150 years of the pied piper poetry: Julius Wolff in the limelight Hameln!

150 years of the pied piper poetry: Julius Wolff in the limelight Hameln!

Hameln, Deutschland - Today, on June 14, 2025, we remember the fascinating story of the Pied Piper of Hameln, which remains alive in numerous stories and artistic representations. This remarkable legend, which originated in 1284, still captivates millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that more than a billion people know the story that has been translated into over 30 languages. In countries like Japan and the USA, the legend is an integral part of school lessons, where children follow the story with great enthusiasm. The Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as numerous cultural adaptations in film, literature and music testify to the continued interest in the Sage.

The story revolves around a mysterious man who appeared in Hameln and promised to free the city from its rat plague. With his magical pipe, he lured the rats, which then jumped into the Weser. However, this heroic deed was overshadowed by a nasty fraud when the citizens of Hameln could not do their promise to pay the pieder. In response to it, the pied piper, disguised as a hunter this time, returned and took the children with them. 130 of them disappeared mysteriously, only two returns - one blind, the other silent. The exact origins of this narrative are unclear, but it is assumed that it has arisen from two independent legends that combine the topics of the rat displacement and children's extracts.

Julius Wolff's legacy

150 years ago, in 1875, the writer Julius Wolff released a remarkable versepo for the rat finger saga. This publication was not only significant in literary, but also helped the Pied Piper from Hameln to new popularity. Wolff, who was born in Quedlinburg in 1834 and described himself to journalism after an career in cloth fabrication, was fascinated by popular topics and historical fabrics. His poetry "Ratfänger-Aventiure" is heavily influenced by Victor von Scheffel and consists of 18 chapters in which he represents the figure of the rat truck as a seducer and "girls catcher", while at the same time describing life in Hameln in detail.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn when the fishing daughter Gertrud, into which the pied catcher is in love, commits suicide from despair after he is convicted by the citizens. Wolff's work caused a sensation and has been printed in numerous editions since his first publication. On the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the Pied Piper, Wolff was even appointed honorary citizen of Hameln in 1884. The celebrations attracted thousands of visitors, and a fountain with figures by Gertrud and Hunold was built in the city, which was later dismantled at the end of the 1920s.

the legend and its relevance

The legend of the pieder has produced many interpretations over the centuries and has also laid the foundation for numerous cultural reflections. At the moment, the story is again illuminated by the production of a ZDF series entitled "Hameln", which is to be broadcast in 2024. In the film industry, too, the legend was recently taken into account with the horror film "The Pied Piper", which was shot in Hameln in 2020. There are no historical evidence of the payment of a rat truck, but the mystical elements and the various theories to emigrate the Hameln children, which may have been led to the east colonization, fascinate.