Editing Battle of Hemmingstedt

{{Short description|1500 attempt by the Kingdom of Denmark to suppress a peasant revolt in Dithmarschen}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2010}}
{{Original research|date=June 2010}}
}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Hemmingstedt
| partof            = 
| image             = File:Ditmarskertoget - Rasmus Christiansen (17029) - cropped.png
| caption           = ''Combat between Danish and Dithmarschen troops at the Battle of Hemmingstedt'' by Rasmus Christiansen
| image_size        = 300
| date              = 17 February 1500
| place             = [[Hemmingstedt]]
| result            = Dithmarschen peasant victory
| combatant1        = Peasantry of [[Dithmarschen]]
| combatant2        = {{flagicon|Kalmar Union}} [[Kalmar Union]]
*{{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Denmark]]
| commander1        = [[Wulf Isebrand]]
| commander2        = {{ubl|[[John, King of Denmark]]|[[Frederick I of Denmark]]|Thomas Slentz{{KIA}}}}
| strength1         = approx. 6,000 peasants
| strength2         = {{plainlist|
*4,000 mercenaries ([[Black Band (landsknechts)|Great Guard]])
*2,000 armoured cavaliers
*1,000 artillery-men
*5,000 commoners}}
| casualties1       = 60<ref>Dithmarschen: A Medieval Peasant Republic, page 116 </ref>
| casualties2       = 7,000, thereof 360 nobles
}}

[[File:Wahrdigarr.JPG|thumb|Memorial in [[Epenwöhrden]] reciting the battlecry: "Wahr di, Garr, de Buer de kumt" (Beware guard, the farmer is coming)]]
The '''Battle of Hemmingstedt''' took place on 17 February 1500 south of the village of [[Hemmingstedt]], near the present village of [[Epenwöhrden]], in the western part of present-day [[Schleswig-Holstein]], [[Germany]]. It was an attempt by King [[John, King of Denmark|John of Denmark]] and his brother [[Frederick I of Denmark|Duke Frederick]], who were co-dukes of Schleswig and Holstein, to subdue the [[peasant]]ry of [[Dithmarschen]], who had established a peasants' [[republic]] on the coast of the [[North Sea]]. John was at the time also king of the [[Kalmar Union]].

==Forces==
The ducal army consisted of the "Great Guard", 4,000 [[Landsknechte|Landsknechts]], commanded by a petty noble ([[Junker]]) named Thomas Slentz, 2,000 armoured cavaliers, about 1,000 artillerymen, and 5,000 commoners. The defenders were at most 6,000 men, all peasants.<ref>Birch, J.H.S., ''Denmark in History'', London: John Murray, 1938, p. 141</ref>

==Use of terrain==
After seizing the village of Meldorf, the ducal army advanced, but was stopped at a barricade equipped with [[Artillery|guns]]. The defenders opened at least one [[dike (construction)|dike]] sluice in order to flood the land, which quickly turned into morass and shallow lakes. Crammed together on a narrow road with no solid ground on which to deploy, the ducal army was unable to make use of its numerical superiority. The lightly equipped peasants were familiar with the land and used poles to leap over the ditches. Most of the ducal soldiers were not killed by enemy arms, but drowned. The conquest attempt was thus repelled.<ref>Elke Freifrau von Boeselager, "Das Land Hadeln bis zum Beginn der frühen Neuzeit", in: ''Geschichte des Landes zwischen Elbe und Weser'': 3 vols., Hans-Eckhard Dannenberg and Heinz-Joachim Schulze (eds.), Stade: Landschaftsverband der ehem. Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden, 1995 and 2008, vol. I 'Vor- und Frühgeschichte' (1995; {{ISBN|978-3-9801919-7-5}}), vol. II 'Mittelalter (einschl. Kunstgeschichte)' (1995; {{ISBN|978-3-9801919-8-2}}), vol. III 'Neuzeit' (2008; {{ISBN|978-3-9801919-9-9}}), (=Schriftenreihe des Landschaftsverbandes der ehem. Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden; vols. 7–9), vol. II: pp. 321–388, here p. 333.</ref> The casualties among the Dithmarsians are not known, but the Danish and the Dutch lost together more than half of their army, making about 7,000 men killed and 1,500 men wounded.

Following the battle, the Dithmarsians buried the bodies of the enemy's common soldiers, but in their contempt for the nobility, the bodies of the nobles were left to rot in the fields.

==Personalities; real and imagined==
[[File:Max Koch Schlacht bei Hemmingstedt.jpg|thumb|right|360px|The Battle of Hemmingstedt in a [[history painting]] of 1910 by [[Max Friedrich Koch]], assembly hall of the former District Building in [[Meldorf]]. The legendary virgin Telse waving the banner of the then Ditmarsian [[patron saint]] [[Mary of Nazareth]].]] The farmer {{ill|Wulf Isebrand|de}} (died 1506) was the leader and organiser of the peasants' defence. While he was a real person, the existence of other participants of the battle is not proven. For instance, the legendary [[Reimer von Wiemerstedt]] is said to have killed [[Junker Slentz]], the chief of the Great Guard. Another doubtful participant was the virgin Telse.

==Propaganda use==
Many details about the battle were made up later in order to heroize the defenders. In 1900 a monument to the defenders was raised. The cult reached its peak in the [[Nazism|Nazi]] era, when local party members used the names of the battle participants for their propaganda. Today there is a more neutral museum at the site commemorating the battle.

==Legacy==
The Battle of Hemmingstedt is a prime example of the use of terrain in military tactics. The Ditmarsians had taken a vow to donate a monastery in honour of the then national [[patron saint]] [[Mary of Nazareth]] if they could repel the invasion. In 1513 the Ditmarsians founded a [[Franciscan]] [[Friary]] in [[Lunden]] fulfilling their vow.<ref>Thies Völker, [http://www.suite101.de/content/die-dithmarscher-landeskirche-15231559-a58840 ''Die Dithmarscher Landeskirche 1523–1559: Selbständige bauernstaatliche Kirchenorganisation in der Frühneuzeit''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630000409/http://www.suite101.de/content/die-dithmarscher-landeskirche-15231559-a58840 |date=2017-06-30 }}, section 'Konfliktauslöser: Besetzung der Pfarrstellen und Klosterprojekt', posted on 16 July 2009 on: [http://www.suite101.de ''suite101.de: Das Netzwerk der Autoren''].</ref> The Ditmarsians also captured diverse banners and standards of the defeated enemies, among them the [[Flag of Denmark#Continuation of the romantic legend|Danebrog]]. They were presented in St. Nicholas Church in [[Wöhrden]] until [[Frederick II of Denmark]], victorious in the [[Last Feud]] against Dithmarschen in 1559, forced the Ditmarsians to return them.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Battle of Hemmingstedt}}

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[[Category:1500 in Europe]]
[[Category:Military history of Schleswig-Holstein]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1500]]
[[Category:Battles involving Germany]]
[[Category:1500s in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Battles involving Denmark]]