View source for Karl May

{{short description|German author (1842–1912)}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| image       = Karl May edit (no border).jpg
| imagesize   = 
|birth_name        = Karl Friedrich May
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1842|2|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Hohenstein-Ernstthal|Ernstthal]], [[Kingdom of Saxony]], [[German Confederation]]
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1912|3|30|1842|2|25|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Radebeul]], Kingdom of Saxony, [[German Empire]]
| occupation  = Writer, author
| period      =
| genre       = [[Western fiction|Western]], travel fiction, German homeland novels, adventure novels
| movement    =
| signature   =
| spouse = {{marriage|Emma Pollmer|1880|1903|end=divorce}}
| website     = {{URL|www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de}}
| footnotes   =
}}

'''Karl Friedrich May''' ({{IPAc-en|m|aɪ}} {{respell|MY}}, {{IPA|de|kaʁl ˈmaɪ|lang|De-Karl May.ogg}}; 25 February 1842&nbsp;– 30 March 1912) was a German author known for writing often in [[first-person narrative]] about travels and adventures, mostly set in the [[American frontier|American Old West]] or the [[Orient]] and Middle East, but also in Latin America, China and within Germany. For a time he insisted that he actually had travelled to the West and was called [[Old Shatterhand]] there, while in the [[Ottoman Empire]] he was called [[Kara Ben Nemsi]], and posed in costumes. 

May is one of the best-selling German writers of all time, with about 200 million copies sold worldwide. A series of [[Karl May film adaptations]] was successful in the 1960s.

== Early life ==
[[File:Museum Hot 1910.jpg|thumb|right|The family house then on ''Niedergasse 111'', where Karl May was born in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The house was inherited by May's mother in 1838 and sold in 1845 (photo 1910).]]
[[File:Karl May Geburtshaus.jpg|thumb|right|190px|The house where Karl May was born is now located on Karl-May-Straße (photo 2005). The street was named in his honor. Next to the house is a modern Karl May depository, literary museum and research center that was established in July 2022.<ref name="KMM1">{{Cite web|title=Karl May Haus: Literaturmuseum und Forschungsstätte|trans-title=Karl May House: Literary Museum and Research Center|url=http://karl-may-haus.de/das-haus/museum/|first=André|last=Neubert|publisher=Karl-May-Haus Hohenstein-Ernstthal|location=Hohenstein-Ernstthal|date=|page=|language=de|access-date=2023-08-23|isbn=}}</ref>]]
May was the fifth child of a poor family of [[Weaving|weavers]] in [[Hohenstein-Ernstthal|Ernstthal]], [[House of Schönburg|Schönburgische Rezessherrschaften]] (then part of the [[Kingdom of Saxony]]). He had 13 siblings, of whom nine died in infancy. His parents were Heinrich August May and Wilhelmine Christiane Weise. <!--According to his autobiography, he suffered from visual impairment shortly after birth and regained his eyesight after treatment at the age of five. Possibly a lack of vitamin A led to [[Nyctalopia|night blindness]], which then grew worse.[add citation]---> During his school years, he received instruction in music and [[Composition (music)|composition]]. At age twelve, May was making money at a [[Nine-pin bowling|skittle alley]], where he was exposed to rough language.<ref name="Bio">May K. ''Mein Leben und Streben'' (''My Life and Aspirations'') Karl May, 2014 in German
{{ISBN|9786050342987}}.</ref>

=== Delinquency ===
In 1856, May commenced teacher training in [[Waldenburg, Saxony|Waldenburg]], but in 1859 was expelled for stealing six candles. After an appeal, he was allowed to continue in [[Plauen]]. Shortly after graduation, when his roommate accused him of stealing a watch, May was jailed in [[Chemnitz]] for six weeks and his license to teach was revoked. After this, May worked with little success as a private tutor, an author of tales, a composer and a public speaker. For four years, from 1865 to 1869, May was jailed in the workhouse at [[Osterstein Castle]], [[Zwickau]]. With good behaviour, May became an administrator of the prison library, which gave him the chance to read widely. He made a list of the works he planned to write (''Repertorium C. May''.)

On his release, May continued his life of crime, impersonating various characters (policemen, doctors etc.) and spinning fantastic tales as a method of fraud. He was arrested, but when he was transported to a crime scene during a judicial investigation, he escaped and fled to [[Bohemia]], where he was detained for vagrancy. For another four years, from 1870 to 1874, May was jailed in [[Waldheim, Saxony]]. There he met a [[Catholic Catechist]], Johannes Kochta, who assisted May.<ref>M. Bugmann, ''Savage To Saint: The Karl May Story'' (2016).</ref>

==Career==
After his release in May 1874, May returned to his parents' home in Ernstthal and began to write. In November 1874, ''Die Rose von Ernstthal'' ("The Rose from Ernstthal") was published.<ref name="Chronik">Sudhoff D. and Steinmetz H. ''Karl-May-Chronik'' Karl-May-Verlag, 2006. {{ISBN|9783780201706}}.</ref> May then became an editor in the publishing house of [[Heinrich Gotthold Münchmeyer]] in [[Dresden]], where he managed entertainment papers such as ''Schacht und Hütte'' ("Mine and Mill") and continued to publish his own works such as ''Geographische Predigten'' ("Collected Travel Stories") (1876). May resigned in 1876<ref name="Chronik"/> and was employed by [[Bruno Radelli]] of Dresden.

In 1878, May became a [[Freelancer|freelance writer]]. Once again, May was insolvent.<ref name="Chronik"/> In 1882, May returned to the employ of Münchmeyer and began the first of five large [[Colportage#Colportage_novels|colportage novels]]. One of these was ''Das Waldröschen'' (1882–1884). From 1879, May was also published in ''Deutscher Hausschatz'' ("German House Treasure"), a Catholic weekly journal from the [[Pustet|press of Friedrich Pustet]] in [[Regensburg]]. In 1880, May began the ''Orient Cycle'', which ran, with interruption, until 1888. May was also published in the teenage boys' journal ''Der Gute Kamerad'' ("The Good Comrade") of [[Wilhelm Spemann]], [[Stuttgart]]. In 1887, it published ''Der Sohn des Bärenjägers'' ("Son of the Bear Hunter"). In 1891 ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'' ("The Treasure of Silver Lake") was published.  May published in other journals using pseudonyms. In all, he published over one hundred articles. In October 1888, May moved to Kötzschenbroda (a part of [[Radebeul]]) and in 1891 to ''Villa Agnes'' in Oberlößnitz. In 1891, [[Friedrich Ernst Fehsenfeld]] offered to print the ''Deutscher Hausschatz'' "Son of the Bear Hunter" stories as books. In 1892, the publication of ''Carl May's Gesammelte Reiseromane'' (''Collected Travel Accounts'' or ''Karl May's Gesammelte Reiseerzählungen'') brought financial security and recognition. May became deeply absorbed in the stories he wrote and the lives of his characters. Readers wrote to May, addressing him as the [[protagonist]]s of his books. May conducted talking tours in Germany and Austria and allowed autographed cards to be printed and photos in costume to be taken. In December 1895, May moved to the Villa Shatterhand in Alt-Radebeul, which he purchased from the Ziller brothers.<ref>Bugmann, ''Savage To Saint: The Karl May Story'' (2016).</ref>

