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Jacob Grimm

Historical Figure

Jacob Grimm

1785–1863

German linguist, jurist and mythologist

Enlightenment

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Biography

Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm, also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He formulated Grimm's law of linguistics, and was the co-author of the Deutsches Wörterbuch, the author of Deutsche Mythologie, and the editor of Grimms' Fairy Tales. He was the older brother of Wilhelm Grimm; together, they were the literary duo known as the Brothers Grimm.

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Timeline

The story of Jacob Grimm, told in moments.

1812 Event

Published the first volume of Grimm's Fairy Tales with Wilhelm. 86 stories collected from oral tradition. Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin. They presented them as folk research. Children found them anyway.

Did you know those fairy tales would outlive everything else? Were the stories darker than people think?
1822 Event

Published Deutsche Grammatik, establishing Grimm's Law. It showed systematic sound shifts between Germanic and other Indo-European languages. The "p" in Latin "pater" becomes "f" in English "father." He mapped the pattern.

Is Grimm's Law your proudest achievement? What was it like discovering a pattern in how languages change?
1838 Event

Began work on the Deutsches Worterbuch, a comprehensive German dictionary. It was the German equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary. The brothers finished through the letter F. It wasn't completed until 1961.

Did you know the dictionary would take over a century to finish? Was starting it an act of faith?

Artifacts (15)

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

More than 200 tales by Brothers Grimm

1993
Works Read Talk

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm

They saw their work in gathering the fairy tales of Europe as an academic exercise, but the Brothers Grimm-aka German folklorists and linguists JAKOB (1785-1863) and WILHELM GRIMM (1786-1859)-are...

2009
Works Read Talk

Teutonic Mythology

An exhaustive study of Germanic folklore by linguist and philologist Jacob Grimm, first published in English between 1880 and 1888.

2012
Works Read Talk

Grimm's Fairy Tales (Illustrated)

A collection of Grimm's fairy tales illustrated by Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane (100 tales with 300 illustrations).

2013
Works Read Talk

Grimms' Fairy Stories

From famous stories like "Hansel and Grethel" and "Cinderella" to the lesser-known "One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes," this collection of twenty-five fairy tales is full of talking animals, naughty...

2014
Works Read Talk

Grimms' Fairy Tales Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

Children's and Household Tales (German: Kinder- und Hausm�rchen) is a collection of German fairy tales first published in 1812 by the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm. The collection is commonly...

2016
Works Read Talk

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales

A truly complete collection of fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm featuring color plates and illustrations from award-winning illustrator, Arthur Rackham.

2016
Works Read Talk

Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

Children's and Household Tales (German: Kinder- und Hausm�rchen) is a collection of fairy tales first published in 1812 by the Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm. The collection is commonly known in...

2017
Works Read Talk

Grimms' Fairy Tales

Grimms' Fairy TalesBy Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm GrimmTime passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not listen to it...

2018
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Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Illustrated

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were two of 10 children from their mother Dorothea (née Zimmer) and father Philipp Wilhelm Grimm. Philipp was a highly regarded district magistrate in Steinau an der Straße,...

2021
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Grimm's Fairy Tales

There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house...

2021
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Grimm's Fairy Stories

Grimm's Fairy Stories weaves an enchanting tapestry of folklore that peeks into the vibrant stratum of early 19th-century Germanic storytelling tradition. At its core, the collection is an homage to...

2022
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Grimms' Fairy Tales: Grimms' Fairy Tales: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Share Classic Folktales

Welcome to the enchanting world of "Grimms' Fairy Tales" by Jacob Grimm, a timeless collection of folk tales and fables that have captured the imaginations of readers for centuries. Prepare to be...

2023
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Grimms Fairy Tales: Grimms’ Fairy Tales: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's Endless World of Enchantment

Welcome to the enchanting world of "Grimm's Fairy Tales" by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, a timeless collection of magical stories that have captivated readers of all ages for generations. Prepare to...

2024
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Grimm's Household Tales: With the Author's Notes

1884
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