Brothers Grimm country of origin. Brothers Grimm

Key dates of life and activity 1772 Born in London 1814 Became a major landowner, acquiring the estate of Gatcum Park in Gloucestershire 1817 Published his main work On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, which became the "economic bible"

Main dates of life and activity 1795 Born in Denver 1807 Started working in his brother's shop 1812 Participated in the Anglo-American War 1814 Moved to Baltimore 1827 First visited England to resolve trade issues 1829 Became the main senior partner of Peabody,

Key dates of life and activity 1818 Born in Trier 1830 Entered the gymnasium 1835 Entered the university 1842 Started collaborating with the Rhine Gazette 1843 Married Jenny von Westphalen 1844 Moved to Paris, where he met Friedrich Engels 1845 .arranged

Key dates of life and activity 1837 Born in Hartford 1862 Established J. P. Morgan & Co. in New York 1869 Became vice president of the Olbany & Sascuehanna railroad 1878 John Morgan's bank financed Thomas Edison's project 1892 Founded General Electric 1901 Bought Carnegie Steel from

Wilhelm Grimm (02/24/1786 - 12/16/1859) and Jacob Grimm (01/04/1785 - 09/20/1863) were famous German writers and linguists. They collected numerous folklore of their native country, which was reflected in their fairy tales. Their pen belongs to such works as "Snow White", "The Bremen Town Musicians", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Cinderella". The Brothers Grimm are also the creators of the first dictionary of the German language.

Oh, how many different doubts and temptations there will be, Remember, our life is not a child's game. Drive away temptations, and know the unspoken law: Go, my friend, always go along the path of goodness.

Childhood

The Grimm brothers were born in Germany just over a year apart. The elder Jacob was born on January 4, 1785, and the younger Wilhelm on January 24, 1786. Their father worked as a lawyer in the city of Hanau, he was a legal adviser to the local ruler. In total, the family had six children - in addition to future writers, another boy and three girls.

From birth, the brothers did everything only together - they played, walked, studied. Their favorite pastime was the study of everything that was around. So, they enthusiastically collected herbariums, observed the habits of animals, and then drew what they saw. And they were very fond of listening to various mythological stories and parables that adults told them.

When Jakob and Wilhelm were 11 and 10 respectively, their father passed away. The family was on the verge of death, as they lost their only breadwinner. But a distant maternal relative came to the rescue. This woman took care of the children. She sent her older brothers to study at the Kassel Lyceum, and after that they entered the University of Marburg. And they followed in the footsteps of their father - they began to study law.

Study and the beginning of creativity

While studying at the university, the Grimm brothers showed great talent for science. They were very diligent, and absorbed all the new information with pleasure. The teachers predicted a great future for them in the legal field, but in the end everything turned out differently.

At some point, Wilhelm and Jacob became interested in collecting myths and legends. They met with a number of philologists, who gave them rich food for research. The brothers began to study the origins of numerous fables and parables. They were wondering where the roots of these stories "grow". Professor Friedrich Carl von Savigny had a huge impact on the future of writers. He himself was engaged in the study of ancient manuscripts and often attracted brothers to this occupation.

After graduating from university, Grimm's career paths diverged a bit. Jakob began to work as a lawyer, and Wilhelm as a secretary in the library of the city of Kassel. Moreover, younger brother he envied the elder a little, since the law weighed on him, he wanted to be closer to books. Therefore, at 31, he retired from the service and even turned down a tempting job offer as a teacher at the university. Instead, he got a job in the same library where Wilhelm worked. And together they returned to their favorite pastime - the study of German folklore.

Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Their first collection of folklore was published in 1812, it was called Children's and Family Tales. It includes works known to the whole world today - "Snow White", "The Wolf and the Seven Kids", "The Bremen Town Musicians". There was also the famous Little Red Riding Hood. The literary world already knew this story, since it was written by Charles Perrault more than a hundred years before the Brothers Grimm. But it was the version of Wilhelm and Jacob that became the fairy tale that every child and adult knows today.

