Hamelin

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For other uses, see Hamelin (disambiguation).

Hamelin (Hameln)


Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Hamelin-Pyrmont
Population	58,872 (2005)
Area	102.30 km²
Population density	575 /km²
Elevation	68 m
Coordinates	52°6′ N 9°21′ E
Postal code	31785-89
Area code	05151
Licence plate code	HM
Mayor	Susanne Lippmann
Website	hameln.de

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: 58,872 (as of 2005).

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

1 History
2 Subdivisions
3 Population
4 Famous citizens
5 External links

[edit] History

The town is famous for the folk tale of The Pied Piper of Hamelin (German: Rattenfänger), a medieval tale that tells of a tragedy that befell the town in 1284. 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.

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.

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

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.

After the Second World War, Hamelin prison was used by the British Occupation Forces for the detention of German war criminals. More than 200 of them were hanged there; among them Irma Grese and Josef Kramer.