Bonanza Fatherland?

Image: Roland Darby / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 Dear TWIG Readers,

Germans have long been enthralled with the American West.

This love affair with the wide open spaces of the New World and the adventure they afforded continues to attract many Germans to this day, including some who seek out dude ranch vacations to quench their thirst for a taste of the "Wild West" of yesteryear.

Much of this fascination has been fueled for generations by Karl May (1842-1912), the German writer behind the popular "Winnetou" series of adventure novels set in the American West.

May started writing novels in 1874. He was 32 and had led a life of poverty that included a petty crime record.

Yet by the time he died 100 years ago, on March 30, 1912, he had become one of the best-selling authors ever to write in the German language.

May, who carved out a niche for himself as an adventure travel writer churning out books that distracted 19th-century workers from the drudgery of their day-to-day lives, also wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America.

But no single Karl May character remains as alive in the collective consciousness of the German-speaking world as Winnetou, the wise chief of the Apache tribe. He lived a noble life alongside Old Shatterhand, the author's alter ego and Winnetou's white blood brother.

The image of Native Americans in Germany is greatly influenced by May - the name "Winnetou" has even earned an entry into the famous German Duden dictionary.

May only traveled to the United States - where he did, however, meet some real Native Americans - once towards the end of his life in 1908. He also journeyed to both the Near and Far East. (Another series of May novels is centered around a German protagonist in the Ottoman Empire.)

Germany.info and The Week in Germany this week showcase the life and times of Karl May. His legacy is very much alive today, as indicated by the large number of events planned for the Karl May Year 2012.

Karen Carstens

Editor, The Week in Germany

Webteam Germany.info