Dithmarscher Kohltage

The Latin for cabbage is Brassica. It is a subdivision of the family cruciferae (Brassicae). Many cultivated plants belong to this family.

Peter Quirin donated the knife to the district on the tenth anniversary of the Dithmarscher Kohltage in 1996. Since then, this knife has become part of the tradition: the district president inherits the silver harvesting knife along with the office's duties and obligations. The knife was fashioned by the master goldsmith and silversmith Peter Möller, goldsmith by appointment to the Meldorf collegiate church. The blade is steel and the silver handle is engraved. On the one side, an inscription reading: "Der Kreispräsident des Kreises Dithmarschen" (The District President of the District of Dithmarschen) with the Dithmarschen horseman and on the other side, two heads of cabbage and the inscription "Dithmarscher Kohltage seit 1986" (Dithmarschen Kohltage since 1986) decorate the silver handle.

Since 2001, the Cabbage planting festival in the KOHLosseum in spring has marked the start of the cabbage-growing season. It is organised by the Förderverein Kohlosseum e. V. (Kohlosseum Supporters Association) and the organisers of the "Dithmarscher Kohltage". The cabbage-planting festival is based on the idea of arranging an event similar to the Dithmarscher Kohltage to celebrate in the early part of the year.

For seafarer James Cook (1728 – 1779), sauerkraut and lemon juice were life-savers against scurvy, a disease caused by a dietary deficiency of vitamin C. Scurvy was the plague of seafarers into the 18th century. Often, their only nourishment for months on end came from ships biscuits and salted meat. Dietary deficiency and lack of vitamin C were indeed often fatal. On his often years-long expeditions, the British explorer James Cook provided sauerkraut and lemon juice for his crews.

Since 2006, Elfriede Hayn from Kuden has been tailoring, storing and taking care of the traditional costumes worn by the cabbage queens. The countrywoman and hobby dressmaker repairs the costumes when necessary and alters them to fit the new cabbage queens. The cabbage queen costume is modelled on the historical costumes worn by the Dithmarschen farmers’ wives and they pick up the red-and-white colours of the district's coat-of-arms. They also incorporate details of farm clothing of yore.

In 1972, the Dithmarschen Women's Institute was formed by amalgamation of the erstwhile Norder- and Süderdithmarschen societies. The countrywomen take an interest in a wide range of subjects such as speciality recipes, culture, careers and provision for the elderly. The 3,000 or so Dithmarschen members of the 19 local branches provide valuable assistance to the Dithmarscher Kohltage at the harvesting festival and at town and market festivals. They also take part in the selection process for the office of the Cabbage queen. Apart from this, Elfriede Hayn from the village of Kuden looks after the queens' traditional costumes, as they need to be repaired and altered year by year.

The ceremonial opening of the Dithmarscher Kohltage is the official harvesting of the first head of cabbage. The first harvesting festival was in 1987 on the trial fields of the Marne Vegetable Growers' Association (Gemüsezucht-Genossenschaften in Marne) – today Rijk Zwaan Marne GmbH), at which about five people were present. Then the start of the harvest was celebrated in a country inn nearby. Initially, the harvest festival and the opening celebrations were held in different locations across the district. The first joint event was in 2003 on the Ufen family's farm in Karolinenkoog. Since then, the opening celebrations and first cut of the harvest have been held at a location which alternates from one year to the next. Today, the first cut festival attracts up to some 5,000 visitors from far and wide. The organisation is in the hands of the Dithmarschen Tourist Association (VFD - Verein zur Förderung Dithmarschens) and the Event is set up by the respective local office and Gemüseanbauerverband Dithmarschen e.V.

In 1986, the Deutsche Hotel- und Gaststättenverband (German Hotels and Catering Association) Dithmarschen (DeHoGa Dithmarschen) was one of the co-founders of the Dithmarscher Kohltage. Originally, the local societies of the regional associations of Dithmarschen Nord and Süd organised the event, then the associations got together. In February 1997, DeHoGa Dithmarschen was formed from the regional associations of Dithmarschen Nord and Süd. Today, DeHoGa Dithmarschen with some 200 members is the second-largest district association in Schleswig-Holstein. DeHoGa is the mouthpiece for the hotel and catering industry and provides a platform for discussions and exchange of information for these service providers.

Organisation of the Dithmarscher Kohltage is the responsibility of the Dithmarschen Tourist Association. In 2013 management was taken over by Dithmarschen Tourismus. Prior to that, organisation was in the hands of egeb: Wirtschaftsförderung.

To be able to hold their own in the German and European markets, in 1948 Dithmarschen farmers organised themselves into the Dithmarschen Vegetable Growers' Association. The association offers its 220 farming members (as at 2017) growing vegetables a platform for sales and price information on a range of different vegetables.

Cabbage has discarded the stereotype of "the food of the poor" and transformed into a healthy, trendy vegetable and indeed into a delicacy. Whether exotic or traditional, as a side dish or a main course, the entire range of cabbage variations is to be discovered at the Dithmarscher Kohltage.

In antiquity, cabbage was regarded as something of a panacea. The Romans for example developed a healing ointment made from fat and the ashes of burnt cabbage for the disinfection of wounds.  

After tomatoes, cabbage is the most-planted vegetable in the world. Today, cabbage is grown on every continent: broccoli is particularly well-represented in North and South America; in Australia, cauliflower predominates, while in Europe, White Russia, Russia and Africa (Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa), there is more white cabbage.

In 2016, the Dithmarscher Kohltage celebrated their 30th anniversary.

In the KOHLosseum, located in the former sauerkraut factory in Wesselburen, visitors will learn much of interest and of the history of cabbage growing and the processing of the vegetable. The method of processing Dithmarschen cabbage to sauerkraut is presented in the sauerkraut workshop. Historical implements, tools and farming machinery are on display in the adjoining cabbage museum.
Until 1995, over 120 staff were at work in the sauerkraut-canning factory Philipp & Co. Wesselburen, founded in 1948 by the Philipp family. Hubert Nickels, formerly Production and Operations Manager in the company Philipp & Co. Wesselburen, decided together with Martin Kehl and Achim Krumbiegel to set up the KOHLosseum. In 2002, the support association Förderverein KOHLosseum e.V. was formed, which integrated the sauerkraut workshop, a farmers' market and a cabbage museum under one roof.

They are the ambassadors of the Dithmarscher Kohltage. In 1988, Anke Hinrichs and Anja Thiessen were the first Kohlregentinnen – at that time, for a single year. Since 1989, the office is held for two years, with two queens. The reason they are entitled "regent" in German rather than "queen", as is the case in many other harvest festivals, goes back to Dithmarschen's history as a Farmers' Republic. From the late Middle Ages until 1559, regents representing the wealthy farming families used to meet in the Dithmarschen parish community to discuss and make decisions on the region's future.

Since December 1, 2005, the entire Dithmarschen district has been part of the Metropolitan region of Hamburg. The Dithmarscher Kohltage attract visitors to the Metropolitan region of Hamburg from far and wide.

Herbal specialist Hubert Nickels (1941 - 2019) from Wesselburen introduced the fermentation of white cabbage in glass, and had the process patented in 1998. The qualified food technologist was previously employed in the Philipp & Co. canning factory, which closed down in 1995. In the former factory, today we find the KOHLosseum and cabbage museum. Nickels first work was as a machine and tool-maker with a company in Itzehoe and he was active there for fifteen years in field customer services. He wanted to get ahead in his career and initially undertook a period of practical training in the canning factory in Meldorf in 1966. As a late starter, he gained entrance to college and studied at what is now the Lebensmittelinstitut (food institute) KIN e.V. in Neumünster. When the subject of sauerkraut fermentation cropped up on the course syllabus, something went "Click" for Nickels.

Thanks to the moist and highly nutritious marsh soil, the mild climate and the strong winds which discourage pests, the heads of cabbage thrive particularly well in Dithmarschen.

In January 2014, the white and red cabbage from Dithmarschen was added to the EU quality register for agricultural products which since that time has been entitled to bear the seal of quality "g.g.A." (protected geographical origin).

Cabbage is very much a vegetable all-rounder: red cabbage soup with strips of duck breast, kale lasagne, stir-fry with savoy and minced meat, cabbage burger, cabbage bread or stuffed cabbage. Whether it's boiled, steamed, baked or pickled – there are no limits to the creativity and the enjoyment.

In honour of the cabbage queens, the "Regentinnenstieg" was set up in 2016 in Marne. All cabbage queens are to be immortalised with a floor-tile of special clay in Steinstrasse with their name, place of residence, the year and a special motif. These individual designs will be drawn up by the Brunsbüttel pottery Claussen, painted with ceramic colours and glazed. The Regentinnenstieg idea was initiated by the town of Marne and the Marne Trade Association. The costs of production and setting the tiles in the pavement will be split between the Dithmarschen Tourist Association, the town of Marne and the Marne Trade Association.

Peter Quirin (vintage 1947) is initiator and godfather of the Dithmarscher Kohltage. It was the Munich Oktoberfest he took as the model for this west coast product festival. The aim of all activities was to emphasise the strengths of the region and to make the Dithmarschen district better known beyond the borders of the state. The idea of the "cabbage days" came to Quirin when partner in a PR agency in the mid-1980s.
Born in Hamburg, he chose Dithmarschen as his new home. Today, he lives in the Kronprinzenkoog community. The shipping merchant and organisation specialist worked at home and abroad for many large and medium-sized companies, as well as being sole and part owner in various undertakings. Retiring in 2002, he has since undertaken voluntary work, for example as federal chairman of the German Young Businessmen's Association (1988), honorary member of the Junior Chamber International and founder member of the Dithmarschen Tourist Association.

Cabbage is super – superfood from the locality: superfood is an up-and-coming trend in the food market. The expression superfood applies to all foods which are particular promoters of health. They contain larger than usual amounts of nutrients, vitamins, proteins, minerals and secondary vegetable materials compared with other products. Generally, international products such as pomegranates, goji berries and chia seeds are better known. All types of cabbage belong to the regional superfoods and since cabbage is local, compared with exported and processed exotic superfoods, long-distance transport is unnecessary and thus the vegetable retains both its freshness and its vitamins.

The Dithmarscher Kohltage attract guests outside the holiday high seasons to the region. The annual tourist programme on the west coast would no longer be complete without the Kohltage.

The marsh on the fields of which the cabbage is grown owes its origin to the mud flats (Wattenmeer). In 2009, UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) took up the German and Dutch mud-flats into the World Nature Heritage list. In 2014, the protected area was extended to include the Danish mud-flats. In total, the protected area covers about 11,500 square kilometres and is a good 500 kilometres long. The Schleswig-Holstein Mud Flats National Park covers 4,410 square kilometres and over 10,000 species of animal and plants inhabit the mudflats.

Cabbage growing in Dithmarschen, Europe's largest uninterrupted cabbage-growing area, is "Extra-large" (XL). Around 80 million heads of cabbage are grown on some 3,000 hectares every year. The marsh soil and the mild climate on the west coast create ideal conditions in which the vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables can thrive. For comparison: throughout Schleswig-Holstein, cabbage is only grown on a total of about 4,000 hectares. The majority of the white cabbage harvest is processed, mainly into sauerkraut. Only a relatively small proportion of the crop finds its way as fresh vegetables to weekly markets and into retail shops.
In Dithmarschen there are somewhere about 280 vegetable farming concerns. Around 217,000 Tonnes of cabbage mature on the fields in Dithmarschen. A good half of the cabbage crop – about 120,000 tonnes – is warehoused by the farmers for the cold months of the year. Most commonly grown here is white cabbage, although red and savoy cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and other cabbage types such as Chinese cabbage, broccoli, kale and kohlrabi are also grown on the Dithmarschen fields.