The Brothers Grimm were German linguists and folklorists who left a significant legacy in linguistics and cultural studies. Their work on early Germanic sound change established the concept of regular sound changes in comparative and historical linguistics. They collected folklore and fairy tales, inspiring many books and films. The Brothers Grimm were educated in Kassel and Marburg and conducted field research throughout the German-speaking world. They were fired from the University of Goettingen in 1837 but received many job offers from universities throughout modern Germany. Jakob and Wilhelm both died in the mid-19th century, but their legacy lives on.
Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, popularly known as the Brothers Grimm or the Brothers Grimm, were 19th-century German linguists and folklorists. They left a significant legacy to the field of linguistics in their work related to early Germanic sound change, which established the concept of regular sound changes that has become a fundamental tenet of modern comparative and historical linguistics. The work of the Brothers Grimm is also indispensable for Western European cultural studies. The folklore and fairy tales they have collected are loved by children all over the world and have inspired many books and films. Such works include: Snow White, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin and Hansel and Gretel.
The Brothers Grimm were two of five siblings. Jakob and Wilhelm were born in 1785 and 1786 respectively in Hanau in Hesse. During their lifetime, what is now known as Germany was simply an area of hundreds of small political entities, united by little more than geography and a common language. Through their linguistic work, the Brothers Grimm were instrumental in establishing a unified German culture and presented a standardized version of the German language in the Deutsches Woerterbuch, considered the definitive authority on German etymology, or the origin of words, to this day.
The Grimm brothers were both educated at the Friedrichs-Gymnasium in Kassel and later at the University of Marburg. They conducted field research for their linguistic study throughout the German-speaking world, soliciting stories from their informants for the purpose of documenting their speaking styles. Volumes of the stories thus collected were published in 1812 and 1814, and numerous editions appeared during the Brothers Grimm’s lifetime. In 1816 and 1818, two more volumes of German folklore were published. In 1819 the Brothers Grimm received an honorary doctorate from the University of Marburg.
A few years later, in 1830, the Grimm brothers moved to Goettingen to become university professors. In 1837 they were among seven professors at the University of Goettingen who opposed the plan of King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover to abolish his state constitution. As a result, the Brothers Grimm were fired, along with their colleagues, but public and academic opinion supported them, and the brothers received many job offers from universities throughout modern Germany. In 1841 they accepted positions at the University of Berlin.
Jakob Grimm left the University of Berlin in 1848, followed by Wilhelm in 1852, to pursue personal academic interests. Wilhelm Grimm died on December 16, 1859 and Jakob on September 20, 1863. However, their legacy of linguistic methodology, beloved stories, and German cultural unity lives on to the present.
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