Public reader discussion about Winnetou in the WeRead Catalog by Karl May.
By paperbackcougar1984
Hey, I’m a native and I only came across Karl May and his books a couple years ago. More recently I heard there’s a Karl May Festival with Winnetou and some live performances, but I don’t really know much yet. I tried looking it up and there’s barely any info online besides German. Also, does anyone know when the festival actually takes place, and when the best time is to visit the museum?
By DraftTrail
There’s this Soviet western thing, apparently it’s also called an Eastern one (maybe because of the vibe?), titled “The White Sun of the Desert.” It’s pretty loaded with classic western tropes that anyone into the genre will spot. I’d definitely recommend it.
By AmberBasketBison
I’m Native, and it feels like I hear people speaking to me in my native language more often from Germans than Americans. And honestly, their knowledge of real American history is really impressive.
By envelope_tide
Hi everyone. Does anyone else remember in kindergarten/elementary school having some kind of festival where kids dress up as Native Americans—like with tents and everything? I feel really uncomfortable about it, and it strikes me as kind of racist. I honestly don’t get why Germany would do something like that in the first place. Where did it even come from, and why are they still doing it? And if the goal is education, wouldn’t it make more sense to actually talk about what the settlers/colonizers did to Native Americans instead?
By DustyValley
I keep running into the idea that a lot of Germans are really into the American West, and I’m guessing Karl May’s Winnetou / Old Shatterhand books have a lot to do with that. Has anyone actually tried reading them to help with their German? They feel like they might be aimed at younger readers sometimes, so maybe the language is easier. Also, are they public domain now? Since most of them were written in the 1880s and 1890s, I’m not totally sure where that leaves them.
By EclipseGold827
I wasn’t sure what category to use, so I picked Culture. I’m guessing the whole literature thing is part of culture anyway, so it felt like the closest fit. I haven’t actually read it yet, but I’m planning to go through it in both English and German. My memory’s not great, so I honestly don’t mind getting spoiled. I don’t really read that much these days, so I’m kinda excited.
By TinyChapter
I’ve heard that Native/Indigenous American people have been a big topic of cultural interest in Germany for a long time. It feels like you can see it everywhere, like from Karl May’s novels to stuff like Atreyu in Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story. I’m just not sure why that is though—does anyone know what’s behind it?
By Lake_Frog
I’d never heard of this person before this post. Honestly, I feel like most Americans probably wouldn’t know a German author who’s been dead for more than a hundred years. Like, my city’s public library system is supposed to be one of the biggest in the country, and it only has one copy each of The Secret Brotherhood and The Caravan of Death, plus two copies of Winnetou. (Maybe he’s more of a European thing—there are at least a few copies of his books in Polish, German, and Croatian.)
By nebula_harmony16
So Karl May seems pretty big in German-speaking Europe. I keep hearing about Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, but I don’t know much beyond that. Has anyone actually read his books? If so, where can I get them in English? The only thing I’ve managed to find so far is that old unofficial translation, “Winnetou the Apache Knight: Jack Hildreth among the Indians.” Also… how hard are May’s books to get through? Is there a certain reading level? Would it be easier for me to read them in German? Edit: Nope, way beyond me.