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Year |
Biographic Notes |
Residence |
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1842 |
Carl May was born on Friday the 25th
February 1842 at 10 PM, and baptized the next day at the Evangelic-Lutheran
Church of St.Trinity [St. Trinitatis] in Ernstthal. The Godparents were
master weaver Carl Gottlob Planer (1792–1859), Miss Chr. Friederike Esche
(dates of birth and death unknown), and the apprentice smith Christian
Friedrich Weissflog (1819–1894). He is the fifth child of the 32 years old
weaver Heinrich August May and his 27 years old wife Christiane Wilhelmine,
born Weise. There was a big misery in the household of the May's family -
bitter poverty, many a time even hunger. From his four sisters born only the
four-year old Auguste Wilhelmine was still alive.
In this year there »was a very dry and hot summer. From the sowing time on there was no rain for six to seven weeks and almost the whole summer the weather brought no rain. General shortage of water appeared so that much of the grain could not be ground and consequently was only cut. ... Live stock suffered extremely and most cattle became emaciated and weak and had to be slaughtered. …« |
Ernstthal, |
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1843 |
Because of
»lack of suitable cattle for slaughter [a] high price of the meat« came
about. |
Ernstthal, Niedergasse 122 |
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1844 |
28th May: Karl
May's sister Christiane Wilhelmine was born, the later Mrs. Schöne. In
Hohenstein and Ernstthal great hunger is still present: |
Ernstthal, Niedergasse 122 |
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1845 |
Karl May's
condition got worse: his eye lids are closed and swollen (Blepharitis), an
inflammatory Blepharospasm follows. He could not open his eyes for prolonged
periods of time. He is therefore blind and forgets to see. He could not
remember later his previous visual impressions. Good doctors are out of
reach financially, there was not yet any public health insurance in
existence. May complains in his autobiography Mein Leben und Streben
[My Life and Aspirations] about the »ruinous quackery« to which he fell a
victim. Most probably were his closed eye lids quite ineffectively treated
with ointments and eye bandages: the so far small chance to see even though
for a short time, was in this way fully undone. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1846 |
13th February:
May's mother sat for examinations in midwifery at the Surgical-Medical
Academy (Kurländer Palais) in Dresden with an »excellent pass«. The eyes of
her blind boy were also succesfully attended there by Professors Haase and
Grenser – Karl May learned to see.
(Oil painting by Torsten Hermann).
For me there were only souls,
nothing but souls. And so it stayed, even after I learned to see, from my
youth on until the present day. This is the difference between myself and
the others. This is the key to my books. This is the explanation to all,
what is praiseworthy on me, and to all what is to blame in me. Only who was
blind and who regained his sight again, and only who possesses such a deep
founded and such a mighty inner world that he himself afterwards, when he
could see again and for the rest of his life masters his whole external
world, only he can identify with all what I planned, what I have done and
what I wrote, and only he has the ability to critise me, and noone else! |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1847 |
Karl May was
torn away from the world of fairy tales of his grandmother. The rough
education methods of his father shook May's psyche as from now: |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1848 |
Easter: Karl May entered school. The classes in the Ernstthal primary school are overcrowded; one teacher had approximately 90 pupils to teach. What Karl did not learn there, his father hammered into him. The boy should have it better in life. In such way Karl was forced in the following years to read innumerable, partly scientific books, ordered by his father. The spare free time Karl spent with his godfather, the widely travelled master smith Christian Weißpflog, listening to his exotic tales. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1849 |
Karl May became
a drummer boy with the 7th Militia company of Ernstthal, in which his father
served as lance-corporal. His father exercised and drilled him in various
war games. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1850 |
Ferry's ›Le Coureur des Bois‹ [Der Waldläufer] is published, which May twenty-nine years later reworked for young readers. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 183 |
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1851 |
Presumably in
this year: moving into the house of master weaver Selbmann. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1852 |
16th August: May's sister Anna Henriette was born; she also died much too soon, a few weeks old, on the 4th September. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1853 |
The
aggravating education mistake started by May's father, to hammer the
›knowledge‹ into his son, may have in this year reached the first high
point. Karl May writes in the so appropriately named chapter Without
Youth in his autobiography: |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1854 |
Karl May is
getting privately language tutoring, which he must finance himself. Twelve
years old by now, he has to work as a skittle boy in the neighbouring
Hohenstein in a pub Engelhardt – sometimes until midnight! There he hit upon
the lending library: ›Rinaldo Rinaldini, the Chief of Robbers‹ – ›Himlo
Himlini, the Chief of Robbers in Spain …‹ – ›Sallo Salini, the Most
Formidable Chief of Robbers …‹, are the names of his heroes who became his
imaginary idols. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1855 |
3rd July: May's brother Karl Heinrich was born; this child also dies after a short time on the 30th October. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1856 |
Flight from
reality! |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 Waldenburg |
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1857 |
Karl May fell in love with the fifteen year old Anna Preßler from Ernstthal. He composed words and wrote music for a love song, which he played for her on a guitar:
Away from you,
To let go off you, 21st November: May's sister Maria Lina was born; she died on the 13th December. |
Waldenburg | |||
1858 |
In July the
sixteen year old Anna Preßler marries a shopkeeper Carl Hermann Zacharias,
by whom she expects a child. The grief stays deep in Karl May, he will never
get over it. |
Waldenburg | |||
1859 |
In November May is on duty responsible for lightings at the Teacher's Institute in Waldenburg. At this opportunity he embezzles six candles, which he intends to use for a X-mas tree in the wretched parent's house. On the 21st and 22nd December this affair is investigated by the director of the Institute, Schütze. |
Waldenburg | |||
1860 |
28th January:
Expelled from the Teacher's Institute. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 Plauen |
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1861 |
9th,10th. and
12th September: May completed his final examinations.