=== Later career ===
[[File:Karl May with Sascha Schneider, 1904.jpg|thumb|right|May and [[Sascha Schneider]], 1904]]
[[File:Karl May Grab1.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Karl and Klara May]]
In 1899, May traveled to Egypt then [[Sumatra]] with his servant, Sejd Hassan. In 1900, he was joined by Klara and Richard Plöhn. The group returned to Radebeul in July 1900. May demonstrated some emotional instability during his travels.<ref name=Orientreise>Bartsch E. and Wollschläger H. ''Karl May's Orientreise 1899–1900'' in ''In fernen Zonen: Karl Mays Weltreisen.'' (''In remote areas : Karl May's world travel'') Karl-May-Verlag, 1999, Original from Indiana University, digitized 20 Jan 2011. {{ISBN|9783780200822}}.</ref>

[[Hermann Cardauns]] and [[Rudolf Lebius]] criticised May for his self-promotion with the Old Shatterhand legend. He was also reproached for his writing for the Catholic ''Deutscher Hausschatz'' and several [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Marian calendars]]. There were also charges of unauthorised book publications and the use of an illegal doctoral degree. In 1902, May did receive a [[Honorary degree|Doctor honoris causa]] from the Universitas Germana-Americana in Chicago for ''Im Reiche des Silbernen Löwen'' ("In the Realm of the Silver Lion.")<ref name=Blutsbruder>Heermann C. ''Winnetous Blutsbruder: Karl-May-Biografie.'' Zweite, überarbeitete und ergänzte Auflage. Karl-May-Verlag, Bamberg / Radebeul 2012. {{ISBN|9783780201614}}. pp. 425−427.</ref> In 1908, Karl and Klara May spent six weeks in North America. They traveled through [[Albany, New York]], [[Buffalo, New York]], the [[Niagara Falls]] and visited friends in [[Lawrence, Massachusetts]]. May was inspired to write ''Winnetou IV''.

On his return, May began work on complex [[Allegory|allegorical]] texts. He considered the "question of mankind", [[pacifism]] and the raising of humans from evil to good. [[Sascha Schneider]] provided [[Symbolism (arts)|symbolist]] covers for the Fehsenfeld edition. On 22 March 1912, May was invited by the Academic Society for Literature and Music in [[Vienna]] to present a lecture entitled ''Empor ins Reich der Edelmenschen'' ("Upward to the Realm of Noble Men"). There, he met pacifist and Nobel Laureate [[Bertha von Suttner]].

==Death==
May died in his own Villa Shatterhand on 30 March 1912.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Villa "Shatterhand." – Karl-May-Wiki|url=https://www.karl-may-wiki.de/index.php/Villa_%22Shatterhand.%22|access-date=2020-07-23|website=www.karl-may-wiki.de}}</ref> According to the register of deaths, the cause was [[cardiac arrest]], [[acute bronchitis]] and [[asthma]], but according to Ralf Harder from the Karl-May-Stiftung, May's death certificate does not include the cause of death.<ref name="bild">{{cite web| url = http://www.bild.de/regional/dresden/karl-may/karl-may-starb-an-blei-45126002.bild.html| title = Todes-Rätsel nach 104 Jahren entschlüsselt {{!}} Karl May starb an Blei {{!}} Regional {{!}} BILD.de| date = 30 March 2016}}</ref> Scientists examining the remains of May in 2014 found excessive quantities of [[lead]] and other [[Toxic heavy metal|heavy metals]], and concluded that his death was probably due to a long-time [[Lead poisoning|exposure to lead]] in water as well as tobacco.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Simona Block |title=Karl May: Winnetou-Erfinder starb wohl an Bleivergiftung |url=http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/karl-may-winnetou-erfinder-starb-wohl-an-bleivergiftung-a-1084736.html |website=[[Der Spiegel]] |access-date=28 November 2018 |date=30 March 2016}}</ref> May was buried in Radebeul East. His tomb was inspired by the [[Temple of Athena Nike]].<ref name="bild" />

==Personal life==
{{Unsourced section|date=June 2025}}
In 1880, May married Emma Pollmer. They divorced in 1903 and had no children. May subsequently married Klara Plöhn, who was widowed.

== Works ==
May used many pseudonyms, including "Capitan Ramon Diaz de la Escosura", "D. Jam", "Emma Pollmer", "Ernst von Linden", "Hobble-Frank", "Karl Hohenthal", "M. Gisela", "P. van der Löwen", "Prinz Muhamel Lautréamont" and "Richard Plöhn". Most pseudonymously or anonymously published works have been identified.

For the novels set in America, May created the characters of [[Winnetou]], the wise [[Tribal chief|chief]] of the [[Apache Tribe|Apaches]], and [[Old Shatterhand]], Winnetou's white [[blood brother]]. Another series of novels were set in the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In these, the narrator-protagonist, [[Kara Ben Nemsi]], travels with his local guide and servant [[Hadschi Halef Omar]] through the [[Sahara]] desert to the [[Near East]], experiencing many exciting adventures.

May's writing developed from the anonymous [[first-person narrative|first-person observer-narrator]] (for example ''Der Gitano'', 1875) to a narrator with heroic skills and equipment, to a fully formed first-person narrator-hero.<ref>Hans Wollschläger: „Ich“ oder die Geburt des Erzählers aus dem Ich. In: Jahrbuch der Karl-May-Gesellschaft 1995, S. 104–126. [https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/seklit/JbKMG/1995/104.htm Online-Version]</ref>

With few exceptions, May had not visited the places he described, but he compensated successfully for his lack of direct experience through a combination of creativity, imagination, and documentary sources including maps, travel accounts and guidebooks, as well as anthropological and linguistic studies. The work of writers such as [[James Fenimore Cooper]], [[Gabriel Ferry]], [[Friedrich Gerstäcker]], [[Balduin Möllhausen]] and [[Mayne Reid]] served as his models.<ref>Hartmut Wörner: Karl May als Reiseschriftsteller? In: Jahrbuch der Karl-May-Gesellschaft 1996, S. 141–162. [https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/seklit/JbKMG/1996/141.htm Online-Version]</ref><ref>Klaus Hoffmann: Karl Mays Quellen. In: Jahrbuch der Karl-May-Gesellschaft 1989, S. 119–139. [https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/seklit/JbKMG/1989/119.htm Online-Version]</ref>

Non-[[dogma]]tic Christian values play an important role in May's works. Some of the characters are described as being of German, particularly [[Saxony|Saxon]], origins.

In a letter to a young Jew who intended to become a Christian after reading May's books, May advised him first to understand his own religion, which he described as holy and exalted, until he was experienced enough to choose.<ref>May K. ''Letter to Herbert Friedländer'' (13 April 1906) in Wohlgschaft H. ''Karl May, Leben und Werk'', Buecherhaus Bargfeld, Germany, 2005 p1555f. {{ISBN|3930713934}}.</ref>

In his later works (after 1900) May left the adventure fiction genre to write [[symbol]]ic novels with religious and pacifistic content. The change is best shown in ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen'', where the first two parts are adventurous and the last two parts belong to the mature work.<ref>Uwe Lehmann: „Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen“ als Scharnier zwischen Abenteuer und Symbolik. In: Jahrbuch der Karl-May-Gesellschaft 1985, S. 89–111. [https://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/seklit/JbKMG/1985/089.htm Online-Version]</ref>

=== Early work ===
In his early work, May wrote in a variety of genres until he showed his proficiency in travel stories.<ref name=LowskyKM>Lowsky M. ''Karl May'' Metzler, Stuttgart, 1987, vol 231 p38.</ref> During his time as an editor, he published many of these works within the periodicals for which he was responsible.