All Grimm stories were a reflection of ancient legends, myths and parables. And in their debut collection, they indicated in detail what this or that story was based on. But at the same time, the brothers quite seriously altered the original source, giving it a more literary look and removing absolutely terrible scenes from it. As a result, the collection "Children's and Family Tales" became a real sensation in the philological environment. All the experts who read it noted the main thing - the fairy tales were written in a very lively and simple language, and therefore they fell in love with themselves from the first lines and did not let go until the very end.

In 1815, the second volume of Tales was published. It was supplemented by such works as "The Brave Little Tailor", "Cinderella", "Sleeping Beauty". And the story "About the fisherman and his wife", which was later used as a basis by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in his "Golden Fish".

In total, two volumes of "Tales" contained more than 230 different stories. And many of them have become real classics. These works of the Brothers Grimm were reprinted many times, they were filmed many times. And almost all parents read these fairy tales to their children at night.

German dictionary

But, carried away by the study of folklore, Wilhelm and Jacob did not forget about scientific activities. In the course of their research, they came across such a situation that in Germany at that time there were many different dialect languages. But at the same time there was no single, understandable to all peoples.

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)

Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859)

The Grimm brothers were born in the family of an official in the city of Hanau. Their father was at first a lawyer in Hanau, and then engaged in legal matters at the prince of Hanau. The eldest, Jacob, was born on January 4, 1785, Wilhelm on February 24, 1786. From the early age the brothers were bound by close ties of friendship that lasted all their lives.

The brothers' father died in 1796, and only thanks to the help of their mother's aunt, the Grimm brothers were able to complete their studies, for which they already showed excellent abilities very early. After graduating from the Kassel Lyceum, the brothers entered the University of Marburg, wishing to study law following the example of their father. However, later the Grimm brothers began to devote more and more free time to the study of domestic German and foreign literature and, as a result, they did this all their lives. Since 1805 to 1809 Jacob Grimm was in the service. At first he was Jerome Bonaparte's librarian in Wilhelmsgeg for some time, and then a statistic auditor.

In 1815, he was sent along with a representative of the Electorate of Kassel to the Congress of Vienna. However, the service was a burden to him and in 1816 he left it, having rejected the professorship offered in Bonn, and took the place of a librarian in Kassel, where his brother Wilhelm had been the library secretary since 1814. Both brothers were constantly engaged in their scientific research. This period in their lives was very fruitful. In 1825 Wilhelm Grimm married; but the brothers continued to work together.

In 1829, the director of the Kassel Library died, but his place was taken not by Jacob Grimm, but by a complete stranger. The brothers had to resign.

In 1830, Jacob Grimm was invited to Göttingen as a professor of German literature and senior librarian at the local university. Wilhelm entered the same place as a junior librarian, and in 1835 he was promoted to ordinary professor. But the Brethren's stay in Göttingen was short-lived. A new king came to power in 1837. The brothers protested their change to the constitution and were fired. They had to temporarily settle in Kassel, but they did not have to stay there for long.

In 1840 Friedrich-Wilhelm of Prussia came to the throne, he immediately called the brothers to Berlin. They were elected members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences and received the right to lecture at the University of Berlin. Since then, the Grimm brothers lived in Berlin permanently until their death. Wilhelm Grimm died on December 16, 1859, and four years later, on September 20, 1863, Jacob also died. During their lives, the brothers published many works, and their collection "Children's and Family Tales" published in 1812, thanks to which millions of children around the world learned their fairy tales, rightfully took its place in the treasury of world literature.

Everyone knows the names of Grimm storytellers from childhood. If a book comes across with an inscription on the cover of "Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm", every time with a smile we recall quiet, neat towns, tiled houses. And beautiful princesses, stupid giants, resourceful soldiers, Brave Little Tailor, Little Red Riding Hood...

230 years ago, on January 4, 1785, Jacob Grimm was born in Germany. And Wilhelm Grimm - the next, 1786, February 24th. They were born in the family of a court official from the city of Hanau, then moved to the city of Steinau, studied at the gymnasium in the city of Kassel.

After graduating from the gymnasium in 1802, Jacob Grimm, along with the certificate, received a written review, which Wilhelm could have received with the same reason: “The excellent talents and diligence of this noble young man deserve the highest praise. Showing rare perseverance in mastering the sciences and fine arts ... he discovered not only his natural inclinations and talents, but also a noble and laudable desire to develop and improve them with his work.

