Wilhelm Grimm Popular Books

Wilhelm Grimm Biography & Facts

The Brothers Grimm (die Brüder Grimm or die Gebrüder Grimm), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of folktales, popularizing stories such as "Cinderella" ("Aschenputtel"), "The Frog Prince" ("Der Froschkönig"), "Hansel and Gretel" ("Hänsel und Gretel"), "Town Musicians of Bremen" ("Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten"), "Little Red Riding Hood" ("Rotkäppchen"), "Rapunzel", "Rumpelstiltskin" ("Rumpelstilzchen"), "Sleeping Beauty" ("Dornröschen"), and "Snow White" ("Schneewittchen"). Their first collection of folktales, Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), began publication in 1812. The Brothers Grimm spent their formative years in the town of Hanau in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel. Their father's death in 1796 (when Jacob was 11 and Wilhelm was 10) caused great poverty for the family and affected the brothers many years after. Both brothers attended the University of Marburg, where they developed a curiosity about German folklore, which grew into a lifelong dedication to collecting German folktales. The rise of Romanticism in 19th-century Europe revived interest in traditional folk stories, which to the Brothers Grimm represented a pure form of national literature and culture. With the goal of researching a scholarly treatise on folktales, 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 folktales, the brothers wrote collections of well-respected Germanic and Scandinavian mythologies, and in 1838 they began writing a definitive German dictionary (Deutsches Wörterbuch), which they were unable to finish. The popularity of the Grimms' collected folktales has endured. They are available in more than 100 translations and have been adapted by renowned filmmakers, including Lotte Reiniger and Walt Disney, in films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the mid-20th century, Nazi Germany used the tales as propaganda; later in the 20th century, psychologists such as Bruno Bettelheim reaffirmed the work's value despite the cruelty and violence in some of the tales' original versions, which were eventually sanitized by the Grimms themselves. Biography Early lives Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm were born on 4 January 1785 and 24 February 1786, respectively, in Hanau in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, within the Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany), to Philipp Wilhelm Grimm, a jurist, and Dorothea Grimm (née Zimmer), daughter of a Kassel city councilman. They were the second- and third-eldest surviving siblings in a family of nine children, three of whom died in infancy. In 1791 the family moved to the countryside town of Steinau during Philipp's employment there as a district magistrate (Amtmann). The family became prominent members of the community, residing in a large home surrounded by fields. Biographer Jack Zipes writes that the brothers were happy in Steinau and "clearly fond of country life". The children were educated at home by private tutors, receiving strict instruction as Lutherans, which instilled in both a lifelong religious faith. Later, they attended local schools.In 1796 Philipp Grimm died of pneumonia, causing great poverty for the large family. Dorothea was forced to relinquish the brothers' servants and large house, depending on financial support from her father and sister, who was then the first lady-in-waiting at the court of William I, Elector of Hesse. Jacob was the eldest living son, forced at age 11 to assume adult responsibilities (shared with Wilhelm) for the next two years. The two brothers then followed the advice of their grandfather, who continually exhorted them to be industrious.The brothers left Steinau and their family in 1798 to attend the Friedrichsgymnasium in Kassel, which had been arranged and paid for by their aunt. By then they were without a male provider (their grandfather died that year), forcing them to rely entirely on each other and become exceptionally close. The two brothers differed in temperament—Jacob was introspective and Wilhelm was outgoing (although he often suffered from ill health)—but shared a strong work ethic and excelled in their studies. In Kassel they became acutely aware of their inferior social status relative to "high-born" students who received more attention. Each brother graduated at the head of his class, Jacob in 1803 and Wilhelm in 1804 (he missed a year of school due to scarlet fever). Marburg After graduation from the Friedrichsgymnasium, the brothers attended the University of Marburg. The university was small with about 200 students, and there they became painfully aware that students of lower social status were not treated equally. They were disqualified from admission because of their social standing and had to request a dispensation to study law. Wealthier students received stipends, but the brothers were excluded even from tuition aid. Their poverty kept them from student activities or university social life, but their outsider status worked in their favor and they pursued their studies with extra vigor.Inspired by their law professor, Friedrich von Savigny, who awakened in them an interest in history and philology, the brothers studied medieval German literature. They shared Savigny's desire to see the unification of the 200 German principalities into a single state. Through Savigny and his circle of friends—German romantics such as Clemens Brentano and Ludwig Achim von Arnim—the Grimms were introduced to the ideas of Johann Gottfried Herder, who thought that German literature should revert to simpler forms, which he defined as Volkspoesie (natural poetry)—as opposed to Kunstpoesie (artistic poetry). The brothers dedicated themselves with great enthusiasm to their studies, of which Wilhelm wrote in his autobiography, "the ardor with which we studied Old German helped us overcome the spiritual depression of those days."Jacob was still financially responsible for his mother, brother, and younger siblings in 1805, so he accepted a post in Paris as Savigny's research assistant. On his return to Marburg he was forced to abandon his studies to support the family, whose poverty was so extreme that food was often scarce, and take a job with the Hessian War Commission. In a letter to his aunt from this time, Wilhelm wrote of their circumstances: "We five people eat only three portions and only once a day". Kassel Jacob found full-time employment in 1808 when he was appointed court librarian to the King of Westphalia and went on to become a librarian in Kassel. After their mother's death that year, he became fully responsible for his younger siblings. He arranged and paid for his brother Ludwig's studies at ar.... Discover the Wilhelm Grimm popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Wilhelm Grimm books.

