# Does "The Pied Piper of Hamlin" Describe a Real Event?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pied-piper-of-hamlin-describe-a-real-event/521421>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 16, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pied-piper-of-hamlin-describe-a-real-event/521421 "2009-12-16T00:18:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pied-piper-of-hamlin-describe-a-real-event/521421/1 "2009-12-16T00:18:45Z")

</div>

I have read that this famous story is actually founded upon a real event-the migration of young people from Germany to Transylvania (now Rumania), in the 13th century.  
Is this true?  
I was reading about the Transylvanian Germans (who are almost extinct)-they are a fascinating group-as they never assimilated (they kept their language and customs intact).  
Anyone know a good source on this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pied-piper-of-hamlin-describe-a-real-event/521421/2 "2009-12-16T00:39:02Z")

</div>

There’s no definitive answer to this, last I heard.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-pied-piper-of-hamlin-describe-a-real-event/521421/3 "2009-12-16T00:57:32Z")

</div>

Staff report by Euty: Was the Pied Piper of Hamelin a child molester? [Was the Pied Piper of Hamelin a child molester? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2060/was-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-a-child-molester)

> [@](#):
>
> In an article in Time International, Ursula Sautter reports:
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > ```
> > "After the defeat of the Danes at the Battle of Bornhoved in 1227," explains Udolph, "the region south of the Baltic Sea, which was then inhabited by Slavs, became available for colonization by the Germans." The bishops and dukes of Pomerania, Brandenburg, Uckermark and Prignitz sent out glib "locators," medieval recruitment officers, offering rich rewards to those who were willing to move to the new lands. Thousands of young adults from Lower Saxony and Westphalia headed east. And as evidence, about a dozen Westphalian place names show up in this area. Indeed there are five villages called Hindenburg running in a straight line from Westphalia to Pomerania, as well as three eastern Spiegelbergs and a trail of etymology from Beverungen south of Hamelin to Beveringen northwest of Berlin to Beweringen in modern Poland. 
> > 
> > ```