The Grimm brothers left the world a huge scientific and literary legacy: "German Grammar", "German Mythology", "Dictionary of the German Language". They lived in a difficult time for their homeland: the invasion of Napoleon, devastation, civil strife. But the brothers lived in isolation and were completely immersed in old manuscripts and books. Folk art was a source of strength and inspiration for them.

“With inexpressibly bitter pain, I saw my homeland humiliated, deprived of all rights. At that time, it seemed to me that all hopes had collapsed and all the stars had set. I came to the idea to re-tie the threads of the work I had begun, no matter how sad it was around. It turned out to be not in vain - I somehow straightened up internally. Jacob Grimm

Why did the brothers decide to devote themselves to philology, because in Marburg they entered the Faculty of Law? They were influenced by a friendship with one of the professors who read Roman law, Friedrich Carl von Savigny. He was a connoisseur and lover of German antiquity, a kind and friendly person. He opened his unique library to the brothers, read fascinating lectures, his example and advice influenced the future of the brothers. A warm response in the souls of the Grimm brothers was also received by a collection of medieval love lyrics - “Songs of the Swabian Minnesingers”, published in 1803 by Ludwig Tiek.

Heinrich Heine wrote: “The service of both researchers to the science of German antiquities is invaluable. One Jacob Grimm has done more for linguistics than the whole ... The French Academy since the time of Richelieu. His "German Grammar" is a gigantic creation, a Gothic cathedral, under the vault of which all the Germanic tribes, like giant choirs, raise their voices, each in his own dialect.

The Grimm brothers were very hardworking (especially Jacob), strict with themselves and impeccably moral people. They only parted in their youth at times and actually spent their whole lives together, under the same roof.

Not only lived - they worked together. Each of them wrote a lot (Jacob - more, Wilhelm - less) under his own signature, but it was not by chance that they had a common literary name - the Grimm brothers. Probably they themselves would not have been able to determine the degree of participation of each in the work of the other. Most often, it took the form of simple daily conversations, advice, discussions, remarks made in passing, or even simply manifested in silent understanding, because each of them, undoubtedly, knew the thoughts of the other as well as their own.

The mature years of their lives were spent in Kassel, Göttingen and Berlin. Books brought some money, and the brothers served in the libraries of the kings, lectured at universities.

“We, like wanderers, survived one rain after another, a storm, sunny days, and when the clouds rose above the mountains, we were still sure that the sun was shining somewhere above us. And we continue to work, and there is no better job in this world than ours.” Wilhelm Grimm

By nature, it should be noted, they were very different people. Jacob was withdrawn, unsociable, a fanatical worker, an armchair recluse. He lived and died a bachelor. All his thoughts were absorbed by science.

Wilhelm was a dreamer, a dreamer, more sociable and gentle than Jacob. Sickly from birth, afraid of dying young, he was more attached than Jacob to the joys of life. Moreover, he was shy and shy. Having decided to marry in the fortieth year, he was afraid to admit it even to his relatives. Jakob informed his relatives and friends about the upcoming marriage of Wilhelm.

Wilhelm's wife was a girl familiar to him from childhood. For many years, Dorothea Grimm was the housekeeper and guardian angel of both brothers, who had difficulty in practical life. She also accompanied them to the grave: Wilhelm - in 1859, Jacob - in 1863.

The head of this family was and always remained Jacob. He also kept the family Bible, on the blank sheets of which he wrote down dates and facts important to the family. His initiative prevailed in scientific work brothers. He put forward ideas, indicated the direction of the search. Jakob was mainly a linguist, Wilhelm a literary critic. In common works, one complemented the other. Wilhelm usually fell to the layout of the text, polishing and finishing the language: more than Jacob, he was gifted with tact and a sense of beauty.

In the literary heritage of the Brothers Grimm, three volumes of "Children's and Family Tales" occupy the most modest place. In addition to them and the German Grammar, there were great amount publications and articles, "German Traditions", "German Mythology" and the first editions of the "Dictionary of the German Language" (death did not allow the brothers to finish the dictionary). But it was "Tales" that ensured the posthumous world fame of the Brothers Grimm.

