Hi, I'm Hazel

My fascination with the Pied Piper of Hamelin began many years ago, when my imagination was first captured by Robert Browning's famous poem.

I never imagined that one childhood fascination would eventually lead me into libraries, archives and forgotten manuscripts, following the trail of a mystery that has endured for more than seven centuries.  

At first, I simply wanted to learn more. One book led to another, one question led to the next, and before long I found myself exploring the work of the eighteenth-century pastor Christoph Friedrich Fein.

Studying his remarkable book opened a door into a much bigger world of historical research, where every answer seemed to uncover another question waiting to be explored.    

What I love most about historical research is that it feels a little like following a trail through an ancient forest. Some paths lead exactly where you expect; others disappear completely; and every now and then you stumble across something wonderful that you never knew was there.

Through The Hamelin Project, I hope to share not only the discoveries, but also the excitement, curiosity and occasional unexpected paths that make the journey so rewarding.

The journey continues in the Research Journal, where new discoveries are added as the project unfolds.