Karl Friedrich May (/ma?/ MY; German: [ma?]; 25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a popular German writer, noted mainly for adventure novels set in the American Old West (best known for the characters of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand) and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East (with Kara Ben Nemsi and Hadschi Halef Omar). In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America. May also wrote poetry, a play, and composed music; he was a proficient player of several musical instruments. Many of his works were filmed, adapted for the stage, turned into audio dramas or into comics. A highly imaginative and fanciful writer, May never visited the exotic places featured in his stories until late in life, at which point the clash between his fiction and reality led to a complete change in his work.
An estimated 100-200 million copies of his books have been printed.
2
Spent time in jail for theft on several occasions between 1865 and 1874.
3
May was a notorious self-promoter and a 'Munchhausen'-style teller of tall tales. He awarded himself a false doctorate. He claimed to have visited the Wild West and the Orient (but never did). He claimed to be able to converse in 1,200 languages or dialects (a clearly preposterous notion). His most outrageous claim was to be an honorary Apache chief with a following of 35,000 warriors (the entire Apache nation never numbered as many at any given time...).
4
Used numerous pseudonyms, including Capitan Ramon Diaz de la Escosura, D. Jam, Emma Pollmer (name of his first wife), Ernst von Linden, Hobble-Frank, Karl Hohenthal, M. Gisela, P. van der Löwen, Prinz Muhamel Lautréamont and Richard Plöhn (a friend).
5
Although he wrote many adventure stories about the American "Old West", he had not only never been to that area but had never even been to America.
6
Was one of young Adolf Hitler's favorite authors. As a kid, Hitler often played "Cowboys and Indians", inspired by May's stories.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Winnetou - Der letzte Kampf
2016
novel
Winnetou - Das Geheimnis vom Silbersee
2016
novel
Winnetou & Old Shatterhand
2016
novel
WinneToons - Die Legende vom Schatz im Silbersee
2009
characters
Karl-May-Spiele: Winnetou und Old Firehand
2008
TV Movie characters
Karl-May-Spiele: Winnetou I
2007
TV Movie novel
Karl-May-Spiele: Unter Geiern - Der Sohn des Bärenjägers
2004
TV Movie novel
Karl-May-Spiele: Old Surehand
2003
TV Movie novel
Karl-May-Spiele: Im Tal des Todes
2002
TV Movie novel
Winnetous Rückkehr
1998
TV Movie characters - uncredited
Der Schatz im Silbersee
1993
Video Game novel
Karl May
1992
TV Mini-Series novel - 6 episodes
Die Spur führt zum Silbersee
1989
novel
Präriejäger in Mexiko: Benito Juarez
1988
novel
Präriejäger in Mexiko: Geierschnabel
1988
novel
Das Buschgespenst
1986
TV Movie novel
Im Tal des Todes
1980
TV Movie novel
Winnetou le mescalero
1980
TV Series character created by - 1980
Old Firehand
1979
TV Movie story
Durchs wilde Kurdistan
1978
TV Movie novel
Der schwarze Mustang
1977
TV Movie novel
Winnetou II
1976
TV Movie novel
Winnetou I
1976
TV Movie story
Das Vermächtnis des Inka
1974
TV Movie novel
Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi
1973
TV Series novels
Winnetou
1971
TV Movie story
Der Ölprinz
1970
TV Movie novel
Die Felsenburg
1969
TV Movie novel
The Valley of Death
1968
based on
In den Schluchten des Balkans
1968
TV Movie story
Unter Geiern
1967
TV Movie novel
Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand
1966
based on motifs by
Winnetou and the Crossbreed
1966
novel
Winnetou II
1966
TV Movie novel
Kingdom of the Silver Lion
1965
novel
Old Surehand
1965
novel
Winnetou: The Last Shot
1965
novel
Wild Kurdistan
1965
novel
The Oil Prince
1965
based on a narrative by
Legacy of the Incas
1965
novel
Pyramid of the Sun God
1965
novel
Treasure of the Aztecs
1965
novel "Schloß Rodriganda"
Freispruch für Old Shatterhand - Ein Dokumentarspiel über den Prozeß Karl Mays gegen Rudolf Lebius