Jacob Grimm and his brother Wilhelm are rightly referred to the greatest minds of their time. Popular fairy tale collectors and linguistic scholars are admired by readers of all ages. Jacob's life was a continuous creative search, according to which the German writer can be considered the "father of German philology."
From the biography of Jacob Grimm
The future writer was born on January 4, 1785 in the city of Hanau (Germany). He came from the so-called middle class. The father of Jacob and William, born a year later than his brother, was a lawyer. From a young age, the Grimm brothers were bound by the bonds of strong friendship, which did not interrupt throughout their lives.
In 1796, the father of the brothers died. The family was in a difficult financial situation. Aunt's generosity helped complete the initial training and get an education. At first, Jacob studied at the Lyceum, then he entered the University of Marburg. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps and become a lawyer. However, Jacob soon realized that he was more attracted to philology.
At the end of the university in 1804, Jacob sent to Paris. Here he helps his teacher, Professor Savigny, collect old manuscripts. At the same time, Grimm became interested in folk tales and legends.
Soon, Jacob becomes the keeper of the personal library of Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor Napoleon. Grimm got the opportunity to engage in scientific activities.
The work of Jacob Grimm
The first volume of their children's fairy tales was published by the Grimm brothers in 1812. Three years later, the next volume was born. Then their German Traditions were published in two volumes.
After 1815, when Napoleon was defeated, an opportunity opened up for Jacob to make a career as a diplomat. But the writer felt disgust for the service — it would have prevented him from doing what he loved. As a result, the senior Grimm left the service, refused large salaries and took the place of the librarian in Kassel. Here, both brothers hastily engaged in philological research.
In 1835, Jacob published a solid study on Germanic mythology. To date, his voluminous work belongs to the classics of philological science. Jacob became one of the founders of the "mythological school" in folklore.
