Deutsche Rechtsaltertümer

Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) were brothers from Hanau in Germany who studied law and became librarians and scholars of language. In an age of national awakening, they began collecting folk tales told by friends, relatives and storytellers, publishing the first volume of their Children's and Household Tales in 1812.

They revised the collection through seven editions, and Grimms' Fairy Tales became one of the most read books in the world. They were also great linguists: Jacob described the sound changes of the Germanic languages, and the brothers began the great German dictionary.