Uproar in Germany over the withdrawal of some children's books about the Indian Winnetou

The withdrawal from the market of two children's books inspired by Winnetou, an Indian character created at the end of the 19th century by the German writer Karl May, for allegedly spreading racist and colonial stereotypes, has caused a stir in Germany, dividing public opinion and thus launching a new debate on alleged excesses of the so-called culture of cancellation.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
25 August 2022 Thursday 00:44
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Uproar in Germany over the withdrawal of some children's books about the Indian Winnetou

The withdrawal from the market of two children's books inspired by Winnetou, an Indian character created at the end of the 19th century by the German writer Karl May, for allegedly spreading racist and colonial stereotypes, has caused a stir in Germany, dividing public opinion and thus launching a new debate on alleged excesses of the so-called culture of cancellation.

The Ravensburg publishing house decided to freeze the books – conceived as an accompaniment to the children's film Der junge Häuptling Winnetou (Young Chief Winnetou) – due to "negative reactions" and for containing "a romantic and clichéd image" about Native Americans who did not it adjusts “to the historical reality, to the oppression of indigenous peoples”, according to a spokesman.

The film, a German production shot in the desert of Almería, premiered on August 11 in Germany and Austria, and there are those who ask that it also be withdrawn. In the film, Apache Winnetou, son of the chief of his tribe, is twelve years old, meets a white contemporary, they fight but then become friends, and together they save the tribe from various dangers, including that of evil white men . Many film critics and anti-racist organizations criticized the film for alleged cultural appropriation and for disseminating racist clichés, such as the noble savage.

The controversy jumped to social networks in the German-speaking world, where some support the publisher's decision, while many others are outraged. The label

Therein lies part of the issue. