Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two of the most recognizable names in childhood fairy tales. Jacob (born January 4th, 1785) and Wilhelm (born February 24th, 1786) in Hanau, Germany (who2). The boys were about a year apart, and were very close their whole life, due largely (it is speculated) to their unfortunate beginnings.
The brothers were two of a total of nine children (Jacob was the eldest), two of only six who had survived past infancy, and only one of which was a girl. They spent their early years in the country with their parents, until their father (named Philipp) died when the boys were fairly young. The family moved after the death to smaller residence with a Grandfather, when he died a short time later, the family moved again, and suffered even more under the effects of poverty.
It is largely misunderstood that the Brothers who were the ones wrote the stories in their book, while the brothers had collected them, they did not ‘write’ (or come up with) them. The stories were collected from various sources. People had wrongly assumed that these stories were collected from poor people from various areas, but many of the stories were stories repeated by upper class people. People who had over heard their servants’ stories.
It was when the Grimm Brothers were (about) 27 and 28 years old, they published a book titled ‘Children’s and Household Tales,’ a collection of folk lore tales that they had collected together. The Brother’s also spent a good deal of time researching the stories that they came across. This book (and others) would included many stories that would thrive in popularity for decades to come, including such classic favorites as Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin and more. This collection of ‘fairy stories’ would later become known as ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales.’ A book which can still be found and purchased today.
The Brothers worked on many books, and many collections. However, not all of their work meet with wide spread favor. In fact, many people were upset that the ‘Children’s Tales,’ were not ‘German enough’ and didn’t include enough of a moral. In order to please the critics of the book, the Brothers went through the collection and made several changes in order to make it a more crowd pleasing experience.
Aside from collecting these treasured stories and folk lore, the Brothers were professors, and linguists, studying many time important materials.
The Bothers lived when the Germany was a very different place, having underwent many major changes. The ties that bound the 39 various sized German states was the language that they all shared, which was what had (partly) motivated the Brothers in their works. The Brothers wanted to inspire Germany to have a sort of “sense of identity.”
The Brother’s goal carried them on to several additional great works (of varying popularity), for example, a bible, and the Brother’s other publications, including a dictionary. Which, was in fact a good part of the first large step towards creating a more standardized ‘modern’ German language. Their dictionary set had 33 volumes, and even today it is considered to be the standard source for German etymology. While they started the collection in 1838, the Brothers were only able to get through ‘F,’ before they died. The work was not fully ‘completed’ until 1960 (wikipedia).
While Wilhelm got married, in 1825, his brother Jacob, never married (Jacob still continued to spend a large portion of his life living with his brother). Wilhelm would die first at age 78, December of 1859 (who2). Jacob would follow a few years later in September of 1863, both leaving a legacy behind that would echo in the mind of history.
