Grimm

Grimm, Jakob Ludwig Karl (1785-1863), and Wilhelm Karl (1786-1859), philologists and antiquaries, were the sons of a public notary at Hanau. The brothers remained together throughout almost the whole of their lives. At the university of Marburg, where they studied law, they fell under the influence of Savigny. In 1808 Jakob was appointed librarian to Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, who held his court near Cassel, and thither he was followed soon afterwards by his brother. The natural bent of the brothers towards the study of folklore and old legends received a fresh impulse from the friendship formed by Wilhelm with some of the leaders of the romantic school, and in 1812 ajupeared the Kinder-unci Haus-Mdrclien, consisting of the fairy tales they had collected, mainly in the wild districts in the neighbourhood. This volume has become a household favourite in every country of Europe, and has also done much to promote the scientific study of folklore. Jakob was present as Secretary of Legation at the Congress of Vienna, and in 1815 was sent to Paris to recover the MSS. and art treasures stolen by the French. In 1816 he became second librarian in the Cassel museum, where his brother already held a post. Here they remained until 1828, publishing their collection of German Sagas in 1816-18. In 1819 appeared the first volume of Jakob's German Grammar, the second edition of which (1822) contained the enunciation of Grimm's law (q.v.). In 1828 the brothers removed to Gottingen, Jakob as Professor of German Literature, Wilhelm as sub-librarian. Jakob's German Mythology was published in 1835. In consequence of their protest against the unconstitutional measures of King Ernest Augustus, they were banished from Hanover in 1837. In 1840 they were invited to Berlin. They now undertook the gigantic German Dictionary which is still incomplete. Jakob's Grammar and Mythology were epoch-making works in their respective spheres. Of Wilhelm's independent writings the most important was the German Heroic Soyas (1829.)