A rich couple longed for a child. The wife prayed under a juniper tree, and eventually gave birth to a boy as white as snow and red as blood
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859), were German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the 19th century. They were among the first and best-known collectors of folk tales, and popularized traditional oral tale types such as “Cinderella,” “The Frog Prince,” “The Goose-Girl,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rapunzel,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” and “Snow White.”
Born in Hanau, Germany, the brothers spent most of their childhood in the town of Steinau. They were very close, both in their shared interests and personalities. Their father, Philipp Wilhelm Grimm, was a jurist and town clerk, while their mother, Dorothea Grimm, took care of the children.
The brothers attended the University of Marburg where they developed a curiosity about German folklore, which grew into a lifelong dedication to collecting German folk tales. They were inspired by the works of Karl Freiherr von Savigny, a Prussian jurist and historian who awakened in them an interest in history and philology, the study of language in historical texts.
The rise of Romanticism during the 18th century had revived interest in traditional folk stories, which the brothers thought were reflections of a nation’s ancient cultural identity that should be preserved. They established a methodology for collecting and recording folk stories that became the basis for folklore studies.
Between 1812 and 1857, their first collection was revised and republished many times, growing from 86 stories to more than 200. In addition to writing and modifying folk tales, the brothers wrote collections of well-respected German and Scandinavian mythologies. They also began work on a German dictionary, a massive endeavor that was unfinished at the time of their deaths.
The Brothers Grimm’s works have been translated into more than 100 languages and have inspired countless adaptations in various forms of media, including films, television shows, theatrical performances, and more. Their stories continue to be popular and influential, cherished by children and adults alike around the world.
- The White Snake by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- THE JUNIPER-TREE By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- THE GOLDEN GOOSE By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- Rumpelstiltskin By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- Little Snow-white by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- Little Red Riding Hood by Watty Piper
- Hansel and Gretel By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
The White Snake by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him
Little Snow-white by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
Once upon a time in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow were falling like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window sewing, and the frame
THE GOLDEN GOOSE By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.
Hansel and Gretel By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
“Hansel and Gretel” is one of the most famous fairy tales collected by the Grimm brothers. It likely has roots in older oral folktales
Rumpelstiltskin By Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream of water; and upon the stream there stood a mill. The miller’s house was close
Little Red Riding Hood by Watty Piper
Little Red Riding Hood by Watty Piper There was once a sweet little maid who lived with her father and mother in a pretty little cottage at the edge of the village. At the further end of the wood was another pretty cottage and in it lived her grandmother. Everybody loved this little girl, her…