachhochschule West Coast). The Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel has an outpost in the Büsum-based Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum Westküste (Research and Technology Center West Coast), which researches coastal geology, coastal geography, and coastal protection.
In 2004, 17,900 students were studying in Dithmarschen schools. In the district there are six Gymnasia, three Fachgymnasia, two vocational schools, and 44 schools for primary education.
Economy
The Dithmarschen economy consists mainly of tourism, agriculture, and energy. Tourism is concentrated in the north in BüsumBüsum
Büsum is a fishing and tourist town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 18 km southwest of Heide....
and in the south in Friedrichskoog
Friedrichskoog
Friedrichskoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the outflow of the Elbe into the North Sea, approx. 25 km southwest of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven....
. Most tourists come as families to enjoy the North Sea beaches. A significant number of tourists also come for bicycle trekking. Almost all the approximately two million tourists each year come from Germany.
Hartz concept
The Hartz concept is a set of recommendations that resulted from a commission on reforms to the German labour market in 2002. Named after the head of the commission, Peter Hartz, it went on to become part of the German government's Agenda 2010 series of reforms, known as Hartz I - Hartz IV...
was implemented and new statistical methods were adopted, the unemployment rate rose to 17.4% in January 2005. The unemployment rate was far above the average for Schleswig-Holstein (12.7%) and the rest of Germany. The most important employers in the district are Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
in Brunsbüttel (1,000 employees), the Sparkasse Westholstein (600), the Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
refinery in Hemmingstedt (570), the Sasol
Sasol
Sasol Ltd. is a South African company involved in mining, energy, chemicals and synfuels. In particular, they produce petrol and diesel profitably from coal and natural gas using Fischer-Tropsch process...
chemistry works in Brunsbüttel (570), the printing company Evers in Meldorf (560), and the Beyschlag manufacturing plant in Heide. The Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
has a school for non-commissioned officers in Heide.
In recent years the number of people who live in Dithmarschen but work in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and its surroundings has steadily risen. In 2002 9,200 people drove to work outside the district, including 1,700 who commuted to Hamburg.
Energy
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog is a municipality situated along the North Sea coast in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.The municipality is located in and named after the polder , which was finished in 1874 and named in honour of German Emperor William I. The Koog is entirely...
, the experimental GROWIAN ("Große Windkraftanlage" – big wind turbine) stood there from 1983 to 1987. As of 2008 the tallest wind turbine in the world is the experimental Enercon E-126
Enercon E-126
The Enercon E-126 is the largest wind turbine model build to date, manufactured by the German wind turbine producer Enercon. With a hub height of , rotor diameter of and a total height of , this large model can generate up to of power per turbine. The nameplate capacity was changed from to ...
near Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
.
In Dithmarschen stand around 800 wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s, almost all of them in marshland. That means that 5% of all German wind turbines stand on 0.15% of its area. Except for Büsum, where a small airport prevents their erection, and the nature reserve at Speicherkoog, the whole coastline is lined by wind turbines. In 2003 they produced around KWH
Watt-hour
The kilowatt hour, or kilowatt-hour, is a unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours or 3.6 megajoules.For constant power, energy in watt hours is the product of power in watts and time in hours...
of energy, which is about half the energy demand of Dithmarschen. According to E.on
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
-Hanse, the local energy company, in the same time it paid 59 million Euro for the energy, 3 to 5 million Euro were paid to farmers on whose land the turbines stand. The income through taxes for the district is around 4 million Euro each year. Because commercial wind farming in Germany began in Dithmarschen, many wind turbines are relative old and produce only a small amount of electricity. For people interested in wind turbines this makes an interesting contrast, though, since it is possible to see many working varieties of wind turbines standing close to each other.