* ''Das Buch der Liebe'' (1876, educational work)
* ''Geographische Predigten'' (1876, educational work)
* ''Der beiden Quitzows letzte Fahrten'' (1877, unfinished)
* ''Auf hoher See gefangen'' (''Auf der See gefangen'', parts later revised for ''Old Surehand II'') (1878)
* ''Scepter und Hammer'' (1880)
* ''Im fernen Westen'' (reworked in ''Old Firehand'' (1875) and later in ''Winnetou II'')(1879)
* ''Der Waldläufer'' (reworked in "Le Coureur de Bois", a novel by [[Gabriel Ferry]])
* ''Die Juweleninsel'' (1882)

The shorter stories of the early work can be grouped as follows, although in some works genres overlap. Some of the shorter stories were later published in anthologies, for example, ''Der Karawanenwürger und andere Erzählungen'' (1894), ''Humoresken und Erzählungen'' (1902) and ''Erzgebirgische Dorfgeschichten'' (1903).

* [[Adventure fiction]] and early travel stories (for example, ''Inn-nu-woh, der Indianerhäuptling'', 1875)
* [[Crime fiction]] (for example, ''Wanda'', 1875)
* Historical fiction (for example, ''Robert Surcouf'', 1882)
* Humorous stories (for example, ''Die Fastnachtsnarren'', 1875)
* Series about "the Old Dessauer", [[Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau]] (for example, ''Pandur und Grenadier'', 1883)
* Stories of villages in the [[Ore Mountains]] (for example, ''Die Rose von Ernstthal'', 1874 or 1875)
* Natural history works (for example, ''Schätze und Schatzgräber'', 1875)
* Letters and poems (for example, ''Meine einstige Grabinschrift'', 1872).

=== Colportage novels ===
[[File:Karl May Die Tochter des Granden 001.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Cover for ''Waldröschen'']]
May wrote five large (many thousands of pages) [[colportage]] novels, which he published either anonymously or under pseudonyms between 1882 and 1888.

* ''Das Waldröschen'' (1882–1884, a part was later revised for ''Old Surehand II'')
* ''Die Liebe des Ulanen'' (1883–1885)
* ''Der verlorne Sohn oder Der Fürst des Elends'' (1884–1886)
* ''Deutsche Herzen'' (''Deutsche Helden'') (1885–1888)
* ''Der Weg zum Glück'' (1886–1888)

From 1900 to 1906, Münchmeyer's successor Adalbert Fischer published the first book editions. These were revised by third hand and published under May's real name instead of pseudonyms. This edition was not authorized by May and he tried to stop its publication.<ref name=WehnertText/>

=== Travel stories ===
[[File:BergenF Orangen-und-datteln.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Cover of ''Orangen und Datteln'' by Fritz Bergen (1893)]]
Thirty-three volumes of ''Carl May's Gesammelte Reiseromane'', (''Karl May's Gesammelte Reiseerzählungen'') were published from 1892 to 1910 by [[Friedrich Ernst Fehsenfeld]]. Most had been previously published in ''Deutscher Hausschatz'', but some were new. The best known titles are the ''Orient Cycle'' (volumes 1–6) and the ''[[Winnetou]]-Trilogy'' (volumes 7–9). Beyond these shorter cycles, the works are troubled by chronological inconsistencies arising when original articles were revised for book editions.

# ''Durch Wüste und Harem'' (1892, since 1895 titled ''Durch die Wüste'') (translated as "In the Desert")
# ''Durchs wilde Kurdistan'' (1892)
# ''Von Bagdad nach Stambul'' (1892)
# ''In den Schluchten des Balkan'' (1892)
# ''Durch das Land der Skipetaren'' (1892)
# ''Der Schut'' (1892)
# ''Winnetou I'' (1893, also titled ''Winnetou der Rote Gentleman I'')
# ''Winnetou II'' (1893, also titled ''Winnetou der Rote Gentleman II'')
# ''Winnetou III'' (1893, also titled ''Winnetou der Rote Gentleman III'')
* ''Orangen und Datteln'' (1893, an anthology)
* ''Am Stillen Ocean'' (1894, an anthology)
* ''Am Rio de la Plata'' (1894)
* ''In den Cordilleren'' (1894)
* ''Old Surehand I'' (1894)
* ''Old Surehand II'' (1895)
* ''Im Lande des Mahdi I'' (1896)
* ''Im Lande des Mahdi II'' (1896)
* ''Im Lande des Mahdi III'' (1896)
* ''Old Surehand III'' (1897)
* ''Satan und Ischariot I'' (1896)
* ''Satan und Ischariot II'' (1897)
* ''Satan und Ischariot III'' (1897)
* ''Auf fremden Pfaden'' (1897, an anthology)
* ''Weihnacht!'' (1897)
* ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen I'' (1898)
* ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen II'' (1898)
* ''Am Jenseits'' (1899)

May's ''oeuvre'' includes some shorter travel stories that were not published within this series (for example, ''Eine Befreiung'' in ''Die Rose von Kaïrwan'', 1894). After the founding of the Karl May Press in 1913, works in ''Gesammelte Werke'' were revised (sometimes extensively) and many received new titles. Texts (other than those from Fehsenfeld Press) were also added to the new series.

=== Stories for young readers ===
[[File:Karl May Der blaurote Methusalem Herrfurth 001.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Cover of ''Der blaurote Methusalem'' by [[Oskar Herrfurth]]]]
These stories were written from 1887 to 1897 for the magazine ''Der Gute Kamerad''. Most of the stories are set in the [[Wild West]], but Old Shatterhand is just a figure and not the first-person narrator as he is in the travel stories. The best-known volume is ''Der Schatz im Silbersee''. In the broadest sense, the early works ''Im fernen Westen'' and ''Der Waldläufer'' belong in this category.

* ''Der Sohn des Bärenjägers'' (1887, since 1890 within ''Die Helden des Westens'')
* ''Der Geist des Llano estakata'' (1888, since 1890 correctly titled as ''Der Geist des Llano estakado'' within ''Die Helden des Westens'')
* ''Kong-Kheou, das Ehrenwort'' (1888/89, since 1892 titled ''Der blaurote Methusalem'')
* ''Die Sklavenkarawane'' (1890)
* ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'' (1891)
* ''Das Vermächtnis des Inka'' (1892)
* ''Der Oelprinz'' (1894, since 1905 titled as ''Der Ölprinz'')
* ''Der schwarze Mustang'' (1897)
* Replies to letters from readers in ''Der Gute Kamerad''.

=== Mature work ===
[[File:Sascha Schneider Ardistan.jpg|thumb|right|220px|''Ardistan und Dschinnistan'', 1909, cover by [[Sascha Schneider]] showing [[Marah Durimeh]]]]
May's mature work dates to 1900, after his travels to the East.<ref name=SchmidGestaltIdee>Schmid E. A. ''Gestalt und Idee.'' pp. 367–420 in ''Karl May.'' ICH 39th Edition Verlag, Bamberg, 1995</ref> Many of them were published by Fehsenfeld.

