UW-Stevens Point expert discusses Brothers Grimm at free community lecture
9/29/2014
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From Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood, the stories of the Brothers Grimm have influenced and inspired children and adults around the world for decades. Where did these stories originate - historical fact or romantic imagination? Learn more at a free lecture offered by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

“Inventing an Ancient Past: The Brothers Grimm and Romantic Philology” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, presented by Thomas Leek, assistant professor of German. Held in the Pinery Room of the Portage Country Public Library, 1001 Main Street, Stevens Point, this is the second talk in the eight-part College of Letters and Science 2014-2015 Community Lecture Series. The public may attend free of charge.

“Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are well known as early collectors of folktales, but their method of collection and the authenticity of their stories are controversial,” said Leek. “The Grimms did not publish the collection on account of a love of folklore. Rather, they understood folktales to be remnants of ancient culture, which could serve as the basis for German cultural renewal.”

Leek received his undergraduate degree in German literature and classical humanities from the UW-Madison and a doctorate in medieval Germanic studies from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include medieval literature, folklore and historical linguistics. He is currently writing about the Middle High German romance “Mai und Beaflor and the Middle High German Chronicle of Emperors.” Leek has been teaching courses in German language, literature and culture in the UW-Stevens Point Department of Foreign Languages since 2009.

For more information on the Community Lecture Series, visit www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries or email stappa@uwsp.edu.

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