GRIMM, WILHELM CARL (1786-1859) . For the chief events in the life of Wilhelm Grimm see article on Jacob Grimm above. As Jacob himself said in his celebrated address to the Berlin Academy on the death of his brother, the whole of their lives were passed together. In their schooldays they had one bed and one table in common, as students they had two beds and two tables in the same room, and they always lived under one roof, and had their books and property in common. Nor did Wil helm's marriage in any way disturb their harmony. As Cleasby said ("Life of Cleasby," prefixed to his Icelandic Dictionary, p. lxix.), "they both live in the same house, and in such harmony and community that one might almost imagine the children were common property." Cleasby describes Wilhelm as "an uncom monly animated, jovial fellow." He was, accordingly, much sought in society, which he frequented much more than his brother.
His first work was a spirited translation of the Danish Kaempe viser, Altddnische Heldenlieder, published in 1811-13, which made his name at first more widely known that that of his brother. Of his other works the most important is Deutsche Heldensage (2nd ed. 1868).