* ''Himmelsgedanken'' (1900, poem collection)
* ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen III'' (1902)
* ''Erzgebirgische Dorfgeschichten'' (1903, anthology) 
* ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen IV'' (1903)
* ''Und Friede auf Erden!'' (1904)
* ''Babel und Bibel'' (1906, drama)
* ''Ardistan und Dschinnistan I'' (1909)
* ''Ardistan und Dschinnistan II'' (1909)
* ''Winnetou IV'' (1910)
* ''Mein Leben und Streben'' (1910, autobiography)
* ''Schamah'' (1907) and other short stories.
* ''Briefe über Kunst'' (1907) and other articles. 
* ''"Karl May als Erzieher" und "Die Wahrheit über Karl May" oder Die Gegner Karl Mays in ihrem eigenen Lichte'' (1902) and other legal proceedings.

=== Other works ===
May was a member of the "Lyra" choir in about 1864 and composed musical works, including a version of ''[[Ave Maria]]'' and ''Vergiss mich nicht'' within ''Ernste Klänge'', 1899.<ref name=KuehneLorenzMusik>Kühne H. and Lorenz C. F. ''Karl May und die Musik''. Verlag, Bamberg and Radebeul, 1999.</ref>

During his last years, May lectured on his [[Philosophy|philosophical]] ideas.
* ''Drei Menschheitsfragen: Wer sind wir? Woher kommen wir? Wohin gehen wir?'' ([[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], 1908)
* ''Sitara, das Land der Menschheitsseele'' ([[Augsburg]], 1909)
* ''Empor ins Reich der Edelmenschen'' ([[Vienna]], 1912)

Furthermore, there are posthumous publications of fragments of stories and dramas, lyrics, musical compositions, letters and the library catalog.

== Reception ==
=== Number of copies and translations ===
According to an encyclopedia dedicated to May, he is the "most read writer of the German tongue". The total number of copies published is about 200 million, half of them in German.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon>Petzel M. and Wehnert J. ''Das neue Lexikon rund um Karl May.'' Lexikon Imprint Verlag, Berlin 2002.</ref>

May's first translated work is considered to have been the first half of the ''Orient Cycle'' into a French [[daily newspaper]] in 1881.<ref name=ThuenaUebersetzungen>von Thüna U. ''Übersetzungen'' in Ueding G.''Karl-May-Handbuch'' Königshausen & Neumann, 2001 pp. 519–522. {{ISBN|9783826018138}}.</ref> Hans Dieter Steinmet (of d [[Karl May Museum]]) said that [[Croat]]ian writer [[Nikola Tordinac]] published a translation of May's novel ''Tree carde monte'' in the magazine Sriemski Hrvat in 1880.<ref name=glas>[http://www.glas-slavonije.hr/320453/4/Glas-Slavonije-otkrio-je-prvi-Tordincev-prijevod-Karla-Maya-u-svijetu Glas Slavonije otkrio je prvi, Tordinčev prijevod Karla Maya u svijetu!] ''[[Glas Slavonije]]'', 20 December 2016. Access date 8 June 2020.</ref> Tordinac's translation became a part of the permanent exhibition of the Karl May Museum in 2017.<ref name=glas/> Since that time, May's work has been translated into more than 30 languages, including [[Latin]] and [[Esperanto]]. In the 1960s, [[UNESCO]] indicated that May was the most frequently translated German writer.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon/> His most popular translations are in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Hungary|Hungarian]] and Dutch.<ref name=ThuenaUebersetzungen/> Seabury Press, New York, began publishing English translations by Michael Shaw in 1977.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cook|first=Colleen|date=1982|title=Germany's Wild West Author: A Researcher's Guide to Karl May|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1429849|journal=German Studies Review|volume=5|issue=1|pages=67–86|doi=10.2307/1429849|jstor=1429849|issn=0149-7952|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

=== Influence ===
May had a substantial influence on a number of well-known German-speaking people and on the German population itself.<ref name="ECO">[http://people.uwec.edu/ivogeler/w188/articles/karlmay.htm "''Ich bin ein Cowboy''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006151029/http://people.uwec.edu/ivogeler/w188/articles/karlmay.htm |date=6 October 2014 }} ''[[The Economist]]'', 24 May 2001.</ref> The popularity of his writing, and his (generally German) protagonists, are seen as having filled a lack in the German psyche, which had few popular heroes until the 19th century.<ref name="NYTT"/> His readers longed to escape from an industrialised, capitalist society, an escape which May offered.<ref>Camurat D. [http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/comment/Cmrts/Cmrt4.html ''The American Indian in the Great War, Real and Imagined'']</ref> May "helped shape the collective German dream of feats far beyond middle-class bounds."<ref name="NYTT">[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DD173CF937A35752C0A961948260&sec=&spon= ''Tales Of The Grand Teutons: Karl May Among The Indians.''] ''[[The New York Times]]'', 4 January 1987</ref> and contributed to the [[popular image of Native Americans in German-speaking countries]], which has been described by many as racist and harmful.<ref>{{Cite web|title=German Writers and Race: Modern Germany's Cognitive Dissonance on Racism and its Roots in Karl May's Legacy|url=https://www.brandeis.edu/cges/news-events/fall-2020/201130_haircrow_red.html|access-date=2021-06-28|website=www.brandeis.edu|language=en}}</ref>

The name ''Winnetou'' has an entry in the German dictionary, [[Duden]]. The wider influence on the populace also surprised US occupation troops after World War II, who realised that thanks to May, "Cowboys and Indians" were familiar concepts to local children (though fantastic and removed from reality).<ref name="ECO"/>

Many well-known German-speaking people used May's heroes as models in their childhood.<ref>Müller E. ''Aufgespießt'' in ''KMG-Nachrichten''</ref> [[Albert Einstein]] enjoyed May's books and said, "My whole adolescence stood under his sign. Indeed, even today, he has been dear to me in many a desperate hour..."<ref name="NYTT"/>

==== Influence on the Nazis ====
[[Adolf Hitler]] was an admirer of May's writings. He noted that the novels "overwhelmed" him as a boy, going as far as to ensure "a noticeable decline" in his school grades.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ryback |first1=Timothy W. |title=‘Hitler’s Private Library’ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/books/chapters/chapter-hitlers-private-library.html |website=New York Times}}</ref> In his adult life, Hitler had a shelf of honor built in his library to hold his precious collection of works by May, which were specially bound in vellum.<ref>[[Robert G.L. Waite|Waite, Robert G. L.]] (1978)  ''[[The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler]]'', New York: New American Library. p.11. {{isbn|0-451-62155-7}}</ref>

According to an anonymous friend, Hitler attended the lecture given by May in Vienna in March 1912 and was enthusiastic about the event.<ref>Anonymous ''Mein Freund Hitler'' in Moravsky ilustrovany zpravodaj. 1935, No. 40 p10.</ref> The lecture was an appeal for peace, also heard by [[Nobel Peace Prize]] laureate [[Bertha von Suttner]]. May died suddenly only ten days after the lecture, leaving the young Hitler deeply upset.<ref>Hamman B. ''Hitler's Vienna: A Dictator's Apprenticeship'' Oxford University Press, New York 1999 pp 382–385 {{ISBN|0-19-512537-1}}.</ref> [[Claus Roxin]] noted that he doubts the anonymous description, because Hitler had said much about May, but not that he had seen him.<ref>Roxin C. Letter dated 24 February 2004. Cited in Wohlgschaft ''Karl May – Leben und Werk'', p. 2000.</ref> 

Hitler defended May against critics in the [[Meldemannstraße dormitory|men's hostel where he lived]] in Vienna, as the evidence of May's earlier time in jail had come to light; although it was true, Hitler confessed that May had never visited the sites of his American adventure stories. This made him a greater writer in Hitler's view since it showed the author's powers of imagination. 

