Heroes of the Dithmarscher: How farmers defeated the Danes 1500!

The battle at Hemmingstedt , which took place on February 17, 1500, marked a decisive moment in the history of the Dithmarschen farmers. King Johann I von Denmark initiated this invasion with the aim of subjecting the independent farmers who had established themselves in a stable peasant republic on the North Sea coast. Supported by his brother Duke Friedrich, Johann led a huge army consisting of the "Großer Guard", 4,000 lansquenets, 2,000 armored knights, around 1,000 artillerymen and a total of 5,000 common ones. On the other hand, the Danish troops faced a maximum of 6,000 Dithmarscher farmers.

Defender Wulf Isebrand exposed a skillful strategy by planning a ski jump on the DuSenddüwelswelswelswels to stop the advancement of the Danish troops. The Danish army was stopped on a barricade with guns and suffered considerable losses because the farmers partly opened dams, which turned the terrain into morast and flat lakes. As a result, most Danish soldiers did not die through enemy fire, but by drowning. Ultimately, the Danish army was decisively defeated and the Dithmarscher kept their freedom.

after -effects of the battle

The consequences of the battle were profound. While the Danish and Dutch troops had to accept over 7,000 deaths and 1,500 wounded, the losses of the Dithmarscher remained unknown. The corpses of the simple soldiers were buried by the Dithmarschers, while those of the nobles in the fields. The massacre in the civilian population, which took place on February 13, 1500 after taking Meldorf, was another dark aspect of this argument.

Today, a monument that was built in 1900 is reminiscent of the brave defense lawyers of the battle. A 400th anniversary focused on the contributions of the Dithmarscher on the history. However, recent investigations have shown that the monument may not be at the actual place of the battle. Archaeological prospers are in progress to create more clarity about the exact location of this historical argument.

In addition, the battle also had religious consequences for the Dithmarscher. They had sworn to donate a monastery, should they be able to ward off the invasion of what they complied with in 1513 when a Franciscan monastery was founded in Lunden. Various banners of the defeated, including the famous Danebrog, were also captured by the Dithmarschers.

Further information on the Battle of Hemmingstedt are also available in the Wikipedia