The term “Wetter Hameln 16 Tage” refers to a 16-day period of rainy weather in the German town of Hamelin. The phrase is most commonly used in the context of the Pied Piper legend, in which a piper is hired to rid the town of rats and, when he is not paid, takes revenge by leading all of the town’s children away. In the legend, the piper leads the children to a mountain, where they all disappear. The 16-day period of rain is said to have begun on the day the children disappeared and to have lasted until the day they were finally found.
The phrase “Wetter Hameln 16 Tage” has become a popular idiom in Germany, used to describe a period of bad weather or a time of misfortune. It is also used as a warning to those who do not keep their promises, as the piper’s revenge in the legend is seen as a punishment for the town’s failure to pay him.