“Everything beautiful in fairy tales looks golden, even people here are golden, and misfortune is a terrible cannibal giant, who, however, is defeated, as a good fairy stands nearby, who knows how to avert trouble.” Brothers Grimm

In the year 1806 (maybe a little earlier or later) the brothers decided that "the time has come to save the ancient traditions and fairy tales so that they do not disappear in our restless days, like a spark in a well or dew under a hot sun." It was the work of lonely ascetics - some sympathized with her, but helped little or did not help at all.

Jacob and Wilhelm pestered everyone and everyone, asking them to tell them stories. It was not always easy to achieve this. But, perhaps, it was even more difficult to decide what to do with the material received, how to separate the basis of the tale from errors, absurdities and just nonsense. The brothers relied on their intuition and common sense.

The first volume of fairy tales was published in 1812, the second - in 1815, the third and last - in 1822. With the success of the first volume, assistants appeared, and the experience greatly simplified further work. Even during the lifetime of the Brothers Grimm, Tales went through dozens of editions. Wilhelm alone prepared them: Jacob was busy with other things. Each time, Wilhelm revised and edited the entire text, so that we owe the amazing literary perfection of fairy tales to him.

“Fairy tales are told to a child so that in their pure and clear light the first thoughts and forces of the heart are born and mature; a fairy tale knows neither a name nor a locality, it is something common to the whole fatherland. Brothers Grimm

Ivanov S.

Composition "My favorite fairy tale"

For a long time, since childhood, I have loved the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm about the brave tailor. Remember how a resilient tailor killed seven flies in one fell swoop and after such a feat embroidered a formidable inscription on his belt: “When I am angry, I kill seven!” And plum jam is to blame for everything! If not for it, how could the tailor leave his craft, and even imagine himself strong and brave!

Hans went on a journey full of extraordinary adventures. He took with him only a piece of curd cheese. First, the tailor saved a bird entangled in a bush, then he deceived a stupid giant, forced him to drag a heavy tree, and he sat on the branches and sang a song. He managed to circle six strong giants around his finger: they are formidable in appearance, but in fact they are cowardly.

But strong men-robbers are comfortably located in the clearing and do not suspect at all that the end has come to them! And Hans lured the terrible unicorn into a trap so that his only horn was stuck in the trunk.

The cunning tailor defeated the giants, coped with two robbers, defeated the unicorn monster. With his heroism, he frightened the king so much that he left the throne and fled with his retinue. And the tailor was not flattered by the good in the royal palace, but returned home and again began to live in peace and sew. He hung the belt on the wall and saw no more giants, robbers, or unicorns in his lifetime. So the brave tailor tested his courage!

“The work of the collector of legends very soon justifies itself, and a successful find most of all resembles the innocent joy of childhood, when in the moss and dense bushes you come across a bird hatching chicks; the search for legends is the same noiseless removal of dry leaves and careful parting of branches so as not to disturb the peace of their inhabitants and stealthily look into nature itself - unusual, withdrawn into itself, smelling of foliage, meadow grasses and just past rain. Brothers Grimm

Sidorova E.

Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm

Do you know where the Bremen Town Musicians came from? Well, of course you know: from the collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm.

But if you ask who wrote "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Puss in Boots", here, I think, opinions will be divided. Someone will say that he met these heroes thanks to the Brothers Grimm, others will insist that the author of these stories is Charles Perrault, also a very famous writer, only French.

Who is right and who is wrong here? We need to figure it out as soon as possible: others may assume that someone cheated from someone. And since Charles Perrault died at a time when none of the Grimm brothers even thought of being born, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm will naturally be on suspicion. This is, of course, unfair! Those who cheat and cheat will never get a monument, as happened to the Brothers Grimm in their hometown Hanau.

To be honest, neither Charles Perrault nor the Grimm brothers invented anything themselves: the French writer processed French folk tales, Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm are German. The Grimm brothers spent about twenty years of their lives collecting and processing fairy tales, legends and traditions of their native people, and their work made the names of the authors immortal.

