According to Wikipedia: "From the 13th century up to 1559 Dithmarschen was an independent peasants' republic within the Holy Roman Empire... Several times neighbouring princely rulers, accompanied by their knights and mercenaries tried to subdue the independent ministate to feudalism, however, without success."

Obviously I use the term communist more as a joke, since their National Missions in Europa Universallis IV have titles like "the means of production" and "the conquest of bread", but it's quite remarkable how a bunch of peasents, not connected or subservient to any merchant family, were able to defend a region from foreign incursors and govern themselves for centuries, during the late medieval and early modern ages, no less.

Are there any detailed historical records about it, how it worked, how day-to-day life operated? Any major research concerning this particular member of the Hansa, and it's relationship to the other trading cities?