Die Märchen von Grimm & Andersen 2 in 1. 40th Anniversary Edition

Over 200 years ago, two brothers from Kassel, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, published the first volume of their collection of German folk tales. Over time, they added more and more stories to their collection until it eventually reached the impressive number of 200 fairy tales and ten legends. What initially began as an attempt to preserve German traditions for future generations has become the most widely read collection of stories after the Bible. From Snow White to Cinderella, from Rapunzel to Rumpelstiltskin, the Brothers Grimm left behind a canon of fairy tales that have become classics of children's literature, a part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, and an indispensable part of our history and culture.

The life of Hans Christian Andersen reads like a fairy tale itself - Charles Dickens was among his friends and admirers, and European princes valued his company. Through determination, talent, some fortunate circumstances, and an overflowing imagination, he wrote himself into world literature, emerging from impoverished conditions. A fairy tale realm without Andersen? It would be severely impoverished and would have to forgo characters like the Snow Queen, the Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, or the little match girl, as well as many inanimate objects that Andersen brought to life: silver shillings and darning needles, but foremost his steadfast tin soldier.

The stories of the Grimms and Andersen have inspired generations of artists. Each fairy tale in this volume is vividly illustrated by a famous illustrator: legendary artists such as Kay Nielsen, Arts-and-Crafts master Walter Crane, Arthur Rackham, or Swiss graphic designer Herbert Leupin. Additionally, there are shadow puppets from historical editions as well as new illustrations.