Five hundred new fairytales discovered in Germany
by Grace22
According to The Guardian Newspaper, a collection of fairytales gathered by historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth and locked away in an archive in Regensburg for over 150 years, has come to light. These tales are part of a collection of myths, legends and fairytales, gathered by a local historian in the Bavarian region of Oberpfalz at about the same time as the Grimm brothers were collecting the fairytales that have since charmed adults and children around the world.
Last year, the Oberpfalz cultural curator Erika Eichenseer published a selection of fairytales from Von Schönwerth's collection, which is currently only available in German. But a Munich-based English translator, Dan Szabo, has already begun work on some of the stories ranging from a miserly farmer and a money-mill to a turnip princess. So perhaps one day we'll be able to read them in English.
Until then, you can discover many folk and fairytales not only from Germany, but around the world. The Downtown Library has a wonderful assortment in the Youth Department, and each of the Branches has a collection as well. The tales are conveniently arranged by geographical areas. There are also special sections for familiar tales that have many versions, like Cinderella, The Gingerbread Boy, and Rumpelstiltskin. All of the Hans Christian Andersen stories are together. Come travel the world by reading these timeless tales!
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