September 05, 2007

New Karl May exhibit

The Wonderful World of Karl May, Germany's Best-Loved AuthorWith sales of over 200 million books, Karl May remains a household name in today's Germany. As well as his literary legacy of some 33 novels, many films have been based on his work.

Every year thousands of ardent fans attend open air theater festivals where his fiction is acted out. Young or old, popular or high-brow, he seems to have something for everyone.

The writer has become most famous for his Wild West series featuring the adventures of the increasingly ennobled Native American chief Winnetou and his blood brother, the white trapper Old Shatterhand.

Shaped the image of the Wild West

For generations, as Professor Alex Kuo of Washington's State University has written, "May has been a significant author in shaping the average German youth's view of the American West and the American Indian as well."
Comment:  See Adolf Hitler:  A True American for more on Karl May and whether he influenced Hitler.

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