His next teacher's position became May's undoing. In Altchemnitz, where he
worked from 6th November as a factory teacher at the Firma Solbrig, he had
to share his living quarters, a room and a bedroom, with their book-keeper
Julius Hermann Scheunpflug. |
Plauen
Glauchau
Altchemnitz
Ernstthal, |
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1862 |
May was most
probably – the proceedings have not survived – sentenced because of
»unlawful use of someone else's possession« according to Art. 330, Abs. 3,
[German Law]. The highest punishment was imposed: six weeks imprisonment.
Clemency petition was refused. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1863 |
May performed at »music – poetic evening
entertainments« in Ernstthal. His living he made by private tutoring. On the
12th February he was reported because of this to the teacher's college; the
school inspection found out about this through a letter of Ernstthaler's
priest Schmidt from 20st March.
Do you know the Night, descending on Earth,
Do you know the Night, descending on Life,
Do you know the Night descending on your Mind, At first May struggles succesfully against these »thousand devils«. He writes for the Ernstthal's choir ›Lyra‹ a whole series of his own musical pieces.. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1864 |
May is registered to stay in Nausslitz near
Dresden. Nothing is known about this time. In the second half of the year he
most probably trails a theater group through Saxony and maintains as well
amorous relationship with a ballerina from the theater – and ballet group H.
Jerwitz from Leipzig. Nearly 21 months passed since May's six-week detention
in Chemnitz. Now he lost his composure: |
Naußlitz bei Dresden |
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1865 |
28th February:
In Gohlis May lives at a steelworker Schule. On the 20th March he looks up,
as »Coppersmith Hermes« the Godfather of thieves and merchants, the furrier
Friedrich Erler and relieves him from a castor fur. A day later May pawns
the fur with an unsuspecting broker in Leihhaus. During an attempt to
collect the proceeds May was seized on the 26th March in Rosenthal, a park
area between Gohlis and Leipzig, when a hatchet »under his jacket was seen
to glitter.« |
Gohlis
Zwickau, |
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1866 |
May is detailed to making money- and cigar wallets. |
Zwickau, Schloss Osterstein |
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1867 | The supervisor Friedrich Göhler discovers May's music talent. May advances to trombone player and becomes a member of the prisoner's church chorus. Presumably towards the end of the year he is named a »special clerk« to the Inspector Kreil and transferred into an isolation block. The voluminous prison's library changes his imprisonment time into a study time. |
Zwickau, Schloss Osterstein |
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1868 |
Literary draft
appears: the Repertorium C. May. |
Zwickau, Schloss Osterstein
Ernstthal, |
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1869 |
About the
beginning of the year May gets to know a housemaid Auguste Gräßler from
Raschau. From this acquaintance develops a love affair. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185
Eisenhöhle |
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1870 |
4th January: At
Niederalgersdorf (Bohemia) May is seized as a tramp in a barn. He calls
himself »Albin Wadenbach«, landowner from Orby on the island of Martinique,
West Indies. A photograph had him convicted. |
Böhmen Mittweida Waldheim |
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1871 | A literary work by May is according to the prison rules at Waldheim fully excluded! »Writing material will be granted to the prisoners in each individual case in the necessary quantity by the Institution on receiving of payment, as will the envelope, in which every letter must be included. To bring more writing material is forbidden. Every prisoner has to return back so much paper as he was given, written on or clear, as well as ink and pencils.« [Paragraph 50] |
Waldheim | |||
1872 |
The prison's
catechist Johannes Kochta became May's fatherly friend. Meeting with
Catholics left in May a lasting impression; he discovered himself. |
Waldheim | |||
1873 |
Even if a Lutheran, May plays the organ at Catholic mass-services. |
Waldheim | |||
1874 |
May is until the beginning of March occupied in
the prison library. |
Waldheim
Ernstthal, |
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1875 |
May's novel Die Rose von Ernstthal
published from November 1874 by Hermann Oeser in Neusalza, could have been
the reason for publisher H. G. Münchmeyer to visit May, whom he he had known
since the 1860's. His editor Otto Freitag quit after an argument; Münchmeyer
needed urgently a replacement. 8th March: May moves as ›Editor‹ to Dresden-Altstadt; lives in Jagdweg, where the publishing firm is situated. There he is editing a family journal ›Der Beobachter an der Elbe‹. Münchmeyer always calls May in front of his employees »Doctor«. This title which May later kept using, has not changed anything on the fact that on the 24th March he was evicted from Dresden. May, who for a good one year yet was under Police supervision, was not allowed to leave Hohenstein and Ernstthal without permission! May continues to edit the Münchmeyer's ›Beobachter‹ from Ernstthal. There appears from the end of May his novel Wanda. Further he prepared for his publisher major parts of the Buch der Liebe, a follow up of the notorious ›Venustempel‹ (A story of Prostitution and its Origin), which was prohibited since December 1874 in Austria and later also in the German Reich. At the beginning of August May returns to Dresden; an authorization for his stay there was approved. In the meantime he travels, among other places to Essen, Dortmund and Berlin, to get subscribers at the firm Krupp and Borsig for his newly founded journal for workers Schacht und Hütte. From September May starts instead of the ›Beobachter‹ and concurrently runs with the Schacht und Hütte a popular magazine Deutsches Familienblatt. From the middle of October appears May's first Winnetou story Old Firehand. More stories from this time: Der Gitano, Inn-nu-woh, Ein Stücklein vom alten Dessauer, Die Fastnachtsnarren, Geographische Predigten. May's relationship to his publisher is familiar. For X-mas he was presented with a piano from Münchmeyer's wife. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 Dresden-Altstadt, Ernstthal,
