Station: [21] The Storyteller Dorothea Viehmann

Once upon a time, many, many years ago, there lived a young.... 
The famous Grimm's' fairy tales are still part of every childhood. Back in the 19th century, the brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm collected and published these folk tales to ensure that German children's stories and household fairy tales wouldn't be forgotten. 
But wait, just a moment, that doesn't seem quite right! Surely, a lot of these fairy tales aren't German at all! And that's thanks to one person in particular: 
Dorothea Viehmann was Hessian by birth and lived not far from the Brothers Grimm. The daughter of a local innkeeper, she was regarded as a particularly gifted storyteller. 
As a frequent visitor to the Grimms' home in Kassel, she would draw on her vast store of ancient folk tales. However, many of her stories weren't originally German at all; they actually came from France. Dorothea Viehmann's parents were Huguenots from Metz, who had arrived in Kassel as refugees. So their daughter grew up in a household where French culture was fostered.
Dorothea Viehmann told the brothers some 40 tales. 36 of them made it into the second collection of Grimms' Fairy Tales, published in 1815.
As well as Dorothea Viehmann, the three Hassenpflug sisters from Kassel similarly contributed numerous fairy tales to the Grimms' collection. They were also from a Huguenot family. We now know that the stories Puss in Boots, Bluebeard and Little Red Riding Hood are old folk tales that originated in France. 

Foto: © DHG