Covington in Kenton County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 26, 2016

1. The Pied Piper of Hamelin Marker

Inscription. According to legend, the town of Hamelin, Germany was once infested with rats. In desperation, the townspeople agreed to pay a piper to rid it of the vermin. He accomplished the task with the aid of his pipe, but the people refused to pay. In retaliation, he played his pipe again, luring their children into a mysterious cave in the mountainside. Only one crippled boy was unable to follow. The children never returned.

(Some trace the legend to the Children's Crusade of 1212 when 40,000 German children, inspired by religious zeal, were led over the Alps toward the Holy Land. They, too, never returned.)

The story is preformed above on the bell tower by 21 separate mechanical figures, including the piper, mayor, "weeping women", nine children and nine rats.

Erected 1980 by Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, Main Strasse Village.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Notable Events. A significant historical year for this entry is 1212.

Location. 39° 5.053′ N, 84° 31.236′ W. Marker is in Covington, Kentucky, in Kenton County. It is on Philadelphia Street north of West 6th Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Covington KY 41011, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Outer Bluegrass. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Ohio River Valley. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Frank Duveneck (1848 - 1919) / Eminent Artist (within shouting distance of this marker); German Gothic Glockenspiel Clock Tower (within shouting distance of this

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marker); Goebel Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Una Merkel ~~ Film Star (within shouting distance of this marker); Major League Baseball (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert L. Surtees / Academy Award Winner (within shouting distance of this marker); William Goebel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Haven Gillespie (1888-1975) (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Covington.

More about this marker. The marker is in Goebel Park. If you can spot the tower, you can find the marker. (If you can't spot the tower, get your eyes checked.)

Also see . . .
1. Pied Piper of Hamelin (Wikipedia). "The Pied Piper of Hamelin (German: Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the titular character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages, the earliest references describing a piper, dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing, who was a rat-catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. When the citizens refuse to pay for this service, he retaliates by using his instrument's magical power on their children, leading them away as he had the rats. This version of the story spread

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 26, 2016

2. The Pied Piper of Hamelin Marker - wide view

The marker is visible here on the right side of the base of the bell tower.

as folklore and has appeared in the writings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning, among others." (Submitted on March 7, 2020.)

2. Goebel Park Bell Tower Playing The Pied Piper Chime #3 (YouTube, 1 min.). (Submitted on March 7, 2020.)

No, kids, don't follow that man! image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 26, 2016

3. No, kids, don't follow that man!

<i>Pied piper of Hamelin</i> image. Click for full size.

Kate Greenaway (courtesy of the New York Public Library), 1910

4. Pied piper of Hamelin

Nearby dedication plaques image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 4, 2021

5. Nearby dedication plaques

Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,675 times since then and 105 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 7, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 5. submitted on September 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.