The year 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the first publishing of Kinder und Hausmarchen (Children’s and Household Tales), a collection of German folk tales published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and commonly referred to as Grimms’ Fairy Tales. In celebration of this monumental book, an exhibit is currently on display on Langsam Library’s 4th and 5th floor lobbies celebrating the Brothers Grimm and their many contributions to the world of fairy tales.

The first volume of Grimms’ Fairy Tales contained 86 stories, including such classic tales as Cinderella, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, The Frog Prince, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel, among others. The second volume, published in 1814, contained 70 tales. Four more volumes would follow with fairy tales added and subtracted until the seventh, and final, volume was published in 1857, which held 211 tales.

Adapted countless times over the two centuries since its first publication, Grimms’ original fairy tales are much darker than the Disney versions popular today. The original Grimms’ Fairy Tales were widely criticized at the time for containing subject matter not suitable for children.

Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics, linguists, and authors who together collected folklore. They are among the most well-known storytellers of European folk tales.

The exhibit, titled “The Brothers Grimm: 200 Years of Grimms’ Fairy Tales,” includes information on the Grimms’ legacy, their collaborative works, and the various versions and interpretations of the fairy tales. The exhibit was curated by Olga Hart, reference and instructional librarian, and designed by Communications’ Department student worker Alixandria Wolfe, a junior DAAP design student. A selected bibliography is available online and at the exhibit.

The exhibit is part of UC’s International Education Week festivities. A full event schedule is online.