Dresden-Altstadt,
Dresden-Altstadt, |
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1876 |
As from the beginning of September 1875 Karl May lives at Muenchmeyer's residence. Minna Ey, sister of Pauline Münchmeyer, takes care of May's private quarters. She should become May's fiance; however the up and coming succesful author shows not the least interest. 23rd February: House search at H. G. Münchmeyer. The Police investigate because of unauthorized selling of the ›Venustempel‹ and the Buch der Liebe. 2nd May: With this day finishes May's two years of Police supervision. At the beginning of August May cancelled continuation of a novel ›Fürst und Junker‹, written by Friedrich Axmann: To the readers of »deutschen Familienblattes«, who wish to acquaint themselves with the later fate of Dietrich von Quitzow until his death, the news should not come unwelcome, because the author of this topic will start on the contrary an even more fascinating and equaly moving novel: »Dietrichs von Quitzow last Journeys«, which will appear in Number 20 of the current »Feierstunden am häuslichen Heerde«, one in the Münchmeyer Publishing Firm appearing literary magazine. [Deutsches Familienblatt, No.49, p.770]
The
announced Quitzow-novel started however already in No. 10 of the
Feierstunden under the author's name ›Karl May‹. |
Dresden-Altstadt, Jagdweg 14 Pillnitzer Straße 72 |
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1877 |
May
lives in Pillnitzer St. 72 at widow Groh. During the next months he
writes Die beiden Nachtwächter, Der Dukatenhof,
Die verhängnißvolle Neujahrsnacht, Ziege oder Bock,
Der Samiel, Der Kaiserbauer. On the 26th May Emma Pollmer follows him to Dresden. She finds a position in the household of priest-widow Auguste Petzold in Mathildenstrasse 18. Karl May becomes an editor with the publisher Bruno Radelli for the 2nd year's edition of a popular magazine ›Frohe Stunden‹; the first number appears at the end of June. From No. 10 May publishes regularly his own texts: Der Oelprinz, Die Gum, Ein Abenteuer auf Ceylon, Die Kriegskasse, Aqua benedetta, Auf der [hoher] See gefangen, Ein Self-man. At Peter Rosegger appears Die Rose von Kahira. This story was already published at Münchmeyer the year before under the title Leilet. Because of the latest publication Rosseger considers »Mr. Karl May … to be a widely traveled man, who must have lived in the Orient for a long time.« |
Dresden-Altstadt, Pillnitzer Straße 72 |
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1878 |
From the
beginning of the year May lives in a ground floor flat in
Dresden-Striessen, where Emma keeps the household for him; they were
considered to be a married couple. He writes there for the ›Frohen
Stunden‹: Husarenstreiche, Der Africander, Vom
Tode erstanden, Die Rache des Ehri, Nach Sibirien.
For Peter Rosseger May wrote Die falschen Excellenzen. 26th January: Emil Eduard Pollmer, Emma's alcoholic uncle, dies in Niederwürschnitz bei Stollberg; in a state of intoxication he was run over by a horse carriage but managed still to drag himself into a horse stable of a restaurant ›Zum braven Bergmann‹. The grandfather of Emma, the barber Christian Gotthilf Pollmer, does not believe it was an accident. He talked May into investigating. 25th April: May inquires as a »higher, Government appointed official«. Even if he does not name any title or service grade, he is accused of falsy claiming an official status. On the 11th June he was because of that summoned to Dresden. At the end of June May finished his editor's time with Radelli. Emma Pollmer moves back to her grandfather in Hohenstein, Karl May to his parents. Temporarily May should have stayed in Berlin. It is possible he was looking for a new editor's position. 6th September: Interrogation at the court office at Hohenstein. 15th October: Interrogation in Stollberg and a confrontation on the 25th October. May's attitude is indifferent; he forgoes legal help. In summer and autumn he writes the tales: Des Kindes Ruf, Die Universalerben, Die Laubthaler and Der Waldkönig. |
Dresden-Strießen Straße Nr. 4 Villa Forsthaus Ernstthal, |
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1879 |
On the 9th
January May is sentenced by the court in Stollberg for »unauthorized
practice of a public office« (in the meaning of paragraph 132 StGB [German
Law]) to three weeks of prison. This sentence is, as the lawyer Erich
Schwinge doubtlessly proved, an incorrect decision. The acts are
preserved. May had in no way undertaken any official business. Protest
(12th May) and clemency request (2nd July) were rejected. From 1st till
22nd September Karl May had to »sit out« his ›penalty‹ in the jailhouse of
the court office in Hohenstein. This disgrace has never stopped being
painful to him, as many examples in his work testify. The relationship with Emma Pollmer became endangered due to her unfaithfulness; Karl May stayed presumably with his parents. His literary activity was shaping more luckily. First contacts with the catholic weekly ›Deutscher Hausschatz‹ in Regensburg. In the travel story Unter Würgern comes for the first time the name ›Old Shatterhand‹. End of November appears in Stuttgart publishing house Franz Neugebauer his book rework of the Ferry's novel ›Der Waldläufer‹, as well as his first book for the young readers Im fernen Westen. Further publications in this year: Ein Dichter, Der Giftheiner, Three carde monte, Unter Würgern, Der Girl-Robber, Der Boer van het Roer and the Stuttgart's newspaper novel Scepter und Hammer. From the included chapter Der tolle Prinz a serious break with Emma Pollmer could be concluded, whom May immortilized there as Emma Vollmer, who was unfaithful to her sweetheart. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185 |
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1880 |
January: »May,
Dr. Karl …« is mentioned for the first time in ›Allgemeinen Deutschen
