"Once Upon a Time": Franz Xaver von Schönwerth, the Forgotten Folklorist

"Once upon a time..." With those four simple words, generations of readers and listeners have been transported to a timeless realm where reality doesn't exist and magic reigns supreme. But while most of us are familiar with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault, fewer still know those of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth. A civil servant by trade, he went on to gather folktales and legends from around his native Bavaria in the early 1860s. But by the time of his death over two decades later, they and his work had disappeared and remained forgotten for over a century. Join me as we take a look at this most fascinating man as well as the treasure trove of stories he collected, today on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!