Hamelin

:For the town in France , see Hamelin, Manche.

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Hamelin (German: Hameln) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont. The Weser river runs through the town. Population: 59,156 (as of 2002).

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The town is famous for the folk tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin (German: Rattenf?nger). The version written down by the Brothers Grimm made it extremely popular throughout the world; it is also the subject of a well-known poem by Robert Browning. Although Hamelin has a fine medieval old town with some remarkable buildings, the main attraction is the Pied Piper tale. In the summer every Sunday the tale is played by actors in the authentic places.

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There was a monastery at the place, which was founded as early as 851. A village grew in the neighbourhood and became a town in the 12th century. The incident with the Pied Piper is said to have happened in 1284 and may be based on a true event, although somewhat different from the tale. In the 15th and 16th century Hamelin was a minor member of the Hanseatic League.

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In June 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, Lothar Dietrich Freiherr von B?nninghausen, a General with the Imperial Army, lost a battle near Hamelin to Swedish General von Kniphausen.

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The era of greatest wealth began in 1664, when Hamelin became a fortified border town of the Duchy of Brunswick-Calenberg. In 1867 the town became a part of Prussia.

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Hamelin is also the gateway to the surrounding Weserbergland mountains, which can be visited by hikers and bikers.

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Hamelin-Pyrmont: Hamelin-Pyrmont (German: Hameln-Pyrmont) is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Schaumburg, Hanover, Hildesheim and Holzminden, and by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (district of Lippe)....

Weser: The Weser () is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by (the confluence of) the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic (Hanseatic League) port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is a...

The Pied Piper of Hamelin: :This page is about the traditional German folk tale; for other definitions of The Pied Piper, see Pied Piper (disambiguation)....

Hamelin related Images and Photos (experimental)

Pied Piper of Hamelin

The Children of Hamelin Follow the Pied Piper and are Not Seen Again

The Pied Piper of Hamelin