The brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm had published their two-volume collection of European folk tales in 1812 and 1815.

The brothers,  philologist scholars, had added to the collection from 1807 onward.

Jacob had established the framework, maintained through many iterations; from 1815 until his death, Wilhelm assumes sole responsibility for editing and rewriting the tales.

He makes the tales stylistically similar, adds dialogue, improved the plots, and incorporates psychological motifs.

Over the years, Wilhelm works extensively on the prose, expands and adds detail to the stories to the point that many grow to be twice the length of those in the earliest published editions.

In the later editions, Wilhelm polishes the language to make it more enticing to a bourgeois audience, eliminates sexual elements, and adds Christian elements.

After 1819, he begins writing for children (children were not initially considered the primary audience), adding entirely new tales or adding new elements to existing tales, elements that are often strongly didactic.

Some changes are made in light of unfavorable reviews, particularly from those who object that not all the tales are suitable for children because of scenes of violence and sexuality.

He works to modify plots for many stories; for example, "Rapunzel" in the first edition of Kinder-und Hausmärchen clearly shows a sexual relationship between the prince and the girl in the tower, which he edits out in subsequent editions.