Hi, I'm Hazel
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.
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. That's very much how The Hamelin Project has unfolded.
One question leads to another, an apparently insignificant footnote opens an unexpected door, and a search for one thing quite often turns up something far more interesting.
I especially love the moment when something that has been sitting quietly in an old book, manuscript or archive catalogue suddenly begins to make sense — or, just as often, raises an entirely new question.
Through The Hamelin Project, I hope to share not only what I discover, but something of the experience of discovering it: the curiosity, the false starts, the unexpected rabbit holes, and those wonderful moments when another little piece of the puzzle falls into place.
Follow the investigation →