The offshore oil field Mittelplate
Mittelplate
Mittelplate is Germany’s largest oil field which is located from the shore, in environmentally important Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Parks tidal flats. The development of the field was done by a consortium of RWE Dea AG and Wintershall AG. By the 20th anniversary of the start of...
close to the coast produces 2 million tons of petroleum, around 54% of German production. The refinery in Hemmingstedt processes around 4 million tons of oil each year, partly from Mittelplate and partly from oil delivered through the Brunsbüttel port. Another oil field between Heide and Hemmingstedt was active until 1991. The nuclear power plant in Brunsbuttel is one of the oldest in Germany. It delivers clean cheap energy for the important aluminium industry in Schleswig-Holstein.
It is supposed to close down in 2009.
Tourism
Wadden Sea National Parks
The Wadden Sea National Parks, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located along the German coast of the North Sea. Named after the Wadden Sea, they consist of three national parks:...
. The district owns about 10 kilometers of green beaches; Büsum
Büsum
Büsum is a fishing and tourist town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 18 km southwest of Heide....
also provides an artificial sandy beach. In 2003, 205,382 tourists spent 1,173,205 nights in Dithmarschen, most of them in Büsum (756,630 nights), which is ranked before Friedrichskoog
Friedrichskoog
Friedrichskoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the outflow of the Elbe into the North Sea, approx. 25 km southwest of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven....
(75,654) and Büsumer Deichhausen
Büsumer Deichhausen
Büsumer Deichhausen is a municipality belonging to the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
(33,811). Tourism has declined slightly over the last few years but not as much as tourism on the Schleswig-Holstein Baltic coast. Recent competition with the former Warsaw Pact states and their Baltic coasts has had less impact on Dithmarschen because their coastal formations are quite different.
Entrance fees for beaches raise heated controversy in the district. Büsum (around 1,000,000 beach visits each year) and Friedrichskoog (300,000) impose a fee. However, most smaller villages nearby do not.
The tourism industry in Dithmarschen is trying to diversify tourist attractions. Fitness and health play an increasing role in German life, so tracks and roads for bicycles and inline skates are being built. Part of the North Sea Cycle Route
North Sea Cycle Route
The North Sea Cycle Route is a 6000 km cycle route through England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. It is also known as EuroVelo route 12 ....
crosses through Dithmarschen. In the east of Dithmarschen, ecological travel by canoe or kayak along the Eider is promoted. Policy makers and tourism agencies also emphasize the cultural and historical roots of the district.
Coat of arms
 |
The district coat of arms displays a knight of Holstein Holstein Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.... . This coat of arms was unpopular for many years in Dithmarschen because it was the sign of conquerors. These arms were used by governors but were not accepted by the people. In 1930, when these ancient hostilities had become irrelevant, this coat of arms was re-introduced in slightly different forms by both South Dithmarschen and North Dithmarschen. When both districts were united in 1970, the arms of South Dithmarschen became the symbol of the newly merged district. |
Towns and municipalities
In more recent times Heide became a rival to Meldorf. Wesselburen and Wöhrden had some importance as central villages of the rich northern marshland.
After Schleswig-Holstein was annexed by Prussia in 1867, some villages became towns and therefore administratively left their old parishes: Meldorf in 1869, Heide in 1878, Marne in 1891, and Wesselburen in 1899. The old village of Brunsbüttel and the newly-founded Brunsbüttelkoog united in 1970 to become the town of Brunsbüttel.
Parishes were finally dissolved and single villages became independent during the Nazi period. For efficient administration, municipalities are united in Ämtern, which for historical reasons are named Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinden (Amt Parish's Country Municipalities).
The largest town by population is Heide. Büsum has a special role as tourist resort. Although a member of an Amt, its summertime population swells to become the largest in the district.
