This lecture offers new perspectives for analyzing folk and fairy tales, focusing on the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. The talk situates these stories in their 18th- and 19th-century contexts, going on to explore social justice-oriented approaches that examine how these folk and fairy tales have shaped our understanding of human experience. This innovative approach to the Grimms’ storytelling tradition also emphasizes how re-reading these familiar tales is part of the practice of critical literacy. The lecture will be followed by dessert reception in the German Studies Lernlounge