Best Seller Wilhelm Grimm Books of 2024

  • Werke von Wilhelm Grimm synopsis, comments

    Werke von Wilhelm Grimm

    The Brothers Grimm

    4 Werke von Wilhelm Grimm Deutscher Literaturwissenschaftler, Bibliothekar, Jurist, Herausgeber mittelhochdeutscher Literatur Werke (17861859) Dieser Band enthält eine Sammlung von...

  • 7 best short stories - Iceland synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Iceland

    Steigrumur J. Porsteinsson, Einar H. Kvaran, Jón Trausti, Gunnar Gunnarsson, Steingrímur J. Þorsteinsson & August Nemo

    Icelanders have the highest literacy rates in the world. This is largely due to the rich literary tradition developed in this region. In this book, August Nemo brings seven short s...

  • 7 best short stories - Work synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Work

    O. Henry, James Joyce, Anton Chekhov, Willa Cather, George Gissing, Gustave Flaubert, Sherwood Anderson & August Nemo

    Money and the social effects of having it or not is too big a theme in people's daily lives to be ignored by literature. The writers gave the most varied interpretations and ...

  • Katze und Maus in Gesellschaft synopsis, comments

    Katze und Maus in Gesellschaft

    The Brothers Grimm

    Eine Katze und eine Maus schließen Bekanntschaft. Die Katze gesteht der Maus Freundschaft und gar große Liebe, so dass die Maus einwilligt, ein gemeinsames Haus zu beziehen. Gemein...

  • 7 best short stories - War synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - War

    Nathaniel Hawthorne, Talbot Mundy, Luigi Pirandello, William Dean Howells, Stephen Crane, Guy de Maupassant, Ambrose Bierce & August Nemo

    War has been part of human history since its inception. Of course, it has also left a strong imprint on the imagination of the writers of all times. Check out the stories that have...

  • German Household Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm synopsis, comments

    German Household Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

    Jacob C Grimm

    This book contains a collection of Grimm's stories. This book was created from a scan of the original artifact, and as such the text of the book is not selectable or searchabl...

  • De Goosdeern synopsis, comments

    De Goosdeern

    Klaus-Peter Asmussen

    Der neunte Band der Reihe "Märkens up Platt" mit dem Titel "De Goosdeern" enthält wiederum ausschließlich Geschichten, die den "Kinder und Hausmärchen" der ...

  • 7 best short stories - Coming of Age synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Coming of Age

    Kate Chopin, George Moore, Sherwood Anderson, Katherine Mansfield, Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Joyce & August Nemo

    Becoming an adult is a difficult process, often painful and always unforgettable. Cultures and religions have always tried to demarcate this passage with a rite or public ceremony,...

  • 7 best short stories - Paris synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Paris

    E.T.A. Hoffmann, Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, Eugène François Vidocq, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Honoré de Balzac & August Nemo

    The city of Paris is part of the world's fantasy. Whether as the birthplace of democratic revolutions, or as the capital of love and romance. Writers and artists from all over ...

  • 7 best short stories - Werewolves synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Werewolves

    Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexandre Dumas, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, Ambrose Bierce, Saki (H.H. Munro), Robert E. Howard & August Nemo

    The myth of the werewolf is ancient, dating back to medieval times or earlier. Like the vampire, it suffered several modifications over time. In this book the critic August Nemo br...

  • Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten synopsis, comments

    Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten

    The Brothers Grimm

    Märchen sind wunderbar und wunderbar zeitlos. Sie dürfen in keinem Kinderzimmer fehlen. Das Märchen von den Bremer Stadtmusikanten ist ein Klassiker von den Gebrüdern Grimm. Und da...