Literaturkalender‹. 19th February: The intended marriage announcement of Karl May and Emma Pollmer was made public in Hohenstein. The notice was in place from 20th February until 7th March. May: The ›Deutsche Hausschatz‹ reports for the first time, that the ›I narrator‹ of the travel adventures is identical with the author Karl May – he experienced all himself. 26th May: Emma's grandfather Christian Gotthilf Pollmer dies after a stroke in Hohenstein. And on the 27th May dies May's older sister Auguste Wilhelmine, married Hoppe, of blood disorder. Because of these fatal blows – probably also because of differences in opinions – the official marriage of Karl May and Emma Pollmer does not take place until the 17th August. 12th September: Church wedding in the Hohenstein church of St. Christopheri, followed by moving into a house ›Am Markt 2‹. Publications worth mentioning from this year: Deadly Dust, Der Brodnik, Die Juweleninsel, Der Kiang-lu, Tui Fanua. |
Ernstthal, Marktplatz 185
Hohenstein |
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1881 |
January:
In the Hausschatz – the travel story Giölgeda padishanün –
later the Durch die Wüste and volumes to follow – appears for
the the first time in a personal form [I narrator] Kara Ben Nemsi and
his servant Hadschi Halef Omar. This Orient cycle is literary only
surpassed by his late years works. March: The ›Deutsche Hausschatz‹ writes in No. 9 an answer to a reader in Westfalen: »The author of the adventure travel stories visited himself all the countries which are the scenes of his narratives. He returned recently from a journey to Russia, Bulgaria, Constantinopel etc., and even suffered a knife wound as a souvenir. He however does not enjoy to travel with the red Bädecker [travel guidebook] in hand and via railway compartment, but seeks the less known routes. – Many thanks for your greetings!« November 1881: The newspaper ›Le Monde‹ starts to print French translation of May's books. |
Hohenstein, Am Markt 2 |
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1882 |
May works
intensively on his Orient cycle for ›Deutscher Hausschatz‹. The
Reise-Abenteuer in Kurdistan as well as Die Todeskaravane
make him very succesful. The final chapters of his Juweleninsel
for the Stuttgarter publisher Goeltz & Ruehling he writes without
enthusiasm; the novel finishes accordingly.
»Dear
Madam!
Emma's
mediation is succesfull: Waldröschen oder die Rächerjagd rund um die
Erde started at the begining of December under the pseudonym
»Capitain Ramon Diaz de la Escosura« and became shortly a bestseller. |
Hohenstein, Am Markt 2 |
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1883 |
With fair confidence May travels at the
beginning of February in Dresden to visit Münchmeyer. Emma follows later.
Between her and the publisher's wife Pauline develops an intimate frienship. 6th April: Emma May's friend from youth Ida Metzer holds in her Hohenstein's flat a seance. 7th April: Moving from Hohenstein to Blasewitz. In the Blasewitz local resident's list May is recorded as »Literat und Redacteur«. Most probably the »Redacteur« is editing together with Münchmeyer the ›Deutsche Wanderer‹. It should be of the same quality as both the by me founded in 1875 popular magazines. In the ›Wanderer‹ appears at the end of September, now for the fee of 50 Marks, Die Liebe des Ulanen. May authored in this productive year further: Stambul, Im »wilden Westen« Nordamerika's, Der Amsenhändler, Pandur und Grenadier. He has to decline a cooperation with Joseph Kürschner (Publisher of Literary Calender) for lack of time. |
Hohenstein, Am Markt 2 Blasewitz, |
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1884 | Presumably at the beginning of April May moves with his wife Emma in Prinzenstrasse 4. With the end of Waldröschen he starts in August another popular novel for Münchmeyer: Der verlorne Sohn oder der Fürst des Elends. The work for the ›Deutscher Hausschatz‹ gets on hold. Der letzte Ritt, part of the Orient cycle, is from middle of December interrupted for half a year; the readers and the editor's board are annoyed. |
Blasewitz, Sommerstr. 7 Dresden-Altstadt, |
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1885 | 15th April: May's mother dies from a tumour, presumably a cancer. About a month later May's father suffers a stroke. Delivery of manuscripts is out during these misfortune blows. Die Liebe des Ulanen stays for four weeks without a continuation. As a makeshift solution appear parts of the des verlornen Sohn under the title Ulane und Zouave as a fragment in the ›Deutsche Wanderer‹. In June May's psyche has recovered so far that he is able to carry on writing; he even continues in summer for a few months his Orient cycle. His Ulanen-novel finishes in October. At X-mas starts his fourth Münchmeyer novel Deutsche Herzen, deutsche Helden. |
Dresden-Altstadt, Prinzenstr. 4 |
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1886 |
27th February: May's former Prison Institution
catholic teacher Kochta dies. Towards the end of July finishes May's verlorner Sohn. In order to publish immediately a follow up novel, about the middle of June about 50 manuscript pages of the novel Delila came into existence. Almost at the same time died under mysterious circumstances on the 13th June King Ludwig II. of Bavaria – for a popular novels publisher sensational news. May interrupts therefore Delila (a fragment remains) and writes a novel about the fairy tale king: Der Weg zum Glück. This should be his last Münchmeyer novel. At the end of the year he begins a novel for young readers Der Sohn des Bärenjägers for the Stuttgarter publisher Spemann. |
Dresden-Altstadt, Prinzenstr. 4 |
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1887 |
8th January: The boys-magazine ›Der Gute Kamerad‹ starts with May's Sohn des Bärenjägers. Meanwhile Münchmeyer has problems to print his issues on time: »My
dear doctor! About beginning of April: Moving to Schnorrstrasse 31. Middle August May starts to write Durch das Land der Skipetaren; this travel story represents the end of the Orient cycle in ›Deutscher Hausschatz‹. |
Dresden-Altstadt, Prinzenstr. 4 Schnorrstr. 31 |
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1888 |
Beginning
of January finishes the Münchmeyer novel Deutsche Herzen, deutsche
Helden. May does not allow himself rest – he writes a story for young
readers Der Geist der Llano estakada. In the middle of January
the ›Hausschatz‹ starts to print the Skipetaren-travel story.
