The Brothers Grimm ( German : Die BrÃ 1\/4 der Grimm , also GebrÃ 1\/4 der Grimm ) were the brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm . They were German academics and most famous for their collections of folk tales and fairy tales , and for their work in linguistics . The Brothers Grimm ( or ' ) Jacob Grimm ( January 4 , 1785 â `` September 20 , 1863 ) and Wilhelm Grimm ( February 24 , 1786 â `` December 16 , 1859 ) were German academics , linguists and cultural researchers , which collected the old folk tales and published several collections of folk - and fairy tales , called Grimm 's Fairy Tales , which subsequently became very popular .