Hameln, English Hamelin, city, Lower Saxony Land (state), north-central Germany. It lies along the Weser River, southwest of Hannover. Originating around the Abbey of St. Boniface, which was founded by monks from Fulda at the end of the 8th century, Hameln was a market centre dependent on the Abbey of Fulda until 1259. Chartered about 1200, it passed to the dukes of Brunswick and later became a member of the Hanseatic League.
