Dorothea Viehmann

Dorothea Viehmann, contemporary portrait by Ludwig Emil Grimm, another of the Brothers Grimm.

Dorothea Viehmann (November 8, 1755 – November 17, 1816) was born in Rengershausen. She was a farmer and storyteller and one of the most important sources of the fairy tale collection of the Brothers Grimm. Most of her fairy tales were published in their second volume.

Dorothea Viehmann was born as Katharina Dorothea Pierson in Rengershausen as the daughter of a tavern owner. Her paternal ancestors were persecuted Huguenots who emigrated to the German city of Kassel (Hesse) after the Edict of Nantes was revoked. Many of her stories have a French variation based on this French origin. As she grew up Viehmann heard many of the stories, legends, and fairy tales from the guests of her father. Viehmann later transmitted many of these stories to the Brothers Grimm.

In 1777 Dorothea Pierson married the tailor Nikolaus Viehmann who soon died in 1787. After the death of her husband, she had to provide for herself and her seven children by selling products from her garden at the local market.

She became acquainted with the Brothers Grimm in 1813 and told them over forty tales and variations. Wilhelm Grimm wrote about her saying that it was out of an amazing chance that he and his brother met this woman. He also recorded that she had probably once been beautiful. The brothers were especially impressed that Dorothea could retell her stories again and again without changing a word. There are, however, several examples her stories which are incomplete or not very well remembered.

Viehmann’s father’s tavern still stands directly by the freeway in Baunatal-Rengershausen.

Persondata
Name	Viehmann
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 8, 1755
Place of birth	Baunatal
Date of death	November 17, 1816
Place of death