* GRIMM, JACOB LUDWIG CARL, was born on the 4th of January 1785, at Henan, in the Electorate of Hesse-CesseL When he was about six years old, his father, who was alawyer, was appointed Amtmann at the small town of Steinau-an-der-Strasse, where the children, five eons and a daughter, were brought up in the principles of the Calvinistic sect of Protestants. The father having died leaving the mother with very small means, one of her sisters, who was lady of the chamber (kammerfran) to the Landgrrifin of Hesse, assisted in supporting the family; and at her cost in 1798 Jacob and his brother Wilhelm were sent to the Lyceum at Cassel. In the spring of 1802, a year earlier than Wilhelm, who at this time was attacked by a long and severe illness, Jacob went to the university of Marburg, where he studied law, not from inclination, but becanse his father, who had been a jurist, had destined him for the legal profession, and his mother also wished it. One of the professors at Marburg was Savigny, the celebrated writer on Roman law, who having gone to Paris in the summer of 1804, in January 1805 invited Jacob Grimm to join him, in order to assist him in his literary occupations. Ho did so, and remained with Savigny till September 1805, when he returned to Cassel, where his mother then resided, accompanied by Wilhelm, whom be had met at Marburg, and who had then completed his studies. In January 1806 Jacob obtained a situation in the office of the Secretary of War, with a very small salary. His mother died in May 1E03, and not long afterwards, when a large portion of the Electorate of Hesse-Cassel had been incorporated by Napoleon I., in the newly-formed kingdom of Westphalia, Jacob Grimm, through the influence of .Johann von Muller, was appointed superintendent of the private library of the king, Jerome Bonaparte, which was formed in bits palace at WilhelmshOhe. lie received his appointment on the 5th of July 1803, with a salary of 2000 francs, which a few months afterwards was increased to 3000. After the lapse of another short interval the king himself told him, February 17, 1309, that he had named him an auditeur to the state-council, and that he was still to retain his place as librarian. His salary was then increased to 4000' francs (about 1601.) This income removed all anxiety as to the means of subsistence, and as his duties were very light he had abundant leisure and means to pursue his favourite investigations into the mediaeval literature of Germany.
After Jerome Bonaparte had been compelled, in October 1813, to retire from German3', and the Electorate of lie/me-Cassel had bceu restored to its former state, with the Elector at its head, Jacob Grimm was appointed in December 1813 Secretary of Legation, to accompany the Hessian minister to the head-quarters of the allied army ; and in April 1814 he was sent to Paris. and employed in reclaiming the books which the French had carried away, at the same time that his future colleague Viilkel was demanding the restitution of the pictures and other works of art. Jacob Grimm attended the Congress of Vienna as Secretary of Legation from October 1S14 to June 1815. Soon after his return home be was again sent to Paris to demand restitu tion of manuscripts carried away from the kingdom of Prussia, as well as to transact some bwsinesa for the Elector.
Wilhelm Grimm had been employed about a year in the library at Cassel, when in 1816 Jacob was engaged as second librarian, Volkel being first librarian. In 1828 Villkel died, and Jacob Grimm expected that he and his brother would receive the appointments of first and second librarians. When therefore the situation of first librarian was given to Rommel, historiographer and keeper of the archives, the brothers were dissatisfied; and in October 1829 they removed to the University of Giittingen, where Jacob Grimm received the appoint ments of professor and librarian, and Wilhelm that of sub-librarian. Having been one of the seven professors of the university who in 1837 signed a protest against the measures taken by the new King of Hanover to abrogate the constitution which had been established some years previonsly, Jacob Grimm was dismissed from his employ ments in the university, and banished from the kingdom of Hanover. He retired to Cased, whither his brother, who had also signed the protest, followed him in 1838, end where they remained occupied in literary labours till March 1841, when they accepted an invitation of the King of Prussia to remove to Berlin, where they were both elected members of the Academy of Sciences, and appointed to professorships, which they still retain.