Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Heide

Heide is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis (district) Dithmarschen. Population: 22,000.

Last revised
Jun 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
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594 w
Citations
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Heide
Flag of Heide
Coat of arms of Heide
Location of Heide within Dithmarschen district

Map
Location of Heide
Heide
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Heide
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Coordinates: 54°11′46″N 9°5′36″E / 54.19611°N 9.09333°E / 54.19611; 9.09333
CountryGermany
StateSchleswig-Holstein
DistrictDithmarschen
Government
 • MayorOliver Schmidt-Gutzat (SPD)
Area
 • Total
31.97 km2 (12.34 sq mi)
Elevation
11 m (36 ft)
Population
 (2024-12-31)1
 • Total
22,002
 • Density688.2/km2 (1,782/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
25746
Dialling codes0481
Vehicle registrationHEI,MED
Websitewww.heide.de

Heide (German pronunciation: [ˈhaɪdə] ; Holsatian: Heid) is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis (district) Dithmarschen. Population: 22,000.

The German word Heide means "heath". In the 15th century four adjoining villages decided to build a church in the "middle of the heath". This remained the town's name to date. The exact foundation date is now unknown, but by 1447 Heide was already the main village of Dithmarschen. At this time Dithmarschen was an independent peasant republic. Heide became a town in the 19th century.

Heide has the largest un-built-upon market square in Germany, with 4.7 hectares. It is used primarily as a parking lot and has approximately 500 parking spaces. In 2016, the city staged 3 car-free Sundays on the market square for the first time.

Sport

The association soccer club Heider SV plays in the Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein (V).

Education

There are some notable educational institutes in the town

  • BTZ Heide gGmbH 2
  • RKiSH-Akademie 3
  • Volkshochschule Heide 4
  • Fachhochschule Westküste Institut für die Transformation des Energiesystems (ITE) 5

Notable landmarks

  • St. Jürgen church (1560)
  • Water tower (1903)
  • Museum of Dithmarschen History
  • Brahmshaus, dwelling house of the ancestors of the composer Johannes Brahms, now a museum

Notable people

Klaus Groth, 1888 source ↗

Sport

International relations

There is a twinning between Kreis Dithmarschen and Restormel Borough Council.6

Climate

Climate data for Elpersbüttela (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.9
(39.0)
4.3
(39.7)
7.9
(46.2)
13.2
(55.8)
16.8
(62.2)
19.6
(67.3)
22.1
(71.8)
22.0
(71.6)
18.5
(65.3)
13.4
(56.1)
8.5
(47.3)
5.2
(41.4)
13.1
(55.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6)
2.1
(35.8)
4.5
(40.1)
8.6
(47.5)
12.4
(54.3)
15.6
(60.1)
17.7
(63.9)
17.6
(63.7)
14.4
(57.9)
10.5
(50.9)
6.2
(43.2)
3.3
(37.9)
9.6
(49.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.6
(30.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
1.0
(33.8)
4.0
(39.2)
7.6
(45.7)
10.8
(51.4)
13.0
(55.4)
13.0
(55.4)
10.5
(50.9)
6.9
(44.4)
3.6
(38.5)
0.9
(33.6)
5.9
(42.6)
Average relative humidity (%) 91.0 88.6 85.2 78.7 77.5 78.8 79.2 80.5 83.9 88.4 91.7 92.0 83.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours 44.7 75.7 140.7 212.1 241.0 226.8 234.1 208.1 153.5 104.5 54.6 40.1 1,739.4
Source: NOAA7
Notes

Notes

  1. Elpersbüttel is located approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Heide.
References

References

  1. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden in Schleswig-Holstein 4. Quartal 2024" (XLS) (in German). Statistisches Amt für Hamburg und Schleswig-Holstein.
  2. "Home". Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  3. "Home". Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  4. "Home". Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  5. "Home". Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  6. The official Restormel Dithmarschen Twinning Association Archived 2007-07-01 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2008-08-16
  7. "Elpersbüttel Climate Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
External links