Weekly Classics Discussions

The Brothers Grimm

"Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?"

~ Brothers Grimm.

The Grimm Brothers, Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786-1859), were German scholars and authors who collected and popularized traditional folktales from the Germanic region. They are most famous for their collection of fairy tales, known as Grimm's Fairy Tales.
They popularized stories such as "Cinderella" ("Aschenputtel"), "The Frog Prince" ("Der Froschkönig"), "Hansel and Gretel" ("Hänsel und Gretel"), "Little Red Riding Hood" ("Rotkäppchen"), "Rapunzel", "Rumpelstiltskin" ("Rumpelstilzchen"), "Sleeping Beauty" ("Dornröschen"), and "Snow White" ("Schneewittchen").

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in Hanau, Germany, to Philipp Wilhelm Grimm, a lawyer, and Dorothea Grimm. They were the second and third oldest siblings in a family of nine children, three of whom died in infancy. Both brothers were interested in language and literature from a young age and went on to study law and philology at the University of Marburg.

In 1812, the Grimm Brothers began collecting folktales and legends from the Germanic region, inspired by the work of other scholars who had done similar work in other countries. They believed that these tales were a valuable part of German cultural heritage and set out to preserve them for future generations.
Over the years, the brothers collected more than 200 tales, which they edited and published in several editions of their book, Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales), commonly known as Grimm's Fairy Tales. The first edition was published in 1812, and the final edition, with more than 200 stories, was published in 1857.

The Grimms' stories have continued to be resilient and popular around the world. The tales are available in more than 100 translations and have been adapted by renowned filmmakers, including Lotte Reiniger and Walt Disney, with films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In addition to their work on fairy tales, the Grimm Brothers were also interested in linguistics and language studies. They published a German dictionary, which took them more than 20 years to complete, and wrote several other books on linguistics and literature.
In their research, the brothers made a science of the study of folklore (see folkloristics), generating a model of research that "launched general fieldwork in most European countries", and setting standards for research and analysis of stories and legends that made them pioneers in the field of folklore in the 19th century.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm remained close throughout their lives, working together on their research and writing. They both died in Berlin, Jacob in 1863 and Wilhelm in 1859. Their legacy continues to this day, with their fairy tales being beloved by children and adults around the world and their linguistic work being studied and appreciated by scholars.

Discussion Questions :

What was your favorite Grimm's Fairy Tale growing up, and why?

What do you think it is about fairy tales and folktales that continues to captivate people of all ages and cultures?

What impact do you think the Grimm Brothers' work had on the development of children's literature and storytelling?

What other collections of folktales or fairy tales have you enjoyed reading, and how do they compare to the Grimm Brothers' collection?

Always open to additional comments and discussions on Brothers Grimm and their works.

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Resources:
Wikipedia: The Brothers Grimm