In socio-geographics the difference between marshland and the higher, dryer uplands has played an important role. The fertile marshland was historically rich while the uplands were poor but less prone to flooding. The two most important towns, Heide and Meldorf, were built on the safe geest but directly adjacent to marshland where people could have their fields.
| Independent towns |
|---|
|
| Ämter Kirchspielslandgemeinden | ||
|---|---|---|
Averlak Averlak is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (640) Brickeln Brickeln is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (212) Buchholz, Dithmarschen Buchholz is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.115) Burg, Dithmarschen Burg is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... 1 (4.364) Dingen Dingen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (714) Eddelak Eddelak is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.462) Eggstedt Eggstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Eggstedt is a part of the Kaiser-Tour in 2010.... (836) Frestedt Frestedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (401) Großenrade Großenrade is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (529) Hochdonn Hochdonn is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.249) Kuden Kuden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (664) Quickborn, Dithmarschen Quickborn is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (199) Sankt Michaelisdonn Sankt Michaelisdonn is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (3.728) Süderhastedt Süderhastedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (874)
Büsum Büsum is a fishing and tourist town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea coast, approx. 18 km southwest of Heide.... 1 (4.880) Büsumer Deichhausen Büsumer Deichhausen is a municipality belonging to the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (345) Friedrichsgabekoog Friedrichsgabekoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (71) Hedwigenkoog Hedwigenkoog is a municipality belonging to the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Hedwigenkoog is situated on the North Sea coast north of Büsum and Westerdeichstrich... (271) Hellschen-Heringsand-Unterschaar Hellschen-Heringsand-Unterschaar is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (169) Hillgroven Hillgroven is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (86) Oesterdeichstrich Oesterdeichstrich is a municipality belonging to the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (273) Oesterwurth Oesterwurth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (274) Reinsbüttel Reinsbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (427) Schülp, Dithmarschen Schülp is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (489) Strübbel Strübbel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (96) Süderdeich Süderdeich is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (536) Warwerort Warwerort is a municipality in the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (284) Wesselburen Wesselburen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen in the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. It is situated near the North Sea coast, approximately 11 km west of Heide.... 2 (3.112) Wesselburener Deichhausen Wesselburener Deichhausen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (142) Wesselburenerkoog Wesselburenerkoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (151) Westerdeichstrich Westerdeichstrich is a municipality belonging to the Amt Büsum-Wesselburen in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It consists of the parts Westerdeichstrich, Groven, Augustenhof and Stinteck.... (908) |
Barkenholm Barkenholm is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (189) Bergewöhrden Bergewöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (36) Dellstedt Dellstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (801) Delve Delve is a municipality belonging to the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider in the district Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany.... (737) Dörpling Dörpling is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (611) Fedderingen Fedderingen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (277) Gaushorn Gaushorn is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (213) Glüsing Glüsing is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (119) Groven Groven is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (128) Hemme Hemme is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (514) Hennstedt, Dithmarschen Hennstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northeast of Heide. Hennstedt is the seat of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider.... 1 (1.880) Hollingstedt, Dithmarschen Hollingstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (338) Hövede Hövede is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (64) Karolinenkoog Karolinenkoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.In 1800 the municipality was named after the polder , which was named in honour of Princess Caroline of Denmark.... (132) Kleve, Dithmarschen Kleve is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (452) Krempel Krempel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (663) Lehe, Schleswig-Holstein Lehe is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.160) Linden, Schleswig-Holstein Linden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (876) Lunden Lunden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider, approx. 16 km north of Heide.Lunden is part of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider.... (1.655) Norderheistedt Norderheistedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (144) Pahlen, Germany Pahlen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.168) Rehm-Flehde-Bargen Rehm-Flehde-Bargen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (609) Sankt Annen Sankt Annen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (355) Schalkholz Schalkholz is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (595) Schlichting, Germany Schlichting is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (239) Süderdorf Süderdorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (396) Süderheistedt Süderheistedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (542) Tellingstedt Tellingstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 13 km east of Heide.Tellingstedt is part of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Eider.... (2.493) Tielenhemme Tielenhemme is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (178) Wallen, Germany Wallen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (37) Welmbüttel Welmbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (465) Westerborstel Westerborstel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (98) Wiemerstedt Wiemerstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (165) Wrohm Wrohm is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (732)