Hitler later recommended the books to his generals and had special editions distributed to soldiers at the front, praising Winnetou as an example of "tactical finesse and circumspection",<ref name="TNR"/> though some note that the latter claims of using the books as military guidance are not substantiated.<ref name="NYTT"/> However, as told by [[Albert Speer]], "when faced by seemingly hopeless situations, he [Hitler] would still reach for these stories," because "they gave him courage like works of philosophy for others or the Bible for elderly people."<ref name="TNR">Grafton A. [http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=1fb48fe8-1d1c-4088-a435-f72087238c07&p=1 ''Mein Buch''] ''[[The New Republic]]'', December 2008.</ref> 

Hitler's admiration for May led the German writer [[Klaus Mann]] to accuse May of having been a form of "mentor" for Hitler.<ref name="ECO"/> In his admiration, Hitler ignored May's Christian and humanitarian approach and views completely, not mentioning his relatively sympathetic description of Jews and other persons of non-Northern European ancestry.<!--Several of May's novels were re-edited in an antisemitic style during the years of Nazism and led to serious misunderstandings about May's original intentions.<ref>Harder R. [http://www.karl-may-stiftung.de/missbraucht.html ''Mißbraucht im Dritten Reich.'']</ref>{{Failed verification|reason=Linked citation mentions NO re-editing. It talks about Nazis failing to understand and grasp the pacifist and Christian message of equality of all men in May's work – but not a word about re-editing of his works "in an antisemitic style".|date=July 2015}} and led to his books being deemed "chauvinist" by the Communist authorities of [[East Germany]] – though this did not affect his popularity or prevent a Karl May renaissance during the 1980s.<ref name="NYTT"/>---> The [[National Socialist]]s in particular tried to use May's popularity and his work for their purposes.<ref name="NYTT"/>

==== ''Indianertümelei'' ====
{{See also|Native Americans in German popular culture}}
The popularity of May's books sparked a fascination in German popular culture with the [[Indigenous peoples of North America]] that continues to this day. In 1985, the German scholar Hartmut Lutz invented the term ''Deutsche Indianertümelei'' ("German Indian Enthusiasm") for the phenomenon.<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 12">Watchman, Renne, Lutz, Hartmut & Strzelczyk, Florence ''Indianthusiasm'', Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2020 p. 12</ref> The phrase ''Indianertümelei'' is a reference to the German term {{wikt-lang|de|Deutschtümelei}} ("German Enthusiasm") which mockingly describes the phenomenon of celebrating in an excessively nationalistic and romanticized manner ''Deutschtum'' ("Germanness").<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 12"/> In the English-speaking world, the phenomenon of the German obsession with the First Nations of North America is known as "Indianthusiasm".<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 12"/> In a 1999 speech delivered in the United States in English, Lutz declared:

{{Blockquote|For over two hundred years Germans have found ''Indianer'' so fascinating that even today an Indian iconography is used in advertising. The most popular image of the ''Indianer'' is provided by Karl May's fictional Apache chief Winnetou...Indian lore is profitable and marketable, as some Native Americans travelling in Germany may attest...There is a marked Indian presence in German everyday culture, even down to the linguistic level, where sentences like ''ein Indianer weint nicht'' (an Indian doesn't cry), ''ein Indianer kennt keinen Schmerz'' (an Indian braves pain) or figures such as ''der letzte Mohikaner'' (the Last of the Mohicans) have become part of the everyday speech.<ref>Watchman, Renne, Lutz, Hartmut & Strzelczyk, Florence ''Indianthusiasm'', Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2020 p. 13</ref>}}

As part of the phenomenon of ''Indianertümelei'' a number of Western and Indian theme parks operate in Germany, the most popular of which are the Pullman City theme park outside of Munich and El Dorado theme park outside of Berlin.<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 16">Watchman, Renne, Lutz, Hartmut & Strzelczyk, Florence ''Indianthusiasm'', Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2020 p. 16</ref> May's books also inspired hobbyist clubs, where Germans pretend to be cowboys or Indians, the first of which was the Cowboy Club founded in Munich in 1913.<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 16"/> In 2019, it was estimated that between 40,000 and 100,000 Germans are involved in ''Indianer'' hobbyist clubs at any given moment.<ref name="Watchman, Renne p. 16"/> Interviewed in 2007, one member of an ''Indianer'' club stated: "Our camp is always in summer, in July for two weeks. During this time, we live in tipis, we wear only Indian clothes. We don't use technology and we try to follow Indian traditions. We have those [pretending to be] Lakota, Oglala, Blackfeet, Blood, Siksika, Pawneee... and we go on the warpath against each other day and night, anytime at all. In two weeks, every tribe can fight each other. We don't know when somebody will attack or when they will come to steal our horses. And the battles are always exciting, too. I really enjoy them".<ref>Watchman, Renne, Lutz, Hartmut & Strzelczyk, Florence ''Indianthusiasm'', Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2020 pp. 16–17</ref> 

Regarding the role of Karl May's works, Karl May movies and Karl May stage adaptations for the German image of Native Americans, Rivka Galchen notes in her essay on "Wild West Germany" in 2012:

{{Blockquote|As Americans, we tend to find the German infatuation with Native Americans campy and naïve. But the comfort of Karl May fans with May’s historical inaccuracies surely comes in part from their confident knowledge of the actual history. Whereas we know almost nothing. We do not proclaim our innocence; we do not feel we are on trial.<ref>Galchen, Rivka, Wild West Germany, in: The New Yorker, April 2, 2012</ref>}}

==== Influence on other authors ====
The German writer [[Carl Zuckmayer]] was intrigued by May's Apache chief and named his daughter ''Maria Winnetou''.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon/> [[Max von der Grün]] said he read May as a young boy. When asked whether reading May's books had given him anything, he answered, "No. It took something away from me. The fear of bulky books, that is."<ref>[http://thg.lernnetz.de/hp/?id=50 ''Thor Heyerdahl Gymnasium, Anecdotes''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719054528/http://thg.lernnetz.de/hp/?id=50 |date=19 July 2011 }} in German.</ref> 
[[Heinz Werner Höber]], the twofold [[Friedrich Glauser|Glauser]] prize winner, was a follower of May. He said, "When I was about 12 years old I wrote my first novel on Native Americans which was, of course, from the beginning to the end completely stolen from Karl May." He had pleaded with friends to get him to Radebeul "because Radebeul meant Karl May". There, he was deeply impressed by the museum and said, "My great fellow countryman from Hohenstein-Ernstthal and his immortal heroes have never left me ever since."<ref>Eik J. ''Der Mann, der Jerry Cotton war. Erinnerungen des Bestsellerautors Heinz Werner Höber''. Das Neue Berlin, Berlin, 1996. {{ISBN|9783359007999}}</ref>