Almost simultaneously with the Grimm brothers, Vladimir Ivanovich Dal collected proverbs, sayings, songs and fairy tales in Russia, Alexander Nikolaevich Afanasiev edited Russian folk tales ... And many others.

Why do we appreciate the work of these people, both famous and not so famous? Why collect, process and publish fairy tales at all? different peoples if they are, in general, similar to each other?

Let's take two books: Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm - put them side by side and easily see that the stories repeat themselves in them. And here and there the poor orphan digs in the ashes, and then becomes the bride of a handsome prince; performs his exploits and tricks amazing Boy with a finger; a hundred years will not wake up - waiting for her savior - a young beautiful princess pricked on a spindle ... It's amazing that fairy tales are so similar to each other!

All the adventures that fall to the lot of the hero before he emerges victorious are invented to amuse us. But in fact, a fairy tale is not only moralizing and entertaining reading. She was born, in the language of the Brothers Grimm, "in ancient times, when spells still helped." Much that seems mysterious to us in the narrative contains echoes of the life of our ancestors. A life subject to various rites and rituals. An animal, bird or insect, met by the hero on the way and promising to come to the rescue, is the ancient patrons of the clan from which the hero comes.

What is the difference between the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and the fairy tales of Charles Perrault? Why don't we get bored of reading again and again familiar stories found in collections compiled by different people?

Yes, because they are all very different. Charles Perrault takes a folk tale and retells it in a literary manner, in accordance with the tastes and ideas of his era about the beautiful and entertaining. It turns out elegant and instructive stories about princes and princesses, about real and imaginary marquises, about glorious girls in smart caps and their grandmothers, old but fine. They live in palaces or in neat, clean huts. And they don’t know any troubles in life, except perhaps the Gray Wolf will meet them on the road.

We listen and read Perrault's fairy tales with great pleasure. However, Grimm's fairy tale world is no less interesting! The Grimm brothers lived in a later than Perrault and more democratic era, when the tastes and ideas of the common people did not need to be decorated, ennobled.

“We are handing this book over to benevolent hands, while thinking about the great and good power contained in fairy tales, and we want it not to fall into the hands of those who do not want to give even these crumbs of poetry to the poor and weak.” Brothers Grimm

Remember, of course, the story about two daughters: one is sweet, polite and hard-working, and the other is lazy, unfriendly and angry? The good sorceress generously rewarded the first girl, the poor stepdaughter, for her kind heart, the second - her own daughter, a spoiled rude woman, who, out of greed and envy, ran after her sister for the award, she mercilessly punished. The "Sorceress" of Charles Perrault and the "Madame Blizzard" of the Brothers Grimm are not just sisters, they are almost twins.

But when you read this fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, you think: could it be that the evil, nasty daughter could not pretend to be affectionate and attentive in front of Mrs. Metelitsa for her own benefit? The reader of Charles Perrault does not need to think about this: the sorceress herself changed her appearance. Instead of the expected poor old sorceress, a richly dressed beautiful fairy is waiting for the evil daughter by the well. Here the heroine did not guess that she had to pretend to be helpful and kind. Charles Perrault seeks to link everything, to explain logically. And the Brothers Grimm look at things more simply and, perhaps, deeper: their logic is that rudeness always remains rudeness. And no pretense will hide him from the wise and just look of a fairy tale. Nothing to try.

It would be possible to write "brothers" with a capital letter. It seems so much better - The Brothers Grimm. Although a bit against the rules of grammar! ..

“We were lucky to meet a peasant woman in the village of Niederzweren near Kassel, to whom we are indebted the best fairy tales. This is the wife of a poor cattle breeder, she was not yet 50 years old. She kept in her memory ancient legends - a gift that is not given to everyone. She told fairy tales with pleasure, so that if desired, they could be written down, as if from dictation. Brothers Grimm

Nikolai Gol

About kings and storytellers

At the beginning of the last century, in small towns and villages in Germany, one could often meet two young people asking local residents about something - both old people and children. What were they looking for?

Two gentlemen in frock coats, with hats and waistcoats...

You don't often see people like that dressed up in the villages.

What path brought them here - and, apparently, not a short one, -

on the square of German villages, at fairs and gatherings?