Hemmingstedt Hemmingstedt is a German municipality in the district of Dithmarschen in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.-History:Hemmingstedt is the namesake of the Battle of Hemmingstedt, which took place south of the place in today's municipal area of Epenwöhrden... (2.989) Lieth Lieth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (396) Lohe-Rickelshof Lohe-Rickelshof is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.942) Neuenkirchen, Schleswig-Holstein Neuenkirchen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.044) Norderwöhrden Norderwöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (287) Nordhastedt Nordhastedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (2.753) Ostrohe Ostrohe is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (963) Stelle-Wittenwurth Stelle-Wittenwurth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (486) Weddingstedt Weddingstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 5 km north of Heide.Weddingstedt is part of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde Heider Umland.... (2.321) Wesseln Wesseln is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.352) Wöhrden Wöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.334) |
Diekhusen-Fahrstedt Diekhusen-Fahrstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (734) Friedrichskoog Friedrichskoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the outflow of the Elbe into the North Sea, approx. 25 km southwest of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven.... (2.522) Helse Helse is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (964) Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog is a municipality situated along the North Sea coast in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.The municipality is located in and named after the polder , which was finished in 1874 and named in honour of German Emperor William I. The Koog is entirely... (364) Kronprinzenkoog Kronprinzenkoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Between 1785 and 1787 the polder was laid out and then named in honour of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark.... (965) Marne, Germany Marne is a town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the North Sea coast, approx. 30 km south of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven.... 1, 2 (6.018) Marnerdeich Marnerdeich is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (341) Neufeld Neufeld is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (646) Neufelderkoog Neufelderkoog is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (144) Ramhusen Ramhusen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (163) Schmedeswurth Schmedeswurth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (215) Trennewurth Trennewurth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (269) Volsemenhusen Volsemenhusen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (368)
Albersdorf Albersdorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the Kiel Canal, approx. 14 km southeast of Heide... (3.588) Arkebek Arkebek is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (250) Bargenstedt Bargenstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (925) Barlt Barlt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (844) Bunsoh Bunsoh is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (871) Busenwurth Busenwurth is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (331) Elpersbüttel Elpersbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (915) Epenwöhrden Epenwöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:Epenwöhrden, south of Hemmingstedt, was the venue of the Battle of Hemmingstedt. In 1500 the militia of the then Farmers' Republic of Ditmarsh, led by Wulf Isebrand, defeated an army of Hans, king... (808) Gudendorf Gudendorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (425) Immenstedt, Dithmarschen Immenstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (97) Krumstedt Krumstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (556) Meldorf Meldorf is a city in western Schleswig-Holstein, in the district of Dithmarschen, and straddling the Miele river. It was first mentioned in writing before 1250 ad, and it served as the capital of the Dithmarschen, a peasant republic with Allies in the Hanseatic league dating from 1468... 1, 2 (7.655) Nindorf Nindorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (1.165) Nordermeldorf Nordermeldorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (649) Odderade Odderade is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (325) Offenbüttel Offenbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (283) Osterrade Osterrade is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (462) Sarzbüttel Sarzbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (735) Schafstedt Schafstedt is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (1.343) Schrum Schrum is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (77) Tensbüttel-Röst Tensbüttel-Röst is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (692) Wennbüttel Wennbüttel is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-See also:*Albersdorf... (77) Windbergen Windbergen is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (841) Wolmersdorf Wolmersdorf is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.... (345) |
| 1seat of the Amt Kirchspielslandgemeinde; 2town | ||
Twinning
Dithmarschen is currently twinned with RestormelRestormel
Restormel was a borough of Cornwall, United Kingdom, one of the six administrative divisions that made up the county. Its council was based in St Austell . Other towns included Newquay....
, a borough in the British county of Cornwall. The main link is between St Austell and Newquay and Heide. However there are a lot more people who also make use of the twinning!
External links
- Official Restormel Dithmarschen Twinning Homepage (English) (German)
- www.dithmarschen-wiki.de Enyclopaedia of Dithmarschen (German)
- www.museum-albersdorf.de Museum Website, thorough information about the history of Dithmarschen, author: Dr. Volker Arnold (German with English abstracts)
- The Dithmarschen Wars (English)
- Battle of Hemmingstedt, image