The most famous collection of fairy tales in world literature was published in two volumes in 1812 and 1815. Unlike older fairy tale editions, it was not illustrated. The 155 tales were supplemented by explanations that lent the work a scholarly feel and kept it from reaching a wider audience.

From the second edition on, it was Wilhelm Grimm who compiled and edited the stories and established the Grimm fairy tale style. Taking the advice of Achim von Arnim, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm added title page illustrations drawn by their younger brother Ludwig Emil Grimm. The texts now became known outside the German-speaking world, and the international success story of Grimm’s Fairy Tales began.