History of Hameln

The written origin of Hameln dates back to the 9th century, but unfortunately in the 1940s (due to war damages and floods) most of the towns books were destroyed and many documents were severely damaged. That is also the case for one of the most important documents, which today is held in the town archieve. The museum exhibits a photograph with the original seal hanging from it: On 28th October 1277, Albrecht, Duke of Braunschweig, confirmed the rights of the town which acknowledged Hameln´s far reaching independence.

Security within Hameln was very apparent, as can be seen by the number of relics and antiques in the collection, such as swords, stakes and hand and foot fetters.