  • Aschenputtel synopsis, comments

    Aschenputtel

    The Brothers Grimm

    Märchen sind wunderbar und wunderbar zeitlos. Sie dürfen in keinem Kinderzimmer fehlen. Das Märchen vom Aschenputtel ist ein Klassiker von den Gebrüdern Grimm. Und das Wichtigste: ...

  • Der Wettlauf zwischen dem Hasen und dem Igel synopsis, comments

    Der Wettlauf zwischen dem Hasen und dem Igel

    The Brothers Grimm

    An einem sonnigen Sonntag ging ein Igel gut gelaunt über's Feld. Dort traf er den frechen Hasen, der ihn wegen seinen kurzen Beinen verspottete. Das möchte sich der schlaue Ige...

  • Die alte Bettelfrau synopsis, comments

    Die alte Bettelfrau

    The Brothers Grimm

    Märchen sind wunderbar und wunderbar zeitlos. Sie dürfen in keinem Kinderzimmer fehlen. Das Märchen von der alten Bettelfrau ist ein Klassiker von den Gebrüdern Grimm, gerade zu We...

  • 7 best short stories - Money synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - Money

    O. Henry, W. W. Jacobs, James Joyce, D. H. Lawrence, Saki (H.H. Munro), F. Scott Fitzgerald & August Nemo

    Money and the social effects of having it or not is too big a theme in people's daily lives to be ignored by literature. The writers gave the most varied interpretations and ...

  • Cuentos de los Hermanos Grimm synopsis, comments

    Cuentos de los Hermanos Grimm

    Hermanos Grimm

    Brujas, pillos, animales parlanchines, sapos besucones, enanos, princesas, príncipes… Los cuentos de los Hermanos Grimm han servido de inspiración para numerosas adaptaciones fílmi...

  • Rumpelstilzchen synopsis, comments

    Rumpelstilzchen

    The Brothers Grimm

    Märchen sind wunderbar und wunderbar zeitlos. Sie dürfen in keinem Kinderzimmer fehlen. Das Märchen vom Rumpelstilzchen ist ein Klassiker von den Gebrüdern Grimm. Und das Wichtigst...

  • The Wild Girl synopsis, comments

    The Wild Girl

    Kate Forsyth

    One of six sisters, Dortchen Wild lives in the small German kingdom of HesseCassel in the early 19th century. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to the boy next door, the handsom...

  • Schneewittchen synopsis, comments

    Schneewittchen

    The Brothers Grimm

    Zu den bekanntesten Märchenfiguren weltweit gehört die wegen ihrer Schönheit, ihrer Freundlichkeit und ihrer unschuldigen Art in Verbindung mit einem zunächst ungerechten Schicksal...

  • Contes de Jacob et Wilhelm Grimm - Classiques et Patrimoine synopsis, comments

    Contes de Jacob et Wilhelm Grimm - Classiques et Patrimoine

    The Brothers Grimm

    Hansel et Gretel échappent à une sorcière, le Roi BarbeAffreuse apprend la modestie à son épouse... Issus des traditions populaires, les contes des frères Grimm conjuguent à mervei...

  • Deutsche Sagen synopsis, comments

    Deutsche Sagen

    Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm

    Nach über zehnjähriger Sammeltätigkeit veröffentlichten Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm in den Jahren 1816 und 1818 die "Deutschen Sagen" in zwei Bänden ihr zweites großes Sammelwerk nach...

  • 7 best short stories - London synopsis, comments

    7 best short stories - London

    August Nemo, Louisa May Alcott, Virginia Woolf, Stephen Crane, Henry James, Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Conrad & Robert Louis Stevenson

    London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, London is considered to be one of the world's most important global cities. Such a historically import...

  • Wilhelm Carl und Dortchen Grimm - Vorfahren der Generation I-X synopsis, comments

    Wilhelm Carl und Dortchen Grimm - Vorfahren der Generation I-X

    Klaus H. Wachtmann

    Wilhelm Carl und Dortchen Grimm. Vorfahren der Generationen iX.

  • Die sieben Raben synopsis, comments

    Die sieben Raben

    The Brothers Grimm

    Märchen sind wunderbar und wunderbar zeitlos. Sie dürfen in keinem Kinderzimmer fehlen. Das von den sieben Raben ist ein Klassiker von den Gebrüdern Grimm. Und das Wichtigste: Märc...

  • Cinderella synopsis, comments

    Cinderella

    Jacob Wilhelm Grimm & Jana Stankovianska

    The original 1884 version of this timeless classic fairytale written by the Grimm Brothers. This new ebook adaptation of the book includes original, customcreated full page illustr...