=== Honors ===
[[Asteroids]] [[348 May]] and [[15728 Karlmay]] are named in May's honour.<ref>[http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=15728+Karlmay ''15728 Karlmay''] [[NASA]] Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Small-Body Database. Accessed 16 October 2012.</ref>

== Adaptations ==
{{Main article|Karl May film adaptations}}

May's poem ''Ave Maria'' (1896) was set to music in at least 19 versions. Other poems, especially from the collection ''Himmelsgedanken'' were also set to music. [[Carl Ball]] wrote ''[[Harp]] Clangs'' for the drama ''Babel und Bibel'' for May. The Swiss composer [[Othmar Schoeck]] adapted ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'' for opera. May's concepts, such as Winnetou's death, inspired musical works.<ref name=KuehneVertonungen>Kühne H. ''Vertonungen'' in Ueding's ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp 532–535.</ref>

The first stage adaptation of May's work was ''Winnetou'' (1919) by [[Hermann Dimmler]]. Dimmler and [[Ludwig Körner]] made revised editions of the play. Different novel revisions have been played on outdoor stages since the 1940s. The [[Karl May Festival in Bad Segeberg]] has been held every summer since 1952 and in [[Elspe (place)|Lennestadt-Elspe]] since 1958. At some of these festivals, [[Pierre Brice]] has played Winnetou. Another festival has been conducted on a rock stage in [[Rathen]], in [[Saxon Switzerland]] near Radebeul in 1940 and then since 1984.<ref name=HatzigDramatisierungen>Hatzig H. ''Dramatisierungen'' in Ueding's ''Karl-May-Handbuch'', pp 523–526.</ref>

In 1920, May's friend [[Marie Luise Droop]], her husband [[Adolf Droop]] and the [[#Karl May Press|Karl May Press]] founded Ustad-Film, a [[production company]]. Ustad-Film made three [[silent movies]] (''[[On the Brink of Paradise|Auf den Trümmern des Paradieses]]'', ''[[Caravan of Death (film)|Die Todeskarawane]]'' and ''[[The Devil Worshippers|Die Teufelsanbeter]]'') after the ''Orientcycle''. The company became bankrupt in 1921 and the films are lost.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon/> In 1936 a first [[sound movie]] ''[[Durch die Wüste]]'' was shown. ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Die Sklavenkarawane|de|3=Die Sklavenkarawane (Film)}}'' (1958) and its sequel ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Der Löwe von Babylon|de|3=Der Löwe von Babylon (Film)}}'' (1959) were the first colour movies.

From 1962 to 1968, a series of May movies were made.<ref name=HatzigVerfilmungen>Hatzig H. ''Verfilmungen'' in Ueding's ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp. 527–531.</ref> While most of the seventeen movies of this series were [[Wild West movie]]s (beginning with ''Der Schatz im Silbersee''), three were based on the ''Orientcycle'' and two on ''Das Waldröschen''. Most of these movies were made separately by the two competitors [[Horst Wendlandt]] and [[Artur Brauner]]. Several actors were employed, including [[Lex Barker]] (Old Shatterhand, Kara Ben Nemsi, Karl Sternau), [[Pierre Brice]] (Winnetou), [[Gojko Mitić]] (Winnetou), [[Stewart Granger]] (Old Surehand), [[Milan Srdoč]] (Old Wabble) and [[Ralf Wolter]] (Sam Hawkens, Hadschi Halef Omar, André Hasenpfeffer). The [[film score]] by [[Martin Böttcher]] and the landscape of [[Yugoslavia]] are associated with the movies. Other movies such as ''Die Spur führt zum Silbersee'' (1990) and TV productions such as ''Das Buschgespenst'' (1986) and the television series ''[[Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi (TV series)|Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi]]'' (1973) were produced. The productions vary from the original written works.<ref name=HatzigVerfilmungen/>

In 2016, German RTL Television premiered three-part television movies based on Winnetou, directed by [[Philipp Stölzl]].<ref>[[Winnetou (2016 film)]]</ref> In the part "Winnetou and Old Shatterhand", [[Gojko Mitić]], one of the actors who played Winnetou in the '60s movies, portrayed Intschu Tschuna, Winnetou's father.

May's works (about 300) have been adapted for [[audio drama]]s, particularly in the 1960s.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon/><ref name=Hoerspiele>[http://www.karl-may-hoerspiele.info/ Karl May audio drama database]</ref> The first, ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'', was written by [[Günther Bibo]] in 1929.<ref name=PetzelWehnertLexikon/> There are also Czech and Danish versions of the audio dramas.<ref name=Hoerspiele/> In 1988, ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'' was read by [[Gert Westphal]] and published as an [[audiobook]]. ''Wann sehe ich dich wieder, du lieber, lieber Winnetou?'' (1995) is a compendium of Karl May texts read by [[Hermann Wiedenroth]].<ref name=Hoerspiele/>

In the 1950s [[Croatia]]n [[Comics artist|comic book artist]] [[Walter Neugebauer]] finished his 1930s comic book adaptation of Karl May's stories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/n/neugebauer.htm|title=Walter Neugebauer|website=lambiek.net|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14}}</ref> [[Serbia]]n artist [[Aleksandar Hecl]] also drew one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rastko.rs/strip/1/strip-u-srbiji-1955-1972/index_l.html|title=[Projekat Rastko] Zdravko Zupan: Strip u Srbiji 1955–1972.|website=www.rastko.rs|access-date=2016-07-19}}</ref> In the 1960s and 1970s, May's works were adapted for German comics including an eight-issue series based on ''Winnetou'' and a further nine-issue series titled ''Karl May'' (1963–1965). The series was drawn by [[Helmut Nickel]] and [[Harry Ehrt]] and published by Walter Lehning Verlag. Belgian comics artist [[Willy Vandersteen]] created a whole series of comics based on May's stories, simply titled ''Karl May'' (1962–1977).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/v/vandersteen.htm|title=Willy Vandersteen|website=lambiek.net|language=en|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref> Eighty-seven issues of ''Karl May'' were published by [[Standaard Uitgeverij]] from 1962 to 1987. Comics based on May's novels were also produced in [[Czechoslovakia]], Denmark, France, [[Mexico]], Spain and Sweden.<ref name=PetzelComicsBildergeschichten>Petzel M. ''Comics und Bildergeschichten'' in Ueding: ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp 539–545.</ref>

May's life has been the subject of screen works, novels and a stage play, including 
* ''Freispruch für Old Shatterhand'' (1965, directed by Hans Heinrich)
* ''[[Karl May (film)|Karl May]]'' (1974, directed by [[Hans-Jürgen Syberberg]])
* ''Karl May'' (1992, directed by. [[Klaus Überall]], a television series in 8 episodes)
* ''Swallow, mein wackerer Mustang'' (1980) by [[Erich Loest]]
* ''Vom Wunsch, Indianer zu werden. Wie [[Franz Kafka]] Karl May traf und trotzdem nicht in Amerika landete'' (1994) by [[Peter Henisch]]
* ''Old Shatterhand in Moabit'' (1994) by [[Walter Püschel]]
* ''Karl May und der Wettermacher'' (2001) by [[Jürgen Heinzerling]]
* ''Die Taschenuhr des Anderen'' by [[Willi Olbrich]].

