Who Were the Brothers Grimm? - Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm - loved folktales and became the most famous collectors of fairy tales of all time.
Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were born in Hanau, today’s Germany. From early age, the brothers were inseparable. The boys were young when their father died. They were sent away to school in Kassel where they could get proper education. Later, both brothers decided to study law, following in the footsteps of their father. But at their hearts’ was a different interest. They both loved literature, and telling each other stories: myths, fables, and fairy tales.
They spent many evenings at one of their professor’s home. Professor Savigny taught them how to study old manuscripts. At his house, they met many writers and artists. They all had a great appreciation for German history. Clemens Brentano, poet, had an idea to collect German folk songs, but they were rarely written down like fairy tales. This inspired the brothers to collect the fairy tales.
In order to collect those unwritten fairy tales, they sought storytellers who turned out to be local women. At the end of 1812, they published eighty-six stories which became an immediate success. The second volume included seventy stories.
While working at the library and on other projects, Wilhelm published German Legends in 1816, and Jacob published German Grammar in 1819.
When they accepted positions at University of Gottingen, Wilhelm turned out to be a patient and popular lecturer, which wasn’t the same with Jacob who turned out to be a better scholar. In 1835, Jacob published German Mythology.
When the new king took over the reign, he wanted to take people’s rights away. Both brothers and five other professors protested. This resulted in all of them losing their positions, and other people were afraid to go against the king to hire them. But all over Germany students, faculty, and townsfolks collected money for them.
Soon, a publisher asked both brothers to create a German dictionary. The brothers involved over fifty scholars to help them collect words. At the time, the most important European scholars were members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. They awarded money to scholars for their research projects. Both brothers were invited to join the Academy. They happily accepted their new position.
By February 1841, the Grimms moved to Berlin where for the first time they gave lectures to large audience. The several hundred listeners cheered loudly making Jacob pause to collect his thoughts, and moving Wilhelm to tears. This was the biggest praise they have received for their work.
They became the celebrities, dining with the new king and his family, and receiving honors for their work all across the world.
After the death of Wilhelm on December 16, 1859, Jacob continued the work on the dictionary until his death on September 20, 1863.
This biography exemplifies two characters that showed the true love for their history and storytelling by collecting the unwritten stories and preserving them for generations. “The fairy tales live on because they teach us to see the world differently.” The Grimm brothers initially wanted to preserve the fairy tales for the German people, but in reality they did it for the world. Grimm’s fairy tales have been translated into more than 160 different languages, and adapted into countless movies and plays.
TRENDING INSPIRATION: Open up to the magical world. Wake up your childhood creativity. Deepen the forgotten hobbies.
Traits:
·
Both brothers studied law, following in the
footsteps of their father, but at their hearts’ was a different interest –
literature and telling stories.
·
When a German poet gave an idea to collect
German folk songs, which were rarely written down like fairy tales, this
inspired the brothers to collect the fairy tales.
·
They persisted with their endeavor. In order to
collect the fairy tales, the brothers had to visit many houses as the
storytellers turned out to be local women. The published fairy tales became
immediate success.
·
They stood up for freedom. When the new king
wanted to take people’s rights away, they spoke up and lost their positions.
·
When a publisher asked the brothers to create a
German dictionary, they involved over fifty scholars to help them collect
words. The act of collaboration led them to even a greater position at the
Berlin Academy of Science.
“Thus
it is with proud silly people, who think themselves above everyone else, and
are too proud to ask or take advice.” – Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
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