What is Karl May?
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->|image=Karl May edit.jpg|imagesize=200|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=|website={{URL|www.karl-may-gesellschaft.de}}|footnotes=}} '''Karl Friedrich May''' (25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a popular [[Germany|German]] [[author]]. He wrote over 70 books. He is known for his fictional adventure novels. His stories usually take place in the [[American Old West]], the [[Orient]] or the [[Middle East]] during the 19th century. His most famous fictional character was the [[Apache]] [[Native American]] [[Winnetou]]. Winnetou's adventures often involved the German engineer [[Old Shatterhand]]. Other notable characters are [[Kara Ben Nemsi]] and [[Hadschi Halef Omar]]. May later wrote more academic and philosophical writings. There are over 200 million copies of his works.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Who was Karl May? Facts and myths surrounding the creator of Winnetou {{!}} DW {{!}} 24.02.2017|url=https://www.dw.com/en/who-was-karl-may-facts-and-myths-surrounding-the-creator-of-winnetou/a-37675272|access-date=2022-08-03|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-02-07|title=Karl May|language=en|work=Harvard Magazine|url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2020/03/vita-karl-may|access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:May, Karl}} [[Category:1842 births]] [[Category:1912 deaths]] [[Category:Western (genre)]] [[Category:Writers from Saxony]] {{bio-stub}}