Heide (; Holsatian: ''Heid'') is a town in

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district)

Dithmarschen Dithmarschen (, Low Saxon: ; archaic English: ''Ditmarsh''; da, Ditmarsken; la, label=Medieval Latin, Tedmarsgo) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Nordfriesland, Schle ...

. Population: 21,000. The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

word ''Heide'' means "

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

". In the 15th century four adjoining villages decided to build a church in the "middle of the heath". This remained the town's name to date. The exact foundation date is now unknown, but by 1447 Heide was already the main village of Dithmarschen. At this time Dithmarschen was an independent peasant republic. Heide became a town in the 19th century. Heide has the largest un-built-upon market square in Germany, with 4.7 hectares. It is used primarily as a parking lot and has approximately 500 parking spaces. In 2016, the city staged 3 car-free Sundays on the market square for the first time.

Sport

The association soccer club Heider SV plays in the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein (V).

Notable landmarks

* St. Jürgen church (1560) * Water tower (1903) * Museum of Dithmarschen History * Brahmshaus, dwelling house of the ancestors of the composer Johannes Brahms, now a museum

Notable people

* Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), composer * Rudolph Dirks (1877–1968), comic-strip artist * Alfred Dührssen (1862–1933), gynecologist and obstetrician * Willi Gerdau (1929–2011), international footballer *

Klaus Groth Klaus Groth (24 April 1819 – 1 June 1899) was a Low German poet. Biography Groth was born in Heide, in Ditmarschen, the western part of the Duchy of Holstein. He was the oldest son of Hartwig Groth, a miller, and his wife Anna Christina. He ...

(1819–1899), a Low German poet *

Julian Grundt Julian Grundt (born 21 June 1988) is a German former footballer who played as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and ar ...

(born 1988), former footballer *

Carl-Heinz Rodenberg Carl-Heinz Rodenberg, sometimes known as Karl-Heinz Rodenberg (19 November 1904 in Heide – 1995) was a German neurologist and psychiatrist. Rodenberg was proficient in the murder of mental patients by the Nazis, the Action T4 "euthanasia" prog ...

(1904–1995), neurologist and psychiatrist, proficient in the murder of mental patients by the Nazis *

Fritz Thiedemann Fritz Thiedemann (; 3 March 1918 – 8 January 2000) was a German equestrian, considered to be one of the greatest show jumpers of his time. Biography Thiedemann was born as the son of a farmer. His riding talents became clear at a young age, b ...

(1918–2000), equestrian

International relations

There is a twinning between Kreis

and Restormel Borough Council.The official Restormel Dithmarschen Twinning Association
Accessed 2008-08-16 * Restormel, England,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Nowogard Nowogard () ( csb, Nowògard; formerly german: Naugard) is a town in northwestern Poland, in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. it had a population of 16,733. Name ''Nowogard'' is a combination of two Slavic terms: novi (new) and gard, which is P ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Anklam Anklam [], formerly known as Tanglim and Wendenburg, is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the ''Kleines Haff'', the western ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Gallery

File:Heide St-Juergen-Kirche imgp1940 wp.jpg, St. Jürgen-Kirche (1560) File:Heide Wasserturm.jpg, Water tower (1903) File:Heide zütphen allee.jpg, memorial File:Carpe noctem.jpg, ''carpe noctem'' sign at the medieval market 2008 in Heide

References

External links

* {{Authority control Dithmarschen