May Karl

"Karl May was born in Hohenstein-Ernstthal/Sachsen as the son of a weaver. There were 14 children in the family but nine died at an early age. May was blind for the first five years of his life. Through his father's determination to improve the boy's lot, he became a schoolteacher at an elementary school. He had graduated at the age of 19 from Plauen. He had also studied in Waldenburg but he was fired from the school when he stole six candle to take them home. May career was ruined when he was convicted of the theft of a watch, which, he claimed, was lent to him, and he lost his teacher's licence. This experience started a psychological crisis. He was twice arrested for fraud - he masqueraded among others as a medical doctor - and spent several years in prison, where he found the joy of books and good stories. "


"After his release in 1874 May started to send his own writings to various magazines. He wrote sentimental village stories and for an unscrupulous publisher a large number of novelettes anonymously. But this period also developed May's skills as a writer. His breakthrough idea was to produce Indian novels after the manner of Fenimore Cooper. He worked in Dresden as a journalist and in 1880 he married Emma Pollmer, with whom he had lived for two years. The did not have children and they separated in 1903. May then married Klara Ploehn, who was over 20 years younger and a widow. He had met Klara and her husband already 1889 and they had become his close friends. "


"In 1883 May moved to Blasewitz. With the appearance of his short story collections and novels, May gained fame in the 1890s, becoming one of the world's all-time best-selling fiction writers. In the last quarter of the 19th century, May was perhaps the most popular author of boys' books in Germany. "


"May wrote from 1875 over 70 books. Among his best-known works is WINNETOU, published in three volumes between 1876 and 1893. The story depicted the friendship of Old Shatterhand, an American pioneer of German descent, and Winnetou, the noble Red Indian chief, "roten Gentleman" (the Red Gentleman). Before his death in the third book, Winnetou abandons Indian gods and becomes a Christian."