Grimm, Brothers
Grimm, Brothers (Jacob Grimm, 1785–1863, and Wilhelm Grimm, 1786–1859).The Brothers Grimm produced a world‐renowned tale collection, the Kinder‐ und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales) and laid the foundations for the historical study of German literature and culture.
Their father, the son and grandson of Reformed (Calvinist) Protestant pastors, served the Count of Hanau as a lawyer, and from 1791 to 1796 Jacob and Wilhelm enjoyed an idyllic childhood in the spacious grounds and imposing house of their official residence. With their father's sudden death in January 1796 the family's fortunes sank dramatically, and in 1798 the two boys were put in the care of a Cassel aunt so that they could prepare for university entrance.
Intended for the law, Jacob and Wilhelm were both drawn instead to German medieval literature at the University of Marburg. In 1805 Jacob left...
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