HAMELN

English Hamelin city, Lower Saxony Land (state), north-central Germany. It lies along the Weser River, southwest of Hannover. Originating around the Abbey of St. Boniface, which was founded by monks from Fulda at the end of the 8th century, Hameln was a market centre dependent on the Abbey of Fulda until 1259. Chartered about 1200, it passed to the dukes of Brunswick and later became a member of the Hanseatic League. The well-known legend of the ratcatcher, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, became associated in the 16th century with the alleged departure and fate of the children of Hameln in 1284. One hypothesis links the story with an exodus of the young men in connection with the German colonization of the east. The Pied Piper has also been likened to Nicholas of Cologne, who in 1212 led thousands of German children on the ill-fated Children's Crusade. There is a ratcatcher collection in the local history museum, and there are ratcatcher inscriptions on two of the town's many notable half-timbered Renaissance houses, the Rattenfngerhaus (Ratcatcher's House) and the Hochzeitshaus (Wedding House). Hameln is the central city of the Weser Highland scenic region and nature park. It is a commercial centre with a rail junction and river port. Its industries include the manufacture of carpets, chemicals, machinery, and food products. Pop. (1995 est.) 58,923.