Itzehoe

Toponymy

Itzehoe Castle was first mentioned in 1168 as "Echeho". The town of Itzehoe (‘Opidium Ekeho’) was first mentioned by Saxo Grammaticus in 1196. Later it was mentioned again as ‘de Ezeho’. The meaning of the name is still disputed today. The component -hoe seems most likely to describe an elevation or raised river bend and to be related to the -Hoo, -ho or -hoe names found in England ('Sutton Hoo', 'Ivinghoe'). The first part, 'Etze-', 'Eche-' or 'Itze-', is associated either with a pasture or the Old Saxon word for 'oak'.

History

Itzehoe is one of the oldest towns in Holstein.

As early as 810 AD, Charlemagne built the Esesfeld castle in the Oldenburgskuhle, 2 kilometres from the later town, as protection against the Danes marauding from the north, but this has no direct connection with the development of Itzehoe. Under its protection, Archbishop Ebbo of Reims built a small monastery or prayer house, the ‘cella Welanao’, in the summer of 823 in what is now Münsterdorf as a base for the Christian mission he initiated in Denmark. The larger Echeho Castle, built around 1000 in the nearby meander of the River Stör, became the nucleus of a settlement that developed into a trading town, favoured by the granting of the Lübeck rights (1238), combined with freedom from customs duties, which at that time was only granted to Hamburg in the country, and later the right to stack goods (1260). During this time, Itzehoe was involved in the salt, cloth and grain trade and was at times an important hub in European east–west trade. Further settlements developed on the other side of the river around the monastery courtyard (around 1260) and around the Church of St. Laurentii (first mentioned in 1196).

As part of the Duchy of Holstein, Itzehoe remained under the rule of the Danish crown from 1460 until 1864.

In the 16th century, the proximity to Burg Breitenburg, the ancestral seat of the Rantzau family, who were the governors of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein on behalf of the Danish king, was particularly beneficial. Heinrich Rantzau, in particular, expanded the economic infrastructure of the surrounding area and promoted the Itzehoe monastery. He also built a city palace on Breiten Straße, which no longer exists today, and expanded the Rantzau family's burial grounds in the church. He also initiated the installation of the first organ in St. Laurentii Church and the promotion of church music. The first depiction and written description of the city in Braun and Hogenberg's map collection was commissioned directly by Heinrich Rantzau.

During the Thirty Years' War, the town was repeatedly occupied and plundered, but there was no major destruction because the town council surrendered the town to General Wallenstein without a fight in 1627. This allowed Itzehoe to maintain its status as the fifth of the eighteen towns of Schleswig-Holstein.

Climate

Itzehoe has an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification).

Sights

The Church of St. Laurentii and the building in which the Holstein estates formerly met are noteworthy. The town has a convent founded in 1256, many schools, a hospital and other benevolent institutions.

Itzehoe is also the location of the Wenzel Hablik Museum which is dedicated to the work of the utopian and expressionist artist architect Wenzel Hablik, who settled in Itzehoe in 1907, where he pursued architectural and interior design projects. Hablik produced designs for furniture, textiles, tapestries, jewellery, cutlery and wallpaper. In 1917, he married the German weaver and textile designer Elisabeth Lindemann (1879–1960). They shared a workshop and a studio in Itzehoe.

Theatre

Theatre has been performed in Itzehoe for at least two hundred years. Even Hans Christian Andersen attended several plays during his stays in Itzehoe in 1843 and 1844. The first permanent theatre was located on Reichenstraße from the 1890s onwards, and since September 1992 it has been housed in the newly built theatre itzehoe in the city centre. It was designed by Gottfried Böhm and built at a cost of approximately €20 million. It seats between 570 and 1,100 people, depending on the seating arrangement. The oval, circus tent-like design enhances the theatre's multifunctionality.

The repertoire ranges from spoken and musical theatre to ballet, dance theatre, cabaret, pantomime and shows to chamber and symphony concerts. In addition, children's and youth theatre performances, as well as the possibility of holding congresses, conferences, seminars, trade fairs and similar events, make this striking building a community centre. In 2017, the theatre was recognised as a cultural monument.

In August 2009, the Itzehoe Theatre served as a ‘recording studio’ for Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who recorded a CD there.

Transport

Itzehoe is situated at the Marsh Railway and offers connections to Hamburg and the island of Sylt.

During the period up to and including the Wacken Open Air festival many festival goers depart for the festival from Itzehoe using the 'Metal Shuttle Bus’, which leaves from near Itzehoe station. During this time the town can become very overcrowded and inundated with traffic.

Economy

According to a study conducted by the University of Cologne, Itzehoe already offered the best climate for start-ups in Germany in 2007. The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT) and the Society for Technology Promotion Itzehoe mbH (IZET Innovation Centre Itzehoe) are among the most important economic factors in the entire region. As a result, a number of well-known high-tech companies in the fields of computer chip and battery cell manufacturing and renewable energies have settled in Itzehoe, mainly in the ‘InnoQuarter’ industrial park around the ISIT. These include the companies Vishay, Prokon and CustomCells. In 2025, an additional university chair for battery cell research was established, which is based at ISIT.

Other major companies in the city include Itzehoer Versicherungen, Pano Verschluss GmbH and the pump manufacturer Flowserve SIHI. Alliance Healthcare Deutschland (formerly Andreae-Noris Zahn / ANZAG), the cement manufacturer Holcim and plants belonging to the pharmaceutical manufacturer Pohl-Boskamp have sites near the city.

The largest single employer is the Itzehoe Clinic, with approximately 3,000 employees.

Twin towns – sister cities

Itzehoe is twinned with:

Cirencester, England, United Kingdom

La Couronne, France

Pasłęk, Poland

Notable people

Adolf IV of Holstein (before 1205–1261), a Count of Schauenburg (1225–1238)

Johannes Loccenius (1598–1677), a German jurist and historian

Joachim Irgens von Westervick (1611–1675), Dano-Norwegian official and estate owner, important financial magnate and entrepreneur

Bendix Grodtschilling (ca 1620 – 1690), a Danish painter and carpenter.

Werner Fabricius (1633–1679), organist and composer

Bendix Grodtschilling the Younger (1655–1707), a Danish painter.

Ludvig Nicolaus von Scheele (1796–1874), a Danish statesman, Danish Foreign Minister, 1855 to 1857.

Carl Julian (von) Graba (1799–1874), German lawyer and ornithologist who visited and studied the Faroe Islands

Peter Christoph Hagemann (1810–1853), neoclassical Danish architect

Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan (1859–1939), a Danish sculptor.

Elisabeth Lindemann (1879–1960), weaver, textile designer and photographer; lived locally from 1917.

Bruno Adler, (DE Wiki) (1896–1954), Bishop of the German Christians

Erika Thimey (1910–2006), dancer and dance educator, mainly based in Washington, D.C.

Sabine Sinjen (1942–1995), film actress