Many popular fairy tales that we enjoyed as children and continue to pass on to children in the modern world were recorded by the Brothers Grimm. While the academic siblings certainly did not invent the German stories (stories of which there were ancient versions across cultures before the Grimms recorded them), they are credited with bringing them to mass culture. From Cinderalla to the Brave Little Tailor, the Grimm’s contribution to folklore has colored our childhoods and modern day fiction, leaving an indelible mark on culture.

Born only a year apart – Jacob Grimm on January 4, 1785 and Wilhelm on February 24, 1786 – were also known for their work in linguistics, studying how the sounds in words shift over time; Jacob is credited with something called Grimm’s Law. They first started recording German folk tales as a means to preserve German culture and became entertainers only by accident. It was only after they realized that children were often captivated by the violent stories, fraught with bawdy humor, that they began to edit stories such that much of the sexuality became subdued, though for some reason, much of the violence in the stories remained in the later versions of what they recorded.

They were 2 of 9 children, 3 of whom died as infants and the family lived in a town called Hanau, near Frankfort in Germany. Between 1790 and 1796, their father was an employee of the Prince of Hessen. The family moved to a smaller home in a city after their father died. Jacob was 11 years old at the time of the Grimm patriarch’s death.

They went to University of Marburg which is where they became interested in history and linguistics. When it came to collecting folk tales, Jacob is credited with doing more of the field research while Wilhelm is said to have focused on making changes to the narrative style so that the text was more palatable and friendly to children. Both brothers spent time as court librarians to the King of Westphalia, then moved on to the University of Gottingen, later to compile a dictionary.

This all seems, from the outside, like pretty dry stuff for two guys who brought such magic into the world of storytelling, but it is their academic curiosity which enabled that to happen. many fictionalized version fo the Grimm brothers have graced the silver screen, from 1962’s The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm to 2005’s The Brothers Grim, directed by Terry Gilliam. Both the men and the fairy tales continue to have a strong hold on our imaginations.