Winnetou
Encyclopedia
Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written by Karl May
(1842–1912, with about 200 million copies worldwide one of the best selling German
writers of all time) in German
, including the sequels Winnetou I through Winnetou IV.
encounters Winnetou and after initial dramatic events, a true friendship between Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings. It portrays a belief in an innate "goodness" of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies.
Non-dogmatic Christian feelings and values play an important role, and May's heroes are often described as German Americans.
Winnetou became the chief of the tribe of the Mescalero Apaches
(and of the Apaches in general, with the Navajo
included) after his father Intschu-tschuna and his sister Nscho-tschi were slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi ("Wind") and had a famous rifle called "Silberbüchse" ("The Silver Gun", a double-barrel rifle whose stock and butt were decorated with silver studs). Old Shatterhand became the blood brother
of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla ("Lightning").
, Saxony. East Germany restarted those open air theater plays in 1984. In West Germany
, the "Karl-May-Festspiele" or "Karl-May-Spiele" in Bad Segeberg
were started as early as 1950 and then expanded to further places like Lennestadt-Elspe
in honor of Karl May or, rather, of his Apache hero, Winnetou. Now, they are never difficult to find in either Germany or Austria.
The stories, indeed, were so popular that Nazi Germany
did not ban them despite the heroic treatment of "colored" races; instead, the argument was made that the stories demonstrated the fall of the American aboriginal peoples was caused by a lack of racial consciousness.
May's heroes drew on archetype
s of Germanic culture and had little to do with actual Native American
cultures. "Winnetou is noble because he combines the highest aspects of otherwise "decadent" Indian cultures with the natural adoption of the romantic and Christian traits of Karl May's own vision of German civilization. As he is dying, the Apache Winnetou asks some settlers to sing an Ave Maria for him, and his death is sanctified by his quiet conversion to Christianity."
In the 1960s, French nobleman and actor Pierre Brice
played Winnetou in several movies co-produced by German–Yugoslav producers. At first, Brice was not very excited about the role beside Lex Barker
but his very reduced text and stage play brought Winnetou to real life in Germany. Brice not only became a star in Germany, but a significant contributor to German–French reconciliation as well.
who was usually teamed with Lex Barker
as Old Shatterhand
. The music for all Winnetou movies (with its famous title melody played on the harmonica
by the late Johnny Müller) was composed by German composer Martin Boettcher, except Old Shatterhand, composed by Italian composer Riz Ortolani
, and Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand, composed by German composer Peter Thomas
. The films were so successful in Germany that their budgets could be increased almost every time. Principal shooting usually took place in Paklenica
karst
river canyon
national park, Yugoslavia
(now Croatia
). The early films preceded the spaghetti western
.
All of the Winnetou movies are available on VHS tape
in PAL
format — some also dubbed in English under the above mentioned English titles. "Winnetou I - III", "Der Schatz im Silbersee", "Old Shatterhand" and "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" are also available on DVD (region-code 2), but all in German only. In 2004–2005, the missing movies were also to reappear on DVD.
In April 2009, DVDs of the cleared remaster
ed movies were issued in the Czech Republic, selling as an add-on to the Metro newspaper for 50 Czech crowns. All movies are dubbed into Czech and German, with subtitles in Czech and Slovak.
.
Karl May
Karl Friedrich May was a popular German writer, noted mainly for adventure novels set in the American Old West, and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East . In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America...
(1842–1912, with about 200 million copies worldwide one of the best selling German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
writers of all time) in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, including the sequels Winnetou I through Winnetou IV.
Stories
According to Karl May's story, first-person narrator Old ShatterhandOld Shatterhand
Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in western novels by German writer Karl May . He is the German friend and blood brother of Winnetou, the fictional chief of the Mescalero tribe of the Apache...
encounters Winnetou and after initial dramatic events, a true friendship between Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings. It portrays a belief in an innate "goodness" of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies.
Non-dogmatic Christian feelings and values play an important role, and May's heroes are often described as German Americans.
Winnetou became the chief of the tribe of the Mescalero Apaches
Mescalero
Mescalero is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation in southcentral New Mexico...
(and of the Apaches in general, with the Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
included) after his father Intschu-tschuna and his sister Nscho-tschi were slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi ("Wind") and had a famous rifle called "Silberbüchse" ("The Silver Gun", a double-barrel rifle whose stock and butt were decorated with silver studs). Old Shatterhand became the blood brother
Blood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla ("Lightning").
Themes
Karl May's "Winnetou" novels symbolize, to some extent, a romantic desire for a simpler life in close contact with nature. In fact, the popularity of the series is due in large part to the ability of the stories to tantalize fantasies many Europeans had and have for this more untamed environment. The sequel has become the origin of festivals, and the first regular Karl-May-Spiele were staged 1938 till 1941 in RathenRathen
Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about 35 km southeast of Dresden on the Elbe River. Rathen has between 400 and 500 inhabitants....
, Saxony. East Germany restarted those open air theater plays in 1984. In West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, the "Karl-May-Festspiele" or "Karl-May-Spiele" in Bad Segeberg
Bad Segeberg
Bad Segeberg is a German town of 16,000 inhabitants, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district Segeberg. It is situated approximately northeast of Hamburg, and west of Lübeck.It is famous for its annual Karl-May-Festival...
were started as early as 1950 and then expanded to further places like Lennestadt-Elspe
Lennestadt
Lennestadt lies in the Sauerland in southeast North Rhine-Westphalia and is a community in Olpe district. It is the district’s most populous municipality....
in honor of Karl May or, rather, of his Apache hero, Winnetou. Now, they are never difficult to find in either Germany or Austria.
The stories, indeed, were so popular that Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
did not ban them despite the heroic treatment of "colored" races; instead, the argument was made that the stories demonstrated the fall of the American aboriginal peoples was caused by a lack of racial consciousness.
May's heroes drew on archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
s of Germanic culture and had little to do with actual Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
cultures. "Winnetou is noble because he combines the highest aspects of otherwise "decadent" Indian cultures with the natural adoption of the romantic and Christian traits of Karl May's own vision of German civilization. As he is dying, the Apache Winnetou asks some settlers to sing an Ave Maria for him, and his death is sanctified by his quiet conversion to Christianity."
In the 1960s, French nobleman and actor Pierre Brice
Pierre Brice
Pierre Brice is a French actor, mainly known for his role as fictional Apache-chief Winnetou in German Karl May films.- Life and films :...
played Winnetou in several movies co-produced by German–Yugoslav producers. At first, Brice was not very excited about the role beside Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
but his very reduced text and stage play brought Winnetou to real life in Germany. Brice not only became a star in Germany, but a significant contributor to German–French reconciliation as well.
Travel stories
- Old Firehand (1875)
- Winnetou (1878, titular character Inn-nu-wo, der Indianerhäuptling (1875) is changed)
- Im fernen Westen (1879, revision of Old Firehand, later revised for Winnetou II)
- Deadly Dust (1880, later revised for Winnetou III)
- Die Both Shatters (1882)
- Ein Oelbrand (1882/83)
- Im "wilden Westen" Nordamerika's (1882/83, later revised for Winnetou III)
- Der Scout (1888/89, later revised for Winnetou II)
- Winnetou I (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman I)
- Winnetou II (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman II)
- Winnetou III (1893, temporarily also entitled as Winnetou der Rote Gentleman III)
- Old Surehand I (1894)
- Old Surehand II (1895)
- Old Surehand III (1896)
- Satan und Ischariot I (1896)
- Satan und Ischariot II (1897)
- Satan und Ischariot III (1897)
- Gott läßt sich nicht spotten (within Auf fremden Pfaden, 1897)
- Ein Blizzard (within Auf fremden Pfaden, 1897)
- Mutterliebe (1897/98)
- Weihnacht! (1897)
- Winnetou IV (1910)
Juvenile fiction
- Im fernen Westen (1879, revision of Old Firehand)
- Unter der Windhose (1886, later also within Old Surehand II)
- Der Sohn des Bärenjägers (1887, within Die Helden des Westens since 1890)
- Der Geist des Llano estakado (1888, within Die Helden des Westens since 1890)
- Der Schatz im Silbersee (1890/91)
- Der Oelprinz (1893/94)
- Der schwarze Mustang (1896/97)
Other works
- Auf der See gefangen (1878/1879, also entitled as Auf hoher See gefangen)
Karl May movies with Winnetou character
In all the following movies, Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre BricePierre Brice
Pierre Brice is a French actor, mainly known for his role as fictional Apache-chief Winnetou in German Karl May films.- Life and films :...
who was usually teamed with Lex Barker
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
as Old Shatterhand
Old Shatterhand
Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in western novels by German writer Karl May . He is the German friend and blood brother of Winnetou, the fictional chief of the Mescalero tribe of the Apache...
. The music for all Winnetou movies (with its famous title melody played on the harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
by the late Johnny Müller) was composed by German composer Martin Boettcher, except Old Shatterhand, composed by Italian composer Riz Ortolani
Riz Ortolani
Riziero "Riz" Ortolani is an Italian film composer.In the early 1950s Ortolani was founder and member of a jazz band of national Italian renown...
, and Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand, composed by German composer Peter Thomas
Peter Thomas (composer)
Peter Thomas is a German composer/arranger. He was born in Breslau on 1 December 1925, and his active career spanned more than 50 years between 1955 and 2006....
. The films were so successful in Germany that their budgets could be increased almost every time. Principal shooting usually took place in Paklenica
Paklenica
The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...
karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
river canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
national park, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
(now Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
). The early films preceded the spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
.
- Der Schatz im Silbersee (1962) — Treasure of Silver Lake (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Winnetou 1. Teil (1963) — Apache Gold (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Old ShatterhandOld Shatterhand (film)The film Old Shatterhand is a very successful Eurowestern based on the character Old Shatterhand invented by German novelist Karl May. It is a French, Italian, Yugoslavian, West German co-production filmed in 70mm. With about 5,000,000 DM in production the film was the most expensive Karl May...
(1964) — Apaches Last Battle (1964) (UK) (Yugoslavia) - Winnetou 2. Teil (1964) — Last of the RenegadesLast of the RenegadesLast of the Renegades is a 1964 German Western film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Lex Barker.-Cast:* Lex Barker - Old Shatterhand* Pierre Brice - Winnetou* Anthony Steel - Bud Forrester* Karin Dor - Ribanna* Klaus Kinski - David 'Luke' Lucas...
(1966) (UK) (Germany) (Yugoslavia) - Unter Geiern (1964) — Frontier Hellcat (1966) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Der Ölprinz (1965) — Rampage at Apache Wells (1965) (Yugoslavia)
- Winnetou - 3. TeilWinnetou - 3. TeilWinnetou – 3. Teil is a 1965 West German and Italian film directed by Harald Reinl.- Cast :* Lex Barker – Old Shatterhand* Pierre Brice – Winnetou* Rik Battaglia – Rollins* Ralf Wolter – Sam Hawkens* Carl Lange – Gouverneur...
(1965) — Winnetou: The Desperado Trail (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia) - Old Surehand 1. Teil (1965) — Flaming Frontier (1969) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (1966) — Half-Breed (1973) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966) — Thunder at the Border (1966) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
- Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968) — Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death (1968) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
All of the Winnetou movies are available on VHS tape
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
format — some also dubbed in English under the above mentioned English titles. "Winnetou I - III", "Der Schatz im Silbersee", "Old Shatterhand" and "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" are also available on DVD (region-code 2), but all in German only. In 2004–2005, the missing movies were also to reappear on DVD.
In April 2009, DVDs of the cleared remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed movies were issued in the Czech Republic, selling as an add-on to the Metro newspaper for 50 Czech crowns. All movies are dubbed into Czech and German, with subtitles in Czech and Slovak.
Television miniseries
Also in the following television series, Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre BricePierre Brice
Pierre Brice is a French actor, mainly known for his role as fictional Apache-chief Winnetou in German Karl May films.- Life and films :...
.
- Mein Freund Winnetou (1980) — My friend Winnetou — Winnetou le Mescalero, 7 episodes at 52 min.
- Winnetous Rückkehr ("The return of Winnetou") (1998), 2 parts, 171 min. in total
In popular culture
- In 2001, a parody of the Winnetou films, "Der Schuh des ManituDer Schuh des ManituDer Schuh des Manitu is a 2001 German parody of western films. Directed by Michael Herbig, it is a film adaptation of the Winnetou sketches from his Pro Sieben television show Bullyparade.-Background:...
", was directed by Michael Herbig. - DirectorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Quentin TarantinoQuentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
mentioned Winnetou in his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.