The Brothers Grimm

From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World

Jack Zipes

• Verlag: Routledge
• Jahr: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000448573
• Auflage: 1
• Thema: Literature
• Thema: Literary Criticism

Most of the fairy tales that we grew up with we know thanks to the Brothers Grimm. Jack Zipes, one of our surest guides through the world of fairy tales and their criticism, takes behind the romantics mythology of the wandering brothers. Bringing to bear his own critical expertise, as well as new biographical information, Zipes examines the interaction between the Grimms' lives and their work. He reveals the Grimms' personal struggle to overcome social prejudice and poverty, as well as their political efforts - as scholars and civil servant - toward unifying the German states. By deftly interweaving the social, political, and personal elements of the lives of the Brothers Grimm, Zipes rescues them from sentimental obscurity. No longer figures in fairy tale, the Brothers Grimm emerge as powerful creators, real men who established the fairy tale as one of our great literary institutions. Part biography, part critical assessment, part social history, the Brothers Grimm provides a complex and very real story about fairy tales and the modern world.

1 Once There Were Two Brothers Named Grimm: A Reintroduction

DOI: 10.4324/9781003209478-1

Many are the fairy tales and myths that have been spread about the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. For a long time it was believed that they had wandered about Germany gathering tales from the lips of doughty peasants and that all of these tales were genuinely German. Although much of what had been believed has been disproved by recent scholarship,¹ new rumors and debates about the Grimms keep arising. For instance, one literary scholar has charged the Brothers with manufacturing the folk spirit of their tales in order to dupe the general public in the name of a nefarious teutonic nationalism.² Certain other criticis claim to have found racist and sexist components in the tales and argue for their expurgation.³ A number of psychologists and educators are engaged in battle over the question as to whether the tales have possible harmful or therapeutic effects.⁴ Curiously, most of the critics of the Grimms' tales say very little about the Brothers themselves or their method of collecting and revising the tales — as though the Grimms were incidental to their tales. Obviously, this is not the case, and in view of their 200th birthdays, celebrated in 1985 and 1986 with much ado throughout the world, it is time to set the record straight.⁵

Just who were the Brothers Grimm and how did they discover those tales, which may now be the most popular in the world? Why and how did the Brothers change the tales? And what is the significance of the "magic" of those tales today?

A fairy—tale writer could not have created a more idyllic and propitious setting for the entrance of the Brothers Grimm into the world. Their father Philipp Wilhelm Grimm (1751-1796), a lawyer, was ambitious, diligent, and prosperous, and their mother Dorothea (née Zimmer, 1755—1808) was a devoted and caring housewife, who tended at times to be melancholy due to the familial burdens that were at times overwhelming. Initially the Grimms settled in the quaint village of Hanau, and during the first twelve years of their marriage, Dorothea gave birth to nine children, of whom six survived: Jacob Ludwig Grimm (1785-1863), Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786-1859), Carl Friedrich Grimm (1787-1852), Ferdinand Philipp Grimm (1788-1844), Ludwig Emil Grimm (1790-1863), and Charlotte Amalie (Lotte) Grimm (1793-1833). By 1791 the family had moved to Steinau, near Kassel, where Philipp Grimm had obtained an excellent position as district magistrate (Amtmann) and soon became the leading figure of the town. He and his family lived in a large comfortable home there and had servants to help with the domestic chores. As soon as the children were of age, they were instructed in reading, writing, and mathematics by a private tutor and then sent to a local school, where they received a classical education. They were also given strict religious training in the Reform Calvinist Church and throughout their lives, Jacob and Wilhelm remained deeply religious and set high moral standards for themselves. They were bright, hardworking pupils and were clearly fond of country life. Their familiarity with farming, nature, and peasant customs and superstitions would later play a major role in their research and work in German folklore. At first, though, both boys appeared destined to lead secure, successful lives, following in the footsteps of their father, whose seal was Tute si recte vixeris — "He cannot go wrong whose life is in the right." To be sure, this was the path that Jacob and Wilhelm did take, but it had to be taken without the guidance of their father.

Philipp Grimm contracted pneumonia and died suddenly in 1796 at the age of forty–four. The suddenness of his death was a traumatic shock and led to great familial hardships. Within weeks after his burial, Dorothea Grimm had to move out of the large house and face managing her six children without servants or much financial support. From this point on, the family was totally dependent on outside help, particularly on Johannes Hermann Zimmer, the Grimms' grandfather, and Henriette Zimmer, their aunt. Jacob was compelled to assume the duties of head of the family, and both he and Wilhelm "lost their childhood," so to speak, because of their heavy responsibilities. Their correspondence with their grandfather and aunt between the ages of eleven and thirteen reflects a remarkable degree of maturity and seriousness.⁶ Clearly, they were under great pressure to succeed in all their endeavors for the sake of the family and its reputation. For instance, by 1798 their aunt Henriette, who was a lady—in—waiting for the princess of Hessia–Kassel, arranged for Jacob and Wilhelm to study at the prestigious Lyzeum (high school) in Kassel and obtained provisions and funds for the family. On this occasion, their grandfather wrote: "I cannot repeat enough to you to keep in mind the reason for which you are in your present position. This means, that you should apply yourselves as industriously as possible in and outside the classroom so that you may prepare your future welfare, gain honor, and provide pleasure for your mother, me, and the entire family. Therefore, avoid bad company, try to associate with reasonable men from whom you can always gain some profit, and above all, fear God, who is the beginning and end of all wisdom."⁷

The move to Kassel brought about a momentous change in the lives of the Brothers Grimm. Not only did it mean the final abandonment of an idyllic childhood in the country, but their initiation into manhood was also complicated by the absence of a primary male protector — i.e., their father, who could explain the class system and codes that set arbitrary obstacles and barriers blocking their development. The result was that the Grimms became acutely aware of class injustice and exploitation. To compound matters, just as they entered the Lyzeum and were about to prove themselves as gifted students, their grandfather, whom they had greatly admired, died, and they were virtually left to themselves to determine their future and that of their family. Although the Brothers were different in temperament — Jacob was introverted, serious, and robust; Wilhelm was outgoing, gregarious, and asthmatic — they were inseparable and totally devoted to each other. They shared the same room and bed and cultivated the same work habits: in high school the Grimms studied more than twelve hours a day and were evidently bent on proving themselves to be the best students at the Lyzeum. That they were treated by some teachers as socially inferior to the other "highborn" students only served to spur their efforts. In fact, the Grimms had to struggle against social slights and financial deprivation during a good part of their lives, but they never forgot their father's motto, Tute si recte vixeris, and they were to become famous in Germany during their own time not only because of their accomplishments as scholars but also because of their great moral integrity and political courage.

Although each one was graduated from the Lyzeum at the head of his class, Jacob in 1802 and Wilhelm in 1803, they both had to obtain special dispensations to study law at the University of Marburg because their social standing was not high enough to qualify them for automatic admission. Once at the university they had to confront yet another instance of injustice, for most of the students from wealthier families received stipends, while the Grimms had to pay for their own education and live on a small budget. This inequity made them feel even more compelled to prove themselves at Marburg — which at that time was a small university with 200 students, most of whom were more interested in the social activities at fraternities and taverns than their studies. Jacob spent his first year acquainting himself with the university routine and the best professors, and he continued to apply himself "industriously" in a manner that would make his dead grandfather proud of him, as did Wilhelm when he arrived one year later.

By this time Jacob's intellectual abilities and keen mind had drawn the attention of Friedrich Karl von Savigny, the genial founder of the historical school of law, who was to exercise a profound personal and professional influence on the Brothers throughout their lives. Savigny argued that the spirit of a law can be comprehended only by tracing its origins to the development of the customs and language of a people who share them and by investigating the changing historical context in which the laws developed. Ironically, it was Savigny's emphasis on the philological-historical aspect of law that would eventually lead Jacob and Wilhelm to dedicate themselves to the study of ancient German literature and folklore. During their early school years, at Kassel, the Brothers had already become voracious readers, particularly of novels and romances, and had begun collecting books in an endeavor to classify literature according to aesthetic and historical standards. At Marburg, they learned from Savigny how a historical method can help determine the origins not only of law but of literature as well in relation to the culture of a particular nation.

In 1805 Savigny invited Jacob to accompany him to Paris as his assistant on a project concerned with the history of Roman law. While in Paris, Jacob collected documents and material that were related to German customs, law, and literature, and felt more drawn to the study of ancient German literature than anything else. Upon returning to Germany in 1806, Jacob made the final decision to abandon the study of law to see if he could somehow earn a livelihood as a scholar of philology and literature. He left the university and rejoined his mother, who in the meantime had moved to Kassel. Given the pecuniary situation of the family, it was Jacob's duty, as head of the family, to support his brothers and sister, and he found a position as secretary for the Hessian War Commission, which made decisions with regard to the conflict with France. Fortunately for Jacob, he was able to pursue his study of old German literature and customs on the side, while Wilhelm remained in Marburg to complete his legal studies.

The correspondence between Jacob and Wilhelm during this time reflects their great concern for the welfare of their family.⁸ With the exception of Ludwig, who later became an accomplished painter and also illustrated some of his brothers' fairy tales, the other children had difficulty establishing careers for themselves. Neither Carl nor Ferdinand displayed the intellectual aptitude that the two oldest brothers did or the creative talents of Ludwig. Carl eventually tried his hand at business and ended up destitute as a language teacher, while Ferdinand had many different jobs in publishing and later died in poverty. Lotte's major task was to assist her mother, who died in 1808. After the mother's death, which deeply upset each member of the family, Lotte managed the Grimm household until she married a close friend of the family, Ludwig Hassenpflug, in 1822. Hassenpflug became an important politician in Germany and eventually had a falling out with Jacob and Wilhelm because of his conservative and opportunistic actions as statesman.

While Ludwig, Carl, Ferdinand, and Lotte were young, they were chiefly the responsibility of Jacob, who looked after them like a stern, but caring father. Even Wilhelm regarded him as such and acknowledged his authority, not only in family matters, but also in scholarship. It was never easy for Jacob to be both brother and father to his siblings — especially after the death of their mother when they barely had enough money to clothe and feed themselves properly. It was also during the period 1806-1810 — when each member of the family was endeavoring to make a decision about a future career and concerned about the stability of their home — that Jacob and Wilhelm began systematically gathering oral and literary tales and other materials related to folklore. Clemens Brentano, a gifted romantic writer, who became a good friend, had requested that the Grimms help him collect tales for a volume that he intended to publish some time in the future. The Grimms responded by collecting oral tales with the help of friends and acquaintances in Kassel and by selecting tales from old books and documents in their own library. However, the Grimms were unable to devote all their energies to their research and did not have a clear idea about the significance of collecting folk tales in this initial phase.

It was during this stage, in 1807, that Jacob lost his job on the War Commission — when Kassel was invaded by the French and became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia under the rule of Jerome Bonaparte. Soon thereafter came the death of their mother, and it was imperative that Jacob find some new means of supporting the family. Although he had a strong antipathy to the French, he applied for the position of King Jerome's private librarian in Kassel and was awarded the post in 1808. This employment enabled him to pursue his studies and help his brothers and sister. Wilhelm had to undergo a cure for asthma and heart disease in Halle. Ludwig began studying at the Art Academy in Munich, and Carl started working as a businessman in Hamburg, while Ferdinand was looking for a job.

From 1809 to 1813 came a period of relative stability for the Grimm family, and Jacob and Wilhelm began publishing the results of their research on old German literature: Jacob wrote Über den altdeutschen Meistergesang (On the Old German Meistergesang), and Wilhelm, Altdanische Heldenlieder, Balladen und Märchen (Old Danish Heroic Songs, Ballads, and Tales), both in 1811. Together they published in 1812 Die beiden ätesten deutschen Gedichte aus dem 8. Jahrhundert: Das Lied von Hildebrand und Hadubrand und das Wessobrunner Gebet, a study of the Song of Hildebrand and the Wessobrunner Prayer. Of course, their major publication at this time was the first volume of the Kinder–und Hausmächen (Children's and Household Tales) with scholarly annotations, also in 1812.

The Napoleonic Wars and French rule were most disquieting for both Jacob and Wilhelm, who were dedicated to the notion of German unification. Neither wanted to see the restoration of oppressive German princes, but they did feel a deep longing to have the German people united in one nation through customs and laws of their own making. Thus, in 1813 they were relieved when the French withdrew from Kassel and were defeated in battles throughout Central Europe. In 1814 Jacob was appointed a member of the Hessian Peace Delegation and served as a diplomat in Paris and Vienna, where he was also able to gather significant books and materials for his and Wilhelm's scholarly work on ancient German literature and customs. During his absence Wilhelm obtained the position of secretary to the royal librarian in Kassel and concentrated on bringing out the second volume of the Children's and Household Tales in 1815. When the peace treaty was concluded in Vienna, Jacob, who had been writing political articles for a journal criticizing the petty disputes among the German princes, returned home and was further disappointed to find that the German sovereigns were all seeking to reestablish their narrow, vested interests in different German principalities and had betrayed the cause of German unification.

After securing the position of second librarian in the royal library of Kassel, Jacob joined Wilhelm in editing the first volume of Deutsche Sagen (German Legends) in 1816. During the next thirteen years, the Grimms enjoyed a period of relative calm and prosperity. Their work as librarians was not demanding, and they could devote themselves to scholarly research and the publication of their findings. Together they published the second volume of German Legends (1818), while Jacob wrote the first volume of Deutsche Grammatik (German Grammar, 1819) and Deutsche Rechtsaltertümer (Ancient German Law, 1828) by himself, and Wilhelm produced a translation of Irische Land—und Seemärchen (Irish Elf Tales, 1826) and Die deutsche Heldensage (The German Heroic Legend, 1829)

In the meantime, there were changes in the domestic arrangement of the Grimms. Lotte moved out of the house to marry Ludwig Hassenpflug in 1822, and a few years later, in 1825, Wilhelm married Dortchen Wild, the daughter of a Kassel pharmacist. She had known both brothers for over twenty years and had been part of a group of storytellers who had provided the Grimms with numerous tales. Now it became her task to look after the domestic affairs of the Brothers, for Jacob did not leave the house. Indeed, he remained a bachelor for his entire life and never cared much for socializing. The Grimms insisted on a quiet atmosphere and a rigid schedule at home so that they could conduct their research and write without interruptions. Although Wilhelm continued to enjoy company and founded a family — he had three children with Dortchen — he was just as much married to his work as Jacob, and nothing could ever come between Jacob and him. Since Dortchen had been well–acquainted with the Brothers before her marriage, when she assumed her role in the family, she fully supported their work and customary way of living.

In 1829, however, when Ludwig Völkel, the first librarian of the royal library, died, and his position in Kassel became vacant, the Grimms' customary life style and domestic tranquillity were broken. Jacob, who had already become famous for his scholarly publications, had expected to be promoted to this position. But he did not have the right connections and the proper conservative politics, and his application for the vacant position, as well as Wilhelm's request for a promotion, was rejected by the Kurfürst of Kassel.⁹ In reaction to this sl...