And what is the use for them in the way among the people zatubenny?

Do they want to find an estate for want of it?

Or did the foreign royal court give you a secret mission?

Or do they want to travel all over Germany on a dare?

Or did you decide to open a treasure buried under a mountain?

So why don't they have shovels and spades with them?

The treasure that these two gentlemen wanted to find, rummaging through ancient manuscripts, asking townspeople and peasants in all corners of the country, was not hidden in the ground and not in a fairy-tale cave. The name of this treasure is folk tales. Fairy tales with lucky and witty simpletons, fairies and giants, princesses and princes and, of course, kings...

THERE LIVED IN THE WORLD THE KING, AND HE WAS GLORIOUS ALL OVER THE EARTH BY HIS WISDOM...

The king from the fairy tale "The White Snake", the frog king, the king Drozdovik, the king from the Golden Mountain - there are so many of them, monarchs who settled in fairy tales, collected and processed by the German brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. The authors of dozens of books and publications, "German Grammar", "Dictionary of the German Language", the brothers, not only in fairy tales, but also in life, have seen many rulers. But, it is true, they rarely met with wise kings, emperors and electors.

How many fairy tales on earth - different, dissimilar!

How many different kings - they are dissimilar too.

This one is a coward, and that one is a bulldozer, and this one sleeps on the throne;

one king is the king always, the other - when in the crown.

The king has plenty of land and there will be more tomorrow...

Yes, only in fairy tales kings are more pleasant than in reality!

AT THAT TIME THE KING OF ONE POWERFUL STATE WERE AT WAR...

The Grimm brothers wrote down these words of their future fairy tale “Three Serpentine Leaves” when they were very young and first came close to the royal person. It was in 1808. The king's name was Jerome the First.

For two years now, French troops have captured the city of Kassel in the center of Germany, the capital of the Electorate of Hesse, where the Grimms lived. Dividing the conquered lands, Emperor Napoleon gave the throne of Kassel to his brother Jerome. King Jerome - a merry fellow, a reveler, an empty but good-natured man, appointed the twenty-three-year-old Jacob Grimm to the post of personal librarian. Without any joy, Jacob accepted the place offered by the foreign ruler, but there was no way out: he was the only breadwinner big family. Poetic and dreamy, Wilhelm, in poor health, was a wonderful assistant in science, but not in housekeeping. Scientific works did not bring money.

Without enthusiasm, set to work, Jacob soon found merit in it. Parsing the neglected library, he found priceless old manuscripts in it, which he processed and studied with Wilhelm. Gradually, the book collection came under the hands of Jacob Grimm to strict order. However, a strange feeling did not leave the royal librarian: why did Jerome need a library? Is it that she relied on the king by rank?

King Jerome demanded a volume of novels about this and that.

King Jerome turned the page down to find it later.

King Jerome called friends and girlfriends to a drinking party in the house.

He ordered this very moment to clear the library hall of books.

King Jerome took a huge gulp of cake -

and now King Jerome puts a bottle of wine on the binding.

King Jerome is neither crooked nor chrome - who can compare with him?

Jerome didn't think what the librarian Grimm thought of him...

After a short time, this became completely unimportant, not only for Jerome, but also for the Brothers Grimm themselves. On the streets of Kassel, the hooves of shaggy Cossack horses clattered. Kutuzov's army, having defeated the French in Russia, liberated Europe together with the allied forces.

The Grimm brothers - Jacob and Wilhelm - continued their work.

“Our good companion is the inexhaustible wealth of fairy tales, legends and traditions. Everywhere sadness is interspersed with joy, but joy still prevails ... Poetry is a treasury that the people fill with their spiritual achievements. Brothers Grimm

THEY DECIDED TO GO TO THE KING AND ASK HIM FOR RESIGNATION...

These words from The Brave Little Tailor will still echo in the fate of the brothers, the authors of the tale. For now, they continued to live. Scientific works continued, publications of fairy tales, searched for people who remembered ancient legends. Wilhelm was also accepted into the service. Now both brothers worked in the library - the personal librarians of the Hessian Elector Wilhelm II. So a decade and a half has passed.

