Passport 1853 for Jacob Grimm (Brother’s Grimm)

Jakob Grimm (Hanau 1785-1863 Berlin) is considered the founder of German linguistics and antiquarian studies. Throughout his life, he traveled extensively, primarily using postal services until the mid-19th century. Even as a young man at the age of 19, he visited Paris for scientific studies. He later revisited Paris multiple times, such as in the year 1814, to retrieve valuable manuscripts and other items that had been taken by the French from the royal library in Kassel several years prior. Passport Jacob Grimm

As a professor in Göttingen, he was part of the “Göttingen Seven,” who had published a protest against the repeal of the Hanoverian State Constitution (from 1833). He, along with the others, including his brother Wilhelm Grimm (Hanau 1786-1859 Berlin), was removed from his position.

Jakob Grimm was briefly a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly in 1848 and eventually worked primarily in Berlin. His name is associated with the German Dictionary, the largest of its kind in the German language, and the “Children’s and Household Tales,” which he collected and published together with his brother Wilhelm.

In 1853, his journey surpassed the German Confederation, so the 1850 passport wasn’t enough. On July 10, 1853, a special passport, like a diplomatic one, was issued, valid abroad, including Switzerland and France. The remarks and registration notes on the back are interesting.

The Passport Passport Jacob Grimm

This valuable piece of German passport history, issued to an iconic figure, resides in a museum archive. Luckily, I acquired this exceptional collector’s copy. Without hesitation, I added it to my collection, recognizing that obtaining the original would likely be an opportunity that may never arise. Passport Jacob Grimm

Invitation by Frederick William IV, King of Prussia

The passport was issued during their Berlin period. In 1840, they responded positively to an invitation extended by Frederick William IV, the King of Prussia, and journeyed to Berlin. As members of the Royal Academy of Sciences, they delivered lectures at the university. It was during this time that they dedicated themselves to their most ambitious project – the creation of the Deutsches Wörterbuch.

The dictionary also served to illustrate the usage of words in both specialized and everyday language through the inclusion of idioms and proverbs.

20 Years in Berlin Passport Jacob Grimm

For about two decades, they dedicated their efforts to Prussia’s capital, where they were esteemed and free from financial concerns. The brothers’ lectures, essays, and the prefaces and reviews (Kleinere Schriften) penned during this time hold considerable significance. In Berlin, they bore witness to the events of the 1848 Revolution and actively participated in the political upheavals that followed.

Despite their deep and emotionally resonant ties to their homeland, the Grimms did not subscribe to a narrow form of nationalism. They nurtured authentic, and at times political, friendships with colleagues both at home and abroad.

Private Life

Jacob chose to stay unmarried, while Wilhelm entered into matrimony with Dorothea Wild from Kassel. The couple had four children: Jacob (1826), Herman (1828–1901), Rudolf (1830–89), and Auguste (1832–1919). The final resting places of the brothers can be found in the Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof in Berlin. Passport Jacob Grimm

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s passport

 

 

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
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