Ludwig Bechstein

Born in Weimar on November 24, 1801, Ludwig Bechstein became one of Germany’s important collectors of folk and fairy tales. He is especially remembered for Deutsches Märchenbuch and Neues deutsches Märchenbuch, books that brought traditional stories to a wide audience in the 1800s.

Bechstein did more than gather tales. He also wrote poetry, novels, and historical works, building a broad literary career during a period when interest in folklore and national traditions was growing across Europe.

He died on May 14, 1860. Although the Brothers Grimm are often more widely known today, Bechstein’s fairy-tale collections were highly influential in their time and remain an important part of German literary history.