Researchers have suggested that selected works of the Brothers Grimm ended up in a university collection due to the post-war relocation of library holdings. How did these books remain hidden from scholars and readers for nearly 80 years? This question remains unanswered.
Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) were German writers and scholars. They collected, edited, and published folk tales that became famous under the brand name “The Brothers Grimm.” Among their most well-known tales are “Hansel and Gretel,” “Mother Holle,” “The Bremen Town Musicians,” “Tom Thumb,” “Snow White,” and “The Frog Prince.” The legacy of the Brothers Grimm also includes legends, novellas, and folk narratives.
Many of the famous brothers’ books were considered lost after World War II. Therefore, the discovery of a rare collection of works by these legendary storytellers in the storage of the university library has become a significant scholarly event. According to experts, these editions are a valuable source of research methods that the brothers employed in their work. The pages of the selected works reveal original handwritten underlinings, notes, and annotations, as reported by Heritage Daily.
“For a long time, it was believed that the volumes found in the university library were lost during World War II. These editions hold great value for contemporary research into the literary and scholarly activities of the brothers,” noted the university researchers.
In their view, the discovery of this rare collection suggests that the library’s book holdings may conceal other bibliographic treasures.