The Brothers GrimmThe Brothers Grimm

by: Julie Doyleby: Julie Doyle

a.k.a. Luciaa.k.a. Lucia

The Grimm Family Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was born on

January 4, 1785 Wilhelm Carl Grimm was born on February

24, 1786 Jacob and Wilhelm had 6 brothers and 1

sister, 3 of the brothers died when they were just infants

In 1796 Philip Grimm, their father dies leaving their mother Dorethea to raise them by herself

The loss of the father had declassed the family

Early Years

In 1798 the two brothers move to Kassel to live with their aunt

From there they are able to attend the University of Marburg to study law like their father

In 1806 they become influenced by Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, it is then that they begin to collect folktales (Märchen).

In 1808 Dorethea Grimm dies To help support the family Jacob takes a job

as a librarian at Kassel Soon after Wilhelm takes a job as a

secretary along side of Jacob

Kinder und-HausmärchenKinder und-Hausmärchen

Over 40 people helped deliever fairy Over 40 people helped deliever fairy tales and folklore to the brotherstales and folklore to the brothers

In 1812 the first volume of Children’s In 1812 the first volume of Children’s and household tales was published and household tales was published containing over 86 folktalescontaining over 86 folktales

Another volume of “Kinder und-Another volume of “Kinder und-Hausmärchen” was published in1814 Hausmärchen” was published in1814 making the brothers a household making the brothers a household namename

Some StoriesSome Stories Aschenputtel/CinderellaAschenputtel/Cinderella Rumpelstilzchen/RumpelstilzchenRumpelstilzchen/Rumpelstilzchen Schneewitchen/Snow WhiteSchneewitchen/Snow White Rotkäppchen/Little Red Riding HoodRotkäppchen/Little Red Riding Hood Rapunzel / Rapunzel Rapunzel / Rapunzel Dornröschen / Sleeping BeautyDornröschen / Sleeping Beauty Der Froschkönig / The Frog KingDer Froschkönig / The Frog King Hänsel und Gretel / Hansel and Gretel Hänsel und Gretel / Hansel and Gretel Von dem Fischer un syner Fru / The Fisherman & Von dem Fischer un syner Fru / The Fisherman &

His WifeHis Wife Daumesdick / Tom Thumb Daumesdick / Tom Thumb Die Gänsemagd / The Goose Girl Die Gänsemagd / The Goose Girl

IllustrationsIllustrations

IllustrationsIllustrations

Violent ThemesViolent Themes

Many of the stories had Many of the stories had rather violent themesrather violent themes

Todays versions of the Todays versions of the stories are toned down stories are toned down compared to the compared to the originalsoriginals

It’s thought that the It’s thought that the brothers actually went brothers actually went back to make the stories back to make the stories more violent then they more violent then they originally wereoriginally were

Violent ThemesViolent Themes Doves peck out the eyes of Cinderellas Doves peck out the eyes of Cinderellas

StepsistersStepsisters Briar Rose’s (sleeping beauty) suitors bleed to Briar Rose’s (sleeping beauty) suitors bleed to

death outside of her castledeath outside of her castle The Queen in “Snow White” is forced to wear red-The Queen in “Snow White” is forced to wear red-

hot iron slippers on and dance until her deathhot iron slippers on and dance until her death In “The Juniper Tree” a mother decapitates her In “The Juniper Tree” a mother decapitates her

son, chops up his body, and feeds it to her son, chops up his body, and feeds it to her husband in a stewhusband in a stew

In “Hansel and Gretel” the witch is thrown into In “Hansel and Gretel” the witch is thrown into her own stove and is baked aliveher own stove and is baked alive

Later Years Jacob and Wilhelm receive honorary doctorates from the

University of Marburg in 1819 Wilhelm marries in 1825 to Dorothea (Dortchen) Wild

who had once helped providing the brothers with folktales

In 1829 The Grimms resign their positions as librarians in Kassel and accept positions at the University of Göttingen as librarians and professors.

1837-1841. Professors Grimm join five of their university colleagues in a formal protest against a constitutional violation of Ernst August, King of Hannover. The seven professor (Die Göttinger Sieben) are fired. The Grimm brothers receive many offers for new positions, and finally accept appointments at the University of Berlin.

Later Years The Grimms continue their scholarly work and

political activities, but finally give up their formal appointments at the University of Berlin (Jacob in 1848, Wilhelm in 1852) in order to dedicate themselves to their own studies and research.

Wilhelm Grimm dies December 16, 1859, at the age of 73

. Jacob Grimm dies September 20, 1863, at the age of 78.

Work Cited

• http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm.html• http://www.fln.vcu.edu/grimm/

grimm_menu.html• http://www-personal.ksu.edu/

~ajc5656/biography.html • The Hard Facts of the Grimm’s Fairy

Tales by Maria Tatar