Editing Brothers Grimm (section)

=== Early lives ===
[[File:Steinau Brüder-Grimm-Haus 2016-04-10-12-06-37.jpg|thumb|Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm lived in this house in [[Steinau an der Straße|Steinau]] from 1791 to 1796.]]

[[Jacob Grimm|Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm]] and [[Wilhelm Grimm|Wilhelm Carl Grimm]] were born on 4&nbsp;January 1785 and 24&nbsp;February 1786, respectively, in [[Hanau]] in the [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel]], within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (present-day Germany), to [[Philipp Grimm|Philipp Wilhelm Grimm]], a [[jurist]], and [[Dorothea Grimm]] (née Zimmer), daughter of a [[Kassel]] city councilman.<ref name="Z(1988)2ff" /> They were the second- and third-eldest surviving siblings in a family of nine children, three of whom died in infancy.<ref name="Pitt" />{{efn|Frederick Herman George ({{lang|de|Friedrich Hermann Georg}}; 12 December 1783&nbsp;– 16 March 1784), [[Jacob Grimm|Jacob]], [[Wilhelm Grimm|Wilhelm]], Carl Frederick ({{lang|de|Carl Friedrich}}; 24 April 1787&nbsp;– 25 May 1852), Ferdinand Philip ({{lang|de|Ferdinand Philipp}}; 18 December 1788&nbsp;– 6 January 1845), Louis Emil ({{lang|de|Ludwig Emil}}; 14 March 1790&nbsp;– 4 April 1863), Frederick ({{lang|de|Friedrich}}; 15 June 1791&nbsp;– 20 August 1792), Charlotte "Lotte" Amalie (10 May 1793&nbsp;– 15 June 1833), and George Edward ({{lang|de|Georg Eduard}}; 26 July 1794&nbsp;– 19 April 1795).}}<ref name="Michaelis-Jena-9">{{Harvnb|Michaelis-Jena|1970|p=9}}</ref> In 1791 the family moved to the countryside town of [[Steinau an der Straße|Steinau]] during Philipp's employment there as a district [[magistrate]] ({{lang|de|[[Amtmann]]}}). The family became prominent members of the community, residing in a large home surrounded by fields. Biographer [[Jack Zipes]] writes that the brothers were happy in Steinau and "clearly fond of country life".<ref name="Z(1988)2ff" /> The children were educated at home by private tutors, receiving strict instruction as [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], which instilled in both a lifelong religious faith.<ref>Herbert Scurla: Die Brüder Grimm, Berlin 1985, pp. 14–16</ref> Later, they attended local schools.<ref name="Z(1988)2ff">{{Harvnb|Zipes|1988|pp=2–5}}</ref>

In 1796 Philipp Grimm died of pneumonia, causing great poverty for the large family. Dorothea was forced to relinquish the brothers' servants and large house, depending on financial support from her father and sister, who was then the first [[lady-in-waiting]] at the court of [[William I, Elector of Hesse]]. Jacob was the eldest living son, forced at age 11 to assume adult responsibilities (shared with Wilhelm) for the next two years. The two brothers then followed the advice of their grandfather, who continually exhorted them to be industrious.<ref name="Z(1988)2ff" />

The brothers left Steinau and their family in 1798 to attend the {{lang|de|[[Friedrichsgymnasium Kassel|Friedrichsgymnasium]]}} in [[Kassel]], which had been arranged and paid for by their aunt. By then they were without a male provider (their grandfather died that year), forcing them to rely entirely on each other and become exceptionally close. The two brothers differed in temperament—Jacob was introspective and Wilhelm was outgoing (although he often suffered from ill health)—but shared a strong work ethic and excelled in their studies. In Kassel they became acutely aware of their inferior social status relative to "high-born" students who received more attention. Each brother graduated at the head of his class, Jacob in 1803 and Wilhelm in 1804 (he missed a year of school due to [[scarlet fever]]).<ref name="Z(1988)2ff" /><ref name="Z(1988)31ff">{{Harvnb|Zipes|1988|p=31}}</ref>