=== Copies, parodies, and sequels ===
May was [[Copying|copied]] or [[Parody|parodied]] during his lifetime. Some wrote similar Wild West stories. Others, such as [[Franz Treller]], published under May's name.<ref name=WehnertFortErgBearb>Wehnert J. ''Fortsetzungen, Ergänzungen und Bearbeitungen''. in ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp 509–511.</ref> Novelizations of May's characters include 
* ''Hadschi Halef Omar'' (2010) [[Jörg Kastner]] describes the first contact of the titular character with Kara Ben Nemsi. 
* ''In Mekka'' (1923) [[Franz Kandolf]], a sequel to ''Am Jenseits'' (''Karl May's Gesammelte Werke'' volume 50).
* "Die Schatten des Schah-in-Schah" (2006) [[Heinz Grill]], an alternative to ''Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen III/IV''.
* ''Winnetous Testament'' [[Jutta Laroche]] and [[Reinhard Marheinecke]], a series of eight volumes as a sequel to ''Winnetou IV''.
* ''[[Der Schuh des Manitu]]'' (2001) [[Michael Herbig]], a parody on the Karl May films of the 1960s.

== Karl May institutions ==
=== Karl May Foundation ===
In his will, May made his second wife, Klara, his sole heiress. He instructed that after her death all of his property and any future earnings from his work should go to a [[Foundation (non-profit)|foundation]]. This foundation should support the education of the gifted poor including writers, journalists, and editors. One year after May's death, on 5 March 1913, Klara May established the "Karl May Foundation" ("Karl-May-Stiftung"). Contributions have been made since 1917. Klara and Karl May's estate went to the foundation. The foundation established the [[#Radebeul|Karl May Museum]] to maintain the Villa Shatterhand, the estates, the collections and May's tomb.<ref>Schmid E. ''Karl Mays Tod und Nachlaß.'' in ''Karl May'' ICH 39th edition. Karl-May-Verlag, Bamberg, 1995, pp. 327–365.</ref><ref name=WagnerStiftung>Wagner R. ''Karl-May-Stiftung (Radebeul)'' in Ueding: ''Karl-May-Handbuch'', pp. 549–551.</ref> In 1960, the Karl May Foundation received the Karl May Press.<ref name=WagnerStiftung/>

=== Karl May Press ===
On 1 July 1913, Klara May, Friedrich Ernst Fehsenfeld (May's main publisher) and the [[jurist]] Euchar Albrecht Schmid established the "Foundation Press Fehsenfeld & Co." ("Stiftungs-Verlag Fehsenfeld & Co.") in Radebeul. In 1915, the name changed to "Karl May Press" ("Karl-May-Verlag" (KMV)). The KMV consolidated the rights to May's works from internal discord and from other publishers.<ref name=WehnertKMV>Wehnert, Jürgen. ''Der Karl-May-Verlag'' in Ueding: ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp. 554–558.</ref> Third-hand revisions of these texts were added to the series ''Karl May's Gesammelte Reiseerzählungen'', which was renamed to ''Karl May's Gesammelte Werke (und Briefe)''. The existing 33 volumes of the original series were also revised, some extensively. By 1945 there were 65 volumes. The press is exclusive to May's work and subsidiary literature. Besides the ''Gesammelte Werke'' (the classical "green volumes"), which have 91 volumes today<!-- 88 + 91–93 -->, the press has a huge reprint programme.

The Karl May Press aims to rehabilitate May from literary criticism and to support the Karl May Foundation. In 1921, Fehsenfeld left and in 1960, the foundation fell to Klara May's estate, and thus the Press is owned by the Schmid family. In 1959, due to censorship in the [[Soviet occupation zone]] and [[East Germany]], the Press moved to [[Bamberg]] (Germany). In 1963, when copyright ended, the Press began commercialising May's works. After [[German reunification]], in 1996, the Press took a second office in Radebeul. The name "Karl May" is a [[registered trade mark]] of the "Karl May Verwaltungs- und Vertriebs-GmbH", which belongs to the Karl May Press.<ref name=WehnertKMV/>

=== Museums ===

==== Radebeul ====
[[File:Villa Shatterhand.jpg|thumb|right|220px|May's Villa Shatterhand]]
[[File:Karl May Museum Baerenfett.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Villa Bärenfett]]
The [[Karl May Museum]] is in the Villa Shatterhand in Radebeul and contains artifacts from May's life as well as from life on the [[American frontier]] and [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] life of that era.<ref name=NY>{{cite news|last1=Galchen|first1=Rivka|title=Wild West Germany|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/09/wild-west-germany|magazine=The New Yorker|date=2 April 2012|language=en}}</ref>  It was founded in 1928 by May's widow and an eccentric Austrian named [[:de:Patty Frank|Ernst Tobis]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |author=Eddy, Melissa | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/18/world/europe/germanys-fascination-with-american-old-west-native-american-scalps-human-remains.html |work= New York Times |title= Germany's fascination with American old West, Native American scalps human remains |date= 17 August 2014 |access-date= 3 May 2018}}</ref>  When the [[Nazi Germany|Nazis]] took over Germany, they appropriated the museum and the image of May, and were especially focused on [[swastika]]s that appeared in some of the Native American artwork.  Hitler Youth were encouraged to visit the museum and hear stories from Tobis.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Penny|first1=H. Glenn|title=Kindred by Choice: Germans and American Indians Since 1800|date=2013|publisher=UNC Press Books|isbn=9781469607641|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HV4DAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA166|language=en|page=166}}</ref> After World War II, the original museum remained in [[East Germany]] and a replica was built in [[Bamberg]] in [[West Germany]].<ref name=Weaver>{{cite book|last1=Weaver|first1=Jace|title=Other Words: American Indian Literature, Law, and Culture|date=2001|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=9780806133522|language=en|url=https://archive.org/details/otherwordsameric0000weav|url-access=registration}}</ref>{{rp|73}}  From 1956 to 1984, the museum in Radebeul was called the "Indianer Museum", because May's books were suppressed by the East German government; its original name was restored in 1986.<ref name=NY/>  Around 2010, controversy arose over [[Scalping|scalps]], some of them from Native Americans, that were in the museum's collection.<ref name=NYT/>

==== Hohenstein-Ernstthal ====
The "Karl May House" ("Karl-May-Haus") is the three-centuries-old [[weaving|weaver house]] where May was born. Since 12 March 1985, it has been a memorial and museum. It shows an original weaving room and non-German book editions. The garden has been arranged according to May's description in his memoirs.

Opposite the house is the International Karl May Heritage Center ("Karl-May-Begegnungsstätte"), which is used for events and special exhibitions. In [[Hohenstein-Ernstthal]], called "Karl May Home Town" since 1992, every May-related place has a [[commemorative plaque]]. These places are connected by a "Karl May Path" ("Karl-May-Wanderweg"). Outside the city lies the "Karl May Cave" ("Karl-May-Höhle"), where May found shelter during his criminal times.<ref name=NeubertMuseumHE>Neubert A. ''Karl-May-Haus (Hohenstein-Ernstthal)'' in ''Karl-May-Handbuch'' pp. 546–547.</ref>

=== Societies ===
In the 1890s, there were Karl May clubs.<ref>Wohlgschaft: ''Karl May&nbsp;– Leben und Werk''. p. 1029</ref> Today, various entities focus on research about the author.<ref name=HeinemannOrganePerspektiven>Heinemann E. ''Organe und Perspektiven der Karl-May-Forschung''. In: Ueding: ''Karl-May-Handbuch'', pp 559–564.</ref> These organisations exist in German-speaking regions, the Netherlands, Australia and [[Indonesia]]. While such societies are responsible for the release of most May-related periodicals, for example, ''Der Beobachter an der Elbe'', ''Karl-May-Haus Information'', ''Wiener Karl-May-Brief'', and ''Karl May in Leipzig'', the magazine ''Karl May & Co.'' is published independently.

