The plans for constructing the town of Meldorf around the middle of the 13th century also involved the building of a surprisingly large church, informally known as the “Cathedral” today, which the local people erected on the site of the regional gatherings. The style closely resembles that of Hamburg Cathedral, which was built at about the same time. The basilica with its nave and two aisles, strong pillars and well-preserved painted vault in the transept expresses the calm, pronounced confidence of the people who live here.  The unique choir screen, carved by H. Peper of Rendsburg circa 1603 and the large epitaphs on the walls of the nave date back to about 1600, a time when the area flourished economically. Mediaeval features include the carved altar circa 1520, the bronze baptismal font from the period when the church was completed (around 1300) and the impressive, life-size sculpture of St. John (middle of the 15th century).

The Dominican monastery in Meldorf was founded before the end of the 14th century and from the Reformation until 1859 it served as the only grammar school in the district of Dithmarschen.

Although the other Dithmarschen churches cannot compete with Meldorf Cathedral in terms of historical significance, there is a wealth of attractive church squares often in beautiful locations, just waiting to be discovered by anyone who enjoys architecture that is in keeping with the landscape and characterised by mediaeval simplicity. St. Martin’s in Tellingstedt could be described as the typical Dithmarschen village church: a plain building erected using local stone, first mentioned in 1140, with a wonderful wooden beamed ceiling and a separate wooden belfry. The church is the focal point of a tree-lined square, similar to the pattern found in Hennstedt, Süderhastedt and Brunsbüttel, where the market surrounding St. James’s church was redesigned in 1677/78, and still boasts some attractive buildings on the periphery. 

Also worth mentioning is Hemmer church on account of its complete interior dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. St. Lawrence’s church in Lunden possesses the last preserved churchyard with the crypts of notable Dithmarschen families. St. Bartholomew’s in Wesselburen is altogether different: after a fire this church was reconstructed in 1737/38 using a centralised design crowned with an unusual onion dome.

The buildings in the old part of Meldorf are outstanding examples of local architecture. At the Südermarket and the Nordermarkt examples of merchants’ houses from the 18th century can still be seen, occasionally featuring a brick gable typical of the period after 1600, for instance on the old vicarage of 1601; also noticeable is the baroque gable on a former bakery near the Zingel.

The oldest remaining secular buildings in Dithmarschen are the ring walls in Burg and Stelle. Especially the construction at Burg, the Bökelnburg (= Beech Castle) gives visitors a vivid impression of 9th century peasant fortifications. Heide boasts the largest market square in Germany. Construction began in the middle of the 15th century and it was once used as the location for the regional assembly and as an important market. The town halls in Büsum and Marne, however, are more recent in design. Created at the beginning of the 20th century, they are beautiful examples of the brick architecture typical for Holstein.

The North Sea – Baltic Sea Canal is certainly famous beyond the country’s borders. It was constructed in 1895 and forms the south-eastern border of Dithmarschen for many kilometres. In Brunsbüttel, the southern access point, there are four large locks that open into the tidal estuary of the Elbe.

The game that is only played on the North Sea coasts and in Ireland with a lead-lined wooden ball, a “bossel”, is part of the cultural life in Dithmarschen. This game is played in winter. Old customs include the “Hahnbeer” from Heider Eggen (part of the town) and the “Frunsbeer” (= Lady’s Beer, where “Beer” – or “Bier – can also mean “Festival”) in Nordhastedt, in memory of the legendary event when the village was saved by its women. The “Market Peace” (“Marktfrieden”) in Heide that takes place in the summer is more recent and revives the great period of local history. It is now as popular as the play staged in the open-air theatre in Burg that deals with the legend of Count Rudolf’s murder.

While we are on the subject of theatre: There are approximately 40 theatre groups, all of them preferring to use the local “Low German” dialect. The famous Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival comes to Heide and Meldorf, and more recently also to the Elbeforum in Brunsbüttel, a venue that was officially opened in 1992 as the largest cultural centre on the west coast.

In addition the Schleswig-Holstein Theatre and the Schleswig-Holstein Symphony Orchestra perform in Heide and Meldorf. It is impossible to list all the markets and feast days that take place regularly in Dithmarschen; however, one event that deserves a special mention is the regional “Dithmarschen Cabbage Days” (“Dithmarscher Kohltage”), which takes place in autumn and is dedicated to this agricultural crop. Europe’s largest area devoted solely to cabbage growing is found Dithmarschen and covers almost 7000 acres.  It is always worth visiting for the many events that are associated with these traditional celebrations.

The Dithmarschen museums are open to visitors all the year round. The Dithmarschen Land Museum in Meldorf is the oldest and most important collection showing images of Dithmarschen’s history from the Middle Ages to the television age. Changing exhibitions associated with the history of art and culture complement the permanent display.

The Agricultural Museum in Meldorf provides an insight into the upheaval experienced during the industrial age. It presents a three-dimensional view of the changes that have affected rural working and living conditions over the past 120 years.

Information about the prehistoric period in Dithmarschen can be found in Albersdorf. The new Dithmarschen Museum for Archaeology and Ecology, Bahnhofstrasse, and the Archaeological and Ecological Centre in Albersdorf (AÖZA) offer visitors a hands-on experience that is unlike any other. Significant exhibits from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age go far back into our past.

Museums of local significance can be found in Marne (in its own building since 1905), Eggstedt, Brunsbüttel and Lunden. Local history and special features are attractively presented here. The Forest Museum (“Waldmuseum”) in Burg is unique. With its forest learning path it provides and experience that is not just designed for nature-lovers.

Literature museums are a very special type of museum, and Dithmarschen even has two of them: the Hebbel Museum in Wesselburen and the Klaus-Groth Museum in Heide. The career and destiny of Hebbel, one of the greatest dramatists of the 19th century in the German language, is illustrated with the aid of documents and original exhibits. The life of Groth, the writer, was more closely related to this area, since he helped to enhance the status of the Low German dialect.

Art can be found not only in the Dithmarschen Land Museum, but also in the “Neue Holländerei” near the Museum of Agriculture, in the Marne Skatclub Museum and above all in the Town Gallery of the Elbeforum in Brunsbüttel. The nearby Gallery Stücker has long been dedicated to modern art and has achieved national renown. Another private initiative is the Heide Arts Association (“Heider Kunstverein”). The number of galleries run by real enthusiasts in Dithmarschen is indeed impressive. Many of our towns and villages have an art gallery.

Contrary to any preconceptions, Dithmarschen is also a land where the arts are appreciated. The artists who have settled here can testify that this is the case. These include writers as well as painters and sculptors. Looking at the area as a whole, it is certainly a cultural landscape that is waiting to be explored – but also a cultural landscape with a wealth of art to make exploration easy!