"Childhood home of the Brothers Grimm" Steinau an der Straße by Nemorino

Steinau an der Straße Travel Guide: 28 reviews and 61 photos

Brüder-Grimm-Straße in Steinau

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm (1786-1859) lived here in Steinau -- on what is now called the Brüder-Grimm-Straße -- for five years of their childhood, from 1791 to 1796.

In their memoirs both Jacob and Wilhelm later described their five years in Steinau as a marvelous, idyllic time -- but these idyllic years came to an abrupt end in 1796 when their father died. That meant the family had to move out of the big house in Steinau, because it was an official residence linked to the father's function in the government. After that the family lived in more cramped circumstances, and was often short of money.

Later the two brothers became famous as professors of linguistics and German literature, and especially as the collectors and editors of a large number of folk tales that are now commonly known as Grimms' Fairy Tales, including such classics as Hänsel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood and many others.

In 1837 Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm joined with five of their fellow professors at the University of Göttingen to issue a public protest against the abolition of the liberal constitution of the Kingdom of Hannover (of which Göttingen was a part) by the new King Ernest Augustus I. The seven professors, who soon became known as "The Göttingen Seven", were well aware that they were risking their jobs by issuing such a protest and by refusing to pledge allegiance to the new king, and in fact they were all fired by the University of Göttingen and some of them exiled from the Kingdom of Hannover.

The Grimm Brothers soon got new jobs as professors in Kassel and later in Berlin, where their big project was writing the first unabridged dictionary of the German language, including the history and origin of many of the words. They only finished the letters A-F in their lifetimes, but subsequent generations of scholars continued the project, and when it was finally finished in 1960 it had grown to 32 very large volumes. (The Frankfurt University Library has all 32 volumes in its reading room, where I have referred to them occasionally, but more out of curiosity than necessity.)

Approaching Steinau on bicycle route R3

Steinau is located on the car-free bicycle route R3 in the Kinzig Valley between Frankfurt and Fulda, just a few kilometers from Bad Orb.

The R3, also known as the Rhine-Main-Kinzig route, is one of nine numbered regional bicycle routes in Land Hessen. It starts in Rüdesheim and follows the Rhine River to Wiesbaden. From there is goes along the Main River through Frankfurt to Hanau (I have described this section in some of the Off the Beaten Path tips on my Germany page).

From Hanau the R3 goes up the Kinzig Valley through Gelnhausen, Wächtersbach, Steinau and Schlüchtern to Fulda, and from there up to Tann in the Röhn hills. I have taken this section of the R3 to get to Kassel (no, not that Kassel, the other one) and Bad Orb.

InterCityExpress at the Kinzig Valley Reservoir

Numerous InterCityExpress trains go through the Kinzig Valley on their way from Frankfurt to Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin or Dresden, among other places.

These ICE trains are non-stop between Frankfurt and Fulda, so they don't stop in Steinau. But train service to Steinau is still good thanks to the hourly Regional Express trains that stop there.

Last visit to Steinau an der Straße: Aug 2011
Intro Updated Oct 8, 2011
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Reviews (15)

1. Bicycle route R3 upstream from Steinau - Steinau an der Straße

Regional bicycle route R3 Transportation (3)

The regional bicycle route R3 runs right through Steinau, along the Brüder-Grimm-Straße of course, on its way from... more travel advice

1. Bicycles in a Regional Express train - Steinau an der Straße

Bicycles in the Regional Express trains Transportation (3)

The Regional Express trains that run once an hour between Frankfurt and Fulda -- stopping in Steinau, among other places... more travel advice

1. Regional Express in Frankfurt Main Station - Steinau an der Straße

Trains from Frankfurt to Steinau Transportation (3)

These double-decker Regional Express trains leave Frankfurt Main Station at 26 minutes past every hour, and arrive in... more travel advice

1. Hay-ball statues in Breunings - Steinau an der Straße

Breunings Off The Beaten Path (2)

Breunings, which currently has about 300 inhabitants, is the smallest of twelve villages that were brought together in... more travel advice

Things to Do (10)
See All Musical instruments and adding machines

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Comments (31)

kris-t Nov 22, 2011 at 3:49 AM Report Abuse

I guess British gave French in New Zealand couple good reasons to yield the pas like navy and cannonry...
Another lovely town.
MalenaN Feb 5, 2011 at 9:18 AM Report Abuse

Sounds to be an interesting place to visit with the Brothers Grimm Museum, but also the private museum. Good that they have a special car on the train for people with bicycles!
MD2nd Jan 31, 2011 at 6:03 AM Report Abuse

Wonderful read! Great details on Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm (1786-1859), and their time in Steinau.
Yaqui Oct 17, 2010 at 9:44 AM Report Abuse

Another lovely bicycle tour. I always enjoy your wonderful travels. Thank you for sharing them. Lovely page!
jumpingnorman Aug 20, 2009 at 2:23 PM Report Abuse

That medieval road really looks very bumpy! And this is the excellent place to learn more about the Grimm's borthers - great pages, Don! Love the name - Bad Soden...should be Good Soden...
Toshioohsako May 11, 2009 at 6:22 AM Report Abuse

Very nice photo of an excellent bicycle road at Steinau an der Strasse. It must be fun to ride a bicycle here.
globetrott May 10, 2009 at 3:58 AM Report Abuse

What an interesting place, Don, thanks for sharing ! Märchenstrasse might be a good place for me to explore one day !
kyoub May 8, 2009 at 5:34 AM Report Abuse

A very interesting story about the Grimm Brothers. Lovely scenery and many things to do here. What cleaver use of hay bales.
Bwana_Brown May 2, 2009 at 9:33 AM Report Abuse

Don, this looks like a fantastic area in which to enjoy a bicycle ride! Loved your interesting tips on the Grimm brothers and the section of restored road. Items in the private museum reminded me of things in my grandmother's farm house, built pre-1867!
evaanna Dec 28, 2008 at 2:44 AM Report Abuse

Excellent page, Don. Brought up on the Grimm Brothers' tales, I very much enjoyed reading about the place they came from. Loved the museums and the Marionette Theatre too. Thanks for this lovely virtual tour.