Heider market peace
The Heider Marktfrieden is a medieval market in Heide in Schleswig-Holstein , which is intended to remind of the free peasant republic Dithmarschen that existed in the Middle Ages and the importance of market peace for the development of the city and this coastal region.
history
At the beginning of the 15th century the Dithmarsch parishes called a meeting to discuss the piracy practiced in the southern parishes . The reason was attacks on merchant ships that traveled the Elbe to and from Hamburg . This caused a dispute with the Hanseatic city , since the Hamburg interests were disrupted by the Dithmarsch robbers.
The neutral place “uppe de Heyde” north of Meldorf was chosen as the location for this meeting . Due to the favorable location - a branch of the Ochsenweg from Denmark to Hamburg and the route from the North Sea along the south bank of the Eider towards Bordesholm and on to the Hanseatic city of Lübeck crossed at Heide - a lively market quickly developed. These two central events soon gave Heide a leading role in the peasant republic. On February 13, 1447, the first Dithmarsch land law was proclaimed on the Heider market square. This included market peace , i.e. the guaranteed security for all traders and marketers from looters, robbers and other attacks. It was certified that all visitors to the market square had to hand over their weapons.
Market peace celebrations today
In memory of the heyday of the old Heider market peace , a historical market festival has been held every two years on the second weekend in July since 1990 on the 4.7 hectare largest undeveloped market square in Germany. The festival lasts from Thursday, 6:00 p.m. to Sunday, 12:00 a.m. In order to avoid an overlap with the public viewing events on the occasion of the soccer world championships, the odd year was changed from 2019. But there was no market peace in 2018.
In addition to the historical market bustle in the form of a medieval market, an open-air drama is staged on all four market days , in which historical events from the Dithmarsch peasant republic are thematized. There are also numerous performances by music groups, dance groups, army camps, jugglers, barkers and acrobats.
On Saturday, the big pageant as a historical parade through Heide and ends at the market square.
There is also a real Dithmarsch peasant wedding , for which Dithmarsch couples can apply. The traditional "courtship" takes place on Saturday. It is staged by a historical theater group together with the bride and groom and ends in a party for everyone. On Sunday the wedding parade takes place with the carriage and entourage, which leads on a somewhat shorter route than the parade through Heide to the market square and ends in front of the main portal of the St. Jürgen church. The church wedding is carried out in the Low German language so that the bride and groom should understand it.
The organizer is the city of Heide. It is supported personally and financially by the Association for the Promotion of Heider Marktfriedens e. V.
literature
- Theodor Lübbe, Günter Pump: Heide. Market town in the North Sea wind . 2nd Edition. Boyens, Heide 1993, ISBN 3-8042-0584-4 .
- Association for Dithmarscher regional studies (Ed.), Martin Gietzelt (Red.): History of Dithmarschen . Boyens, Heide 2000, ISBN 3-8042-0859-2 .
Web links
Coordinates: 54 ° 11 '42.2 " N , 9 ° 5' 33.9" E