jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm, who had several other siblings as well, were not only collectors and scribes of fairytales, but also academics and professors who wrote about grammar and German language in general. They believed that folk tales are of great cultural importance, and also that they can and should be used to illustrate features of language, and to engage students. This has poignant tones for me, for two reasons. One, I was entranced by the Grimms' fairytales and did indeed read voraciously. Two, my current work (and passion) is in the use of feature films in the classroom and the role of narrative overall in teaching and learning. More than plays, for example, it appears that stories are an integral part of meaning making, and of engaging people in themes and topics.
From the Web, I downloaded a photo of the Brüder Grimm house in Kassel, now a small museum, which we did visit and I found very inspiring. It was difficult to take a photo at the time because across the narrow lane there is a walking path bordered by dense bushes and trees on an incline, making it hard to step back and get the whole view. I also got two illustrations of the brothers themselves.
Finally, as we got ready to leave Kassel, I found one more, clear picture of the Hercules statue, without the shrouds that were on it during our visit, due to renovative work. In this way, I have come full circle, and will now move to our next destination.
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