Beginning February starts Der Geist der Llano … in ›Guten
Kameraden‹. |
Dresden-Altstadt, Schnorrstr. 31 Kötzschenbroda, |
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1889 |
Presumably
early in spring Karl and Emma May get to know the married pair Plöhn.
Richard Plöhn, the owner of a bandages manufacturing factory becames May's
best friend, and Plöhn's wife Klara – in the following years Emma's best
friend – will play an important role in May's life. Karl May authored in
this work-productive year about 3770 manuscript pages! Publications: Die Sklavenkarawane, Im Mistake-Cannon, Sklavenrache, Lopez Jordan. |
Kötzschenbroda, Schützenstr. 6 Villa Idylle |
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1890 |
14th
January: May's landslady charged him in local court in Dresden for
non-payment of rent. The outstanding quaterly rent (200 Marks) for the
expensive Villa Idylle stays unpaid despite May's intensive writing. His
household servant girl had to be dismissed on the 19th March. Presumably at the beginning of April: moving to Niederlößnitz, Lößnitzstrasse 11. Important publications: Christus oder Muhammed, Der Schatz im Silbersee, Der Schatz der Inkas. At the end of October appears in book edition Der Sohn des Bärenjägers, according to the title page Die Helden des Westens (included into the volume is Der Geist des Llano estakado), at the Stuttgart ›Union Deutsche Verlagsanstalt‹. |
Niederlößnitz, Lößnitzstr. 11 |
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1891 |
8th April: Moving to Oberlößnitz into Villa Agnes, Nizzastrasse 13.
28th May: »… the wife of Dr.May woke
up because of ground floor noise. She woke up her husband, who went
immediately down where he found to his surprise …. all the cupboards and
drawers open and the content partly strewn on the floor. The intruder also
left an axe on the bed. There was no trace of the thief himself who forced
his way into the room by bursting open a window shutter and breaking several
window panes …«. [Kötzschenbrodaer Zeitung from 30th May]
In loveable, nice Lößnitzgrund
November: Karl and Emma May take into
their home the nine-year old niece Clara (›Lottel‹) Selbmann. |
Niederlößnitz, Lößnitzstr. 11 Oberlößnitz, |
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1892 |
6th April: Publisher
H. G. Münchmeyer dies in Davos (Schweiz) from advanced lung disease. 10th May: The first volume from the Fehsenfeld edition Durch Wüste und Harem (In later editions Durch die Wüste) appears. Following are Durchs wilde Kurdistan, Von Bagdad nach Stambul, In den Schluchten des Balkan, Durch das Land der Skipetaren, Der Schut. Karl May becomes now a wealthy man.
In summer Emma associates secretly with Army officers. May's niece Lottel tells all to her uncle. It comes to marital discord. Further life together of Emma and May's niece is not possible. In August Lottel is taken home by her mother, May's sister Karoline. From September the ›Hausschatz‹ starts with the 2nd part of Mahdi. At Union Publishers appears in October the book edition Kong-Kheu, das Ehrenwort under the title Der blau-rote Methusalem. |
Oberlößnitz, Nizzastraße 1 d Villa Agnes |
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1893 |
June: Karl and Emma travel in Schwarzwald [Black Forest]. They take the opportunity to visit publisher Fehsenfeld and his wife; together they go to Switzerland into Bönigen am Brienzer See. On the 17th September May writes to his publisher Fehsenfeld: Your anger is justified, however I am not that much at fault, as you think. The main reason that I cannot finish anything is my present as to the previous very much increased nervousness, to which my wife does not pay the slightest consideration, and then a more familiar, about which I cannot write. My wife became since the unfortunate trip completely different. … I am as the result of domestic quarrel now always so knocked down, that I often look at the wall over my writing desk, where a loaded revolver hangs. One needs after all peace, one way or the other!