The "Karl May Society" (KMG), founded on 22 March 1969, is the largest organisation, with approximately 1800 members.<ref>''Satzung der Karl-May-Gesellschaft e.V.'' 2 March 2010.</ref> The KMG publishes ''Jahrbuch'', ''Mitteilungen'', ''Sonderhefte der Karl-May-Gesellschaft'', and ''KMG-Nachrichten'' and reprints. Since 2008 and in cooperation with the Karl May Foundation and the Karl May Press, the KMG has published the [[Textual criticism|critiqued edition]] of "Karl Mays Werke". This project was initiated by [[Hans Wollschläger]] and Hermann Wiedenroth in 1987.<ref name=WehnertText>Wehnert J. ''Der Text''. In Ueding: ''Karl-May-Handbuch'', pp. 116–130.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.karl-mays-werke.de/editionsplan.pdf |title=Edition plannings. |access-date=26 September 2010 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719051426/http://www.karl-mays-werke.de/editionsplan.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Further reading ===
* Bugmann M. ''Savage To Saint: The Karl May Story''. Verlag Reinhard Marheinecke, 2019 edition, {{ISBN|978-1079857214}} (A first English biography of Karl May).
* Frayling C. ''Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone''. Routledge, London and Boston 1981; revised edition, Taurus, London and New York 2006, {{ISBN|978-1-84511-207-3}}.
* Galchen, Rivka, ''Wild West Germany''. The New Yorker, April 2, 2012, [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/04/09/wild-west-germany]
* Grams G "Was Karl May in Canada? The works of Max Otto: A German writer's "Absurd Picture of Canada" '' Yearbook of German-American Studies,'' Volume 42 2007, pp.&nbsp;69–83.
* Grams G. ''This terrible Karl May in the Wild West''
* Schneider, Tassilo.  "Finding a new Heimat in the Wild West: Karl May and the German Western of the 1960s." ''Journal of Film and Video'' (1995): 50–66. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20688065 in JSTOR]
* Sammons J. ''Ideology, nemesis, fantasy: Charles Sealsfield, Friedrich Gerstäcker, Karl May, and other German novelists of America''. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill 1998, {{ISBN|0-8078-8121-X}}.
* Schwerla K. ''Kanada Im Faltboot'' Alberta History Volume 56(1) 2008 pp 10–13.

===In German===
* Wiedenroth H. and Wollschlager H. ''Karl Mays Werke: historisch-kritische Ausgabe''  (''Karl May's Works, an historical critique.'') various publishers. 
* May K. ''Mein Leben und Streben'' (''My Life and Aspirations.'') (1910) Karl May, 2014. {{ISBN|6050342989}}.
* [http://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/sprachen/englisch/primlit/bio/leben/index.htm ''My life and my efforts.''] Karl May company English version website. 
* Michalak M. ''My Life and My Mission'' Nemsi Books 2007. {{ISBN|0-9718164-7-6}} and {{ISBN|978-0-9718164-7-3}}.
* Plaul H. ''Illustrierte Karl-May-Bibliographie.'' Unter Mitwirkung von Gerhard Klußmeier. Saur, Munich, London, New York, Paris 1989, {{ISBN|3-598-07258-9}} (in German).
* Sudhoff D. and Steinmetz H. ''Karl-May-Chronik (5 volumes and companion book).'' Karl-May-Verlag, Bamberg and Radebeul 2005–2006, {{ISBN|3-7802-0170-4}} (in German).
* Ueding G. (Ed.) ''Karl-May-Handbuch.'' Second enlarged and revised edition. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2001, {{ISBN|3-8260-1813-3}} (in German).
* Wohlgschaft H. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131103025748/http://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/seklit/biographie/index.htm ''Karl May, Leben und Werk''] Bücherhaus, Bargfeld 2005, {{ISBN|3-930713-93-4}}  (in German).
* Wollschläger H. ''Karl May. Grundriß eines gebrochenen Lebens'' (1965) Wallstein, Göttingen 2004 {{ISBN|3-89244-740-3}} (in German). 
* Schiedt H. ''Karl May oder Die Macht der Phantasie''. Beck Verlag, München 2011 {{ISBN|978-3-406-62116-1}} (in German)

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Karl May}}
{{Wikisourcelang|de|Karl May}}
* [http://www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/sprachen/englisch/index.htm ''Karl May Gesellschaft''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219050245/http://karl-may-gesellschaft.de/kmg/sprachen/englisch/index.htm |date=19 December 2010 }} KM Society. 
* [http://en.qantara.de/Literary-Genius-or-Man-of-Legendary-Hubris/19035c20012i1p501/index.html ''The 100th Anniversary of Karl May's Death: Literary Genius or Man of Legendary Hubris?'']
* Hermesmeier W. [http://www.karl-may-bibliografie.de ''Karl May''] in German.
* [http://www.karl-may-buecher.de Karl May bibliographic database] in German.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081122100827/http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/manuscripts/collections/ms013.dot Karl Friedrich May Papers] Gettysburg College.
* [http://www.karl-may-wiki.de Karl-May-Wiki] in German
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03jz22h ''Karl May''] BBC Radio 4 documentary. 
* [http://www.karl-may-stiftung.de/ Karl May Foundation] in German.
* [http://www.karl-may.de/pages/service.php Karl May Press] in German.
* [http://www.karl-may-museum.de/ Karl May Museum in Radebeul] in German.
* [http://www.karl-may-museum.de/data/cms/pdf/kmm_englisch_web.pdf Museum flyer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514191042/http://www.karl-may-museum.de/data/cms/pdf/kmm_englisch_web.pdf |date=14 May 2011 }} in English.
* [http://www.karl-may-haus.de/ Karl May House in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (Museum)] in English.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101122094635/http://karlmay.agerth.de/wiki/index.php/Vereine Karl May societies.] in German.
* {{IMSLP|May, Karl|Karl May}}
* {{ChoralWiki}}
* {{DNB portal|118818651}}
* {{Gutenberg author |id=1018| name=Karl May}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Karl Friedrich May |sopt=t}}
* {{Librivox author |id=481}}
* [https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL21836A Works] at [https://openlibrary.org Open Library]
* {{PM20|FID=pe/019547}}

{{Karl May}}
{{German literature}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Karl}}
[[Category:Karl May| ]]
[[Category:1842 births]]
[[Category:1912 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century German novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century German novelists]]
[[Category:People from Hohenstein-Ernstthal]]
[[Category:Writers from the Kingdom of Saxony]]
[[Category:German children's writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Saxony]]
[[Category:Western (genre) writers]]
[[Category:German pacifists]]
[[Category:German male novelists]]
[[Category:German-language poets]]
[[Category:Deaths from bronchitis]]
[[Category:Deaths from asthma]]
[[Category:Deaths by lead poisoning]]
[[Category:Mythopoeic writers]]
[[Category:Lone Ranger]]