The position of the Grimm brothers was somewhat ambiguous: scientists already known throughout Europe, honorary doctors of a good dozen universities, writers whose fairy tales were on the bookshelves in almost every German house, remained servants of the elector. Wilhelm did not read the Second Book at all. But he was a zealous servant and even an innovator in this matter: he introduced a uniform for all his employees, including librarians. This semi-military attire was not very suitable for the Brothers Grimm. But I had to wear it.

Talent is not at court at court -

more expensive is the aglet and the sword on the thigh.

Here they do not read books, archives and papers -

the collar is more important, the cuff is even more important.

The greatness of the court is not in the purity of hearts,

and in a choral "cheers" at the entrance to the palace.

Be like others, be completely obedient,

as long as you don't live in fairyland.

Jacob and Wilhelm were well aware that they did not live in a fairy tale. Therefore, the elector did not ask for anything for himself. And only once did their joint petition lie down on his table.

So the Grimms are leaving? - said, after reading it, the monarch. - Very good! They did absolutely nothing for me!

And he wrote: “Request to satisfy. Wilhelm II".

So, saying goodbye to another monarch without tears, the Grimm brothers went to work in Göttingen, at the university, where they had been invited for a long time.

“Never, from my early youth until now, has any government honored me or a brother with support or an award; as for the former, I sometimes felt the need for it, but never for the latter. This independence hardened me.” Jacob Grimm

THE KING IS ANGRY AND SAYS: “YOU RUDE! GO AWAY!.."

So it was said in the fairy tale "Successful trade". The scandal that erupted at the University of Göttingen in the late autumn of 1837 ended in approximately the same way.

It was not eccentric students, not unbridled schoolchildren who started the turmoil, but respectable professors - seven in number. Among the most active in the "Göttingen Seven", as the rebel professors began to be called, were Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm.

However, the events in Göttingen were not directly related to science. The new king of Hanover, a small state that had its capital in Göttingen, having ascended the throne, canceled the constitution adopted under his predecessor, which was not at all easy to achieve. King Ernst August again made the power of the monarch unlimited. Citizens were again turned into subjects.

The indignation in Göttingen was general, but mostly silent. It is rather dangerous to quarrel with kings. And not only in fairy tales.

University positions were the only means of subsistence for the Brothers Grimm. Both were in their fifties. Wilhelm also had a growing family. And yet the brothers could not help but sign the protest petition sent to Ernst August.

In response, the king banned seven recalcitrant professors from teaching, and expelled the instigators from Hanover under the threat of prison. Among them was Jacob Grimm. In a frosty winter, a carriage took him away from Göttingen. The chest contained books written by Jacob and Wilhelm: the four-volume German Grammar, for which Goethe called Jacob Grimm a powerful genius of language, a collection of ancient laws, German runes and sagas, and, of course, fairy tales, fairy tales, fairy tales...

It can be difficult to live, a terrible hour comes,

but a fairy tale is a thread that binds us.

Not in every fairy tale you will find sense at first glance,

but in every tale the wolf is weaker than the seven kids.

Defeated in a fairy tale troll

and in the best of all worlds, one king is stronger than seven professors.

Let's go our own way, and then we'll see: Ernst August - who is this ?!

And this? BROTHERS GRIMM!

Who is friends with the children of all countries and all lands - Elector Wilhelm II?

No, JACOB AND WILHELM!

King Jerome disappeared like a fleeting smoke,

and you will open the volume and meet the BROTHERS GRIMM!

“As long as I live, I will rejoice in everything that I have done; it will be a great consolation to me if some of my works survive me, they will not lose anything from this, but only gain. Jacob Grimm

Literature

1. Velikanova E. Such baby business... / Pioneer. - 1985. - No. 1.

2. Glazov Yu. Brothers (On the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Brothers Grimm) / Family and school. - 1986. - No. 2.

3. Gol N. About kings and storytellers / Pioneer. - 1984. - No. 4.

4. Gol N. Conversation with the Brothers Grimm / Sparkle. - 1985. - No. 1.

5. Krasnov A.P. Brothers Grimm / Literature at school. - 1985. - No. 6.