Jim Gibbons: Brothers Grimm

October 24, 2025 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm 2001 West Algonquin Road, Algonquin, IL 60102

Many children have grown up spellbound by adaptations of the enchanting children’s stories of Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin. Called “fairy tales,” these will become children’s classics written by two brothers named Grimm. However, growing up in poverty and devastation after the death of their father in 1796, brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s early lives were anything but magical. But pushing forward, the brothers later attended the University of Marburg where fantasy became reality. With a strong interest in German folklore, the brothers collected and revised over 200 German and Scandinavian folk tales which eventually were re-adapted into famous movies, books, and theater performances available in over 100 languages today. Historian Jim Gibbons will discuss the lives and works of The Brothers Grimm. Gibbons will explain how two brothers’ 19th Century fairy tales still live years after their lifetime, setting a precedent for the fairy tales of today.