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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.