On the
26th November May writes to Fehsenfeld that because of his eye afliction
he was »shortly twice in Leipzig». |
Oberlößnitz, Nizzastraße 1 d Villa Agnes |
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1894 |
March: May
suffers from influenza with inflammation of the rip cartilages. Also his
eyes make him worried. Beginning of May he travels with Emma for rest into
Harz. His state of health is not good; because of that he has to use the
services of a secretary. (May in a letter to Fehsenfeld from 9th May). Presumably in summer May writes about himself as ›Old Shatterhand‹ the following part for Old Surehand I: I was born as a sick, weak child, who still at the age of six years crawled on the ground, not being able to stand or run … I was blind three times … [S. 41f.] This is most probably a small poetic exaggeration, but behind this could be hidden May's fear from new blidness. From September appears in ›Deutsche Hausschatz‹ Krüger Bei (later Satan und Ischariot II); there the readers at X-mas learn about Winnetou's visit at the Dresden's choir! A 440 manuscript pages containing a chapter In der Heimath is crossed out by Heinrich Keiter. October: In the house of Münchmeyer's widow May asks for the long outstanding settlement of his five Münchmeyer's novels. Later he receives a set of bound volumes of the published novels. The original manuscripts of the Münchmeyer's novels are no longer in existence, they were destroyed as superfluous. 27th November: Pauline Münchmeyer pleads for a new novel, if possible the Delila (1886) should be continued. May refuses! Fehsenfeld book editions: Am Stillen Ocean, Am Rio de la Plata, In den Cordilleren, Old Surehand I. Further book editions: Die Rose von Kairwan (Wehberg, Osnabrück), Der Schatz im Silbersee (Union).. |
Oberlößnitz, Nizzastraße 1 d Villa Agnes |
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1895 |
This year the in Lawrence/USA living Ferdinand
Pfefferkorn visits with his wife the former schoolfriend Karl May.The
Pfefferkorns are dedicated spiritualists. Seances are held at May's house,
at which most probably were present the befriended pair Plöhn's. 23 December: Bought a new Villa! [for 37.300 mark] Yesterday moved in with new furniture! Day and night to write manuscripts! [May to Carl Felber] 3oth December: The official sales contract for the Villa »Shatterhand.« in Radebeul, Kirchstrasse 5, (today Karl-May-Straße) is signed. Book editions: Old Surehand II. (Fehsenfeld), Das Vermächtnis des Inka (Union).
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Oberlößnitz, Nizzastraße 1 d Villa Agnes Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.«
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1896 |
March/April: Karl May takes possession of the ›Silberbüchse‹ [Silver rifle] and the ›Bärentöter‹ [Bear Killer] from Dresden gunsmith Max Fuchs made to order. He will document with these the genuineness of his travels, to forget at the same time his sad past. May could use publicity exercise like a modern showstar.
Easter: The amateur photographer
Alois Schießer, who arrived from Linz, took 101 costume shots with Karl May
as ›Old Shatterhand‹ and ›Kara Ben Nemsi‹. The ›Old Shatterhand Legend‹
reaches its highest point; many Karl May Clubs are founded.
In ›Guten Kameraden‹ is from
September published May's last novel for young people Der schwarze
Mustang. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1897 |
26th
January: »Herr Keiter, who will in the future abstain from any literary
interference in your manuscripts, begins in the 8th issue of ›Hausschatz‹
with your new and so keenly expected travel story ›Im Reiche des silbernen
Löwen‹ … Hopefuly you will please us soon with a continuation of the most
interesting manuscripts.« [Friedrich Pustet jun. to Karl May] On the first day over 900 visitors, second day over 600, third again 800. Towards the evening I went out through the side door and ran away. The high school students who were after an autogram stood in such great numbers before the hotel, that the tramway could not get through and they had to be sprayed away with a water hose. It's a fact! [Letter to Fehsenfeld from 27th July] Book editions: Auf fremden Pfaden, Weihnacht (Fehsenfeld), Der Oelprinz (Union). |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1898 |
22
February: Her Imperial Highness Archduchess Maria Therese gives an
audience to Karl May. 6th May: In Gartow (Lower Saxony) May was seized by two Policemen; he is not to leave his hotel room. He is considered to be a swindler, because he gives for smallest services rich tips. In the end news came from Radebeul: »Karl May domiciled here, likes to exercise charity.« On 30th August dies Heirich Keiter; Dr.Otto Denk takes over his editorial position at ›Deutsche Hausschatz‹. At this time it also comes to a nine years split with ›Wochenblatt‹; a catholic opposition against May comes into existence. Book editions at Fehsenfeld: Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen I–II. Further appear Ernste Klänge, a publication with both May's music compositions Ave Maria and Vergiß mich nicht! |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1899 |
During the
months January till March May finishes his novel Am Jenseits; he finds
himself on the best way to fine literature. Do you read the printer's
proofs of Volume 25? Yes? Than you would have noticed, that Karl May
starts now to come out with his own intentions. It is a question of well
prepared, great movement from the religious – social field … The volumes
up to now were written only for one purpose, to gather as many as possible
readers as working field. [May to Fehsenfeld, 13th March] 16th March: Pauline Münchmeyer sells the Publishing firm to Adalbert Fischer, who is interested in particular in May's popular literature novels. 26th March: Departure for Orient. Importen visited places: Genua (4th April – farewell from Emma and the Plöhn's couple because of health reasons), Port Said (9th April), Cairo (30th April – May hires there little later the Arab servant Sejd Hassan), Beirut (26th June), Haifa (18th July), Jerusalem (30th July), Jaffa (21st August – 2nd September), Aden/South Arabia (15th September). Many liked me on the ship [›Gera‹] even if I am just now the opposite from the previous Karl. He was with a great ceremony drown by me in the Red See, with ship's coal, which took him right to the bottom … [Letter to Plöhn's from 16th September]. 10th November: Arrival in Padang on Sumatra. May suffers from emotinal outbursts, refuses all nourishment and should have acted insane – it is possible he suffered from dysentery. Nothing is known for sure. This state lasts for about a week. 22nd November: May sends a telegram from Padang to Radebeul; he asks Emma to come with the Plöhns to Port Said. 11th Dezember: May is quarantined because of danger of diseases and suspicion of plague. On the 18th December he is allowed to leave Port Said. His friend Richard Plöhn, who suffers from Bright's kidney disease, becomes in the meanwile seriously ill and stays with Klara and Emma in Arenzano (20 km west of Genoa). In Germany in the meantime began fierce press attacks against May; in particular Dr. Fedor Mamroth (Frankfurter Zeitung) and Hermann Cardauns (Koelnische Volkszeitung) criticised May's selfpromotion and the connected with it Old Shatterhand legend. The argument, started somewhat objectively at first, became in following years polemic, upright malicious: a witch hunt to death begins. Book edition: Am Jenseits [Fehsenfeld], Der schwarze Mustang [Union]. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1900 |
Karl and Emma May as well as Richard and Klara
Plöhn stay in Arenzano until the 14th March; then the journey takes them
to Pisa, Rome, Naples, Port Said. Cairo, Gizeh, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Hebron,
Jericho, Tiberias, Nazareth, Haifa, Lebanon, Baalbek, Damascus amd Cyprus.
In Instanbul May suffered again from emotional outbursts. Klara Plöhn was worried that »one would have to take him into a mental institution«! May's later wife certainly possessed a flair for colorful description of events and might have here a little exaggerated. The conclusion of the trip was: Coprinth, Bologna, Athens, Corfu, Venice and Bozen. 25th March: The Münchmeyer's successor Adalbert Fischer disregards May's author's right and puts a new edition of Die Liebe des Ulanen on the market.The other four Muenchmeyr's novels should follow shortly, partly reworked by writer Paul Staberow. 17th June: May says tearful goodby to his servant Sejd Hassan. 31st July: Arrival in Radebeul after 15 months of absence. Karl May became a new person – the Old Shatterhand legend is dead. Only love of humanity and reconciliation of nations are from now his great ideals; also in private life he is restrained: the sexuality of Emma is not capable to have an hold on him. All my writings so far are just an introduction, only preparation. What I really want, no person knows except myself … only now I start my proper task … [May's letter to his publiher Fehsenfeld from 10th September] In time for X-mas festivities appears May's volume of poems Himmelsgedanken. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1901 |
14th
February: May's friend Richard Plöhn dies of renal disease. His wife Klara
is shattered; she is now a permanent guest in the Villa »Shatterhand.« For Joseph Kürschner May writes his pacifist novel Et in terra pax. With that May undermines the imperialistic tendency – the hurrah-patriotism of the collected work ›China‹ in which his text appears. End of September May travels with Emma and Klara in Switzerland to Vierwaldstaetter See. In autum he writes as an answer to polemic press attacks an anonymous pamphlet »Karl May als Erzieher« and »Die Wahrheit über Karl May«. 10th December May is sueing Adalbert Fischer for unauthorized reprint of his Münchmeyer novels. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1902 |
At the
beginning of the year the editor from Cologne Hermann Cardauns holds
several anti-May lectures, in which he describes May's Münchmeyer novels
as »abysmally immoral«.
In summer
travel Karl May, Emma and Klara through Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and
Munich to Bozen and finally to Mendel. In the Hotel Penegal on 21st August
ends the marriage of Karl May with Emma words: »You take the guy, I've had
enough of him!« More detailed circumstances which in the end led to the
divorce, so far are not satisfactorily researched. One can suppose that
the way Emma behaved through her change of life years, turned out to be
difficult; also signs of increasing psychological disturbance are possible
(Emma died on 13th December 1917 in an Institution). She was also prone to
fits of rage, which were directed against Karel May and were making the
survival of the marriage impossible. Unquestionably Klara Plöhn willingly
chose the favourable time. Finally however in Karl and Klara two people
found each other who suited better together. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1903 |
14th January:
May's marriage was dissolved. 4th March: The divorce became legally valid. 30th March: Wedding of Karl May and Klara Plöhn at registrar's office. A day later follows a church wedding in the Lutheran church at Radebeul. 25th May: At Adalbert Fischer [Publisher] appears May's Erzgebirgische Dorfgeschichten. 3rd November: Emma receives from May a yearly income of 3000 Mark; for that she has to live at least 100 km away from Dresden – she moves to Weimar. Beginning November the Münchmeyer's lawyer Dr. Gerlach succeds in bringing in May's criminal records. The result comes on 8th November. May becomes seriously ill: High fever with heart weakness. Fehsenfeld's book edition: Im Reiche des silbernen Löwen IV. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1904 |
8th March: Karl and Klara May visit in Meißen
the artist painter Sascha Schneider. He should provide the whole
Fehsenfeld's edition with different title pages, to stress in particular
the artistic, pacifist values of his writings – a clear turn away from
the so called ›Author for young people‹.
Middle of September appears Et in terra pax in Fehnsenfeld's enlarged book edition under the title Und Friede auf Erden! 26th September: Pauline Münchmeyer is obliged to produce accounts, as soon as Karl May provides a sworn statement. X-mas: As a revenge for refused loan, which the unscrupulous press-bandid Rudolf Lebius sought to get from May, shout from the shopwindows of Dresden's bookshops big placards, on which is from far visible announcement in red huge letters: »The Previous Convictions of Karl May«. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1905 |
Early in
the year appears as a private print May's view on the [Münchmeyer's]
affair Ein Schundverlag. There he reports on his time with Heinrich
Münchmeyer. In 1909 will also appear as a private print Ein Schundverlag
und seine Helfershelfer. On the 3rd October is May's complaint of slander by Lebius dealt with before the Dresden' country court. Through a tactical mistake of May's lawyer Klotz, public reading from previous convictions record of Karl May was allowed. In the same month May visits in Dresden a lecture by the Nobel peace prize winner Bertha von Suttner, a friendship develops between them. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1906 |
5th February:
May wins the Münchmeyer process in 2nd session. 30th June: Rudolf Lebius calls May a hereditary criminal. 1st September: May's drama Babel und Bibel. Arabische Fantasia in zwei Akten appears at Fehsenfeld in one edition of 1200 prints. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1907 |
9th January: May wins at the [German] Reich court in Leipzig the Münchmeyer process in 3rd session. About the repayment of damages is yet to be decided. May's legal representative Rudolf Netcke put a sum to the Waldröschen alone to 250.000 Mark! On 11th Februar May gave the following sworn statement:
I
swear in the name of the Omnipotent and Omniscient God
7th April: The Münchmeyer's successor Adalbert
Fischer dies. On the 15th April 1907 reports the Münchmeyer's lawyer
Dr.Gerlach May and his associates for perjury. The reproach is proven
untenable. Münchmeyer's succesor … has made such changes that between the old and his new edition a difference of hundreds of pages appeared. This is after all just horrible! If some person would dare to cut and paintbrush pictures of a painter or to hack and chisel statues of a sculptor and offer such mutilations for sale as originals, the whole Presscorp would take the cause of the injured artist and brand the falsificator in such way that he would not be able to show his face again. [Karl May: Ein Schundverlag, p. 852f.]
13th September: Meeting with the Hausschatz editor Otto Denk.
After nine years May is ready to write again for the ›Deutscher
Hausschatz‹. Immediately he starts with a draft for 'Mir von
Dschinnistan. By this he makes a move into fine literature. With the
readers of ›Hausschatz‹, who expected the old travel stories full of
action as before, this novel finds little approval. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1908 |
8th March: In his last will May establishes a
charitable foundation. 23rd March till 23rd April: In ›Grazer Volksblatt‹ appears Abdahn Effendi. The anthropologist and sexual researcher F. S. Krauss visits May and names him »a blessing for humanity«. In this year Karl May with his Klara undertake the first and only trip to America. The places visited: Bremen (5th September), New York (16th September), Albany (22/23rd September), Buffalo (end of September), Niagara Falls (beginning of October), Lawrence/Massachusetts at school friend Pfefferkorn (October), Boston and New York (November).
On 4th November Mays are presumably again in Radebeul. Beginning of December they stay for a short time in London. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1909 |
31st
July: May's Merhameh appears in ›Eichsfelder Marienkalender 1910‹. September: Dr. Adof Droop publishes a study: »Karl May. An analysis of his travel stories«. 22nd November: Rudolf Lebius write to a friend of Emma the opera singer Selma vom Scheidt that he considers Karl May »to be a born criminal«. 17th December: Karl May lodges a complaint at the magistrate court Berlin-Charlottengurg against Lebius for slander. 8th December: May has a lecture in Augsburg Sitara, das Land der Menscheitsseele. Fehsenfeld book editions: Ardistan und Dshninnistan I and II. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1910 |
10th January:
Karl May starts a legal prosecution against Rudolf Lebius for the worst
kind of slander because of his article »Hinter den Kulissen« [Behind the
Scene] published in the weekly magazine ›Der Bund‹ on 19th Dcember 1909.
Lebius claimed May had for years lived in a forest as a chief robber,
commited daily breakings, raids on market women, sexualy misused his nine
years old niece and strangled the grandfather of his first wife Emma! May's frequent illnesses, made worse by the character assassinations, led in the end to the writer's death. Main court proceedings never eventuated. According to law experts Lebius would have been sentenced to jail term. On 12th April Lebius was found firstly not guilty with regard to slander action (complaint from 17 December 1909) in the letter to Selma vom Scheidt; May appealed. 12th May: I do not deny that I came into conflict with the law 40 or 50 years ago and was punished for it; but what I did then in the deepest mental depression and coerced state [of mind] would be in the present, more enlightened time heard not by a judge, but a physician. My opponents bring this up and put cunning lies to it. There are five legal proceedings underway from which the truth will come out. [May in a letter to Peter Rosegger] In August of 1910 Dr. E. A. Schmid was a guest for a few days at the »Villa Shatterhand.«. After May’s death, as a Director of the ›Karl-May-Verlag‹ [Publishing House], he widely and with great effort made generally known May’s views. Fehsenfeld book editions: Winnetou IV, Mein Leben und Streben. Almost simultaneously with May's autobiography Rudolf Lebius published »Die Zeugen Karl und Klara May«, – a pamphlet of the worst kind! Because of reciprocal objections both May's autobiography and also the Lebius pamphlet were banned. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1911 |
8th May:
Again very sick, I write to you only very shortly. I have
overestimated my strength, lung inflammation and physical strain of
wittness proceedings made me completely kaputt … I must go to a
spa, I leave already on Thursday. [Karl May to lawyer Haubold]. 11th May: Departure in Joachimsthal. Dr. Gottlieb ordered bathing. From the middle of June till end of July Karl and Klara May spent in South Tirol on recreational holiday. On the Mendel his state of health becomes worse again. 18th December: In an appeal proceedings (complaint from 17th December 1909) Rudolf Lebius is found guilty of slander and given 100 Mark penalty to pay. |
Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
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1912 |
25th Februay: May celebrates his seventies
birthday. Beginning March May travels for the last time in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. He visits there his sister Wilhelmine Schöne; their niece Ilse receives from him for the beginning of school a large cone full of lollies. 22nd March: Karl May delivers a lecture in Vienna at the invitation of »Akademischen Verbandes für Literatur und Musik« in front of over 2000 listeners, his big peace address is entitled Empor ins Reich der Edelmenschen. Amongst the present is Bertha von Suttner. 30th March: Karl May dies around 8 PM in his Villa »Shatterhand.« His breathing stopped, presumably as a result of lung disease. The big heart became still. May's funeral follows on 3rd April at Radebeul's cemetery.
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Radebeul, Kirchstraße 5 Villa »Shatterhand.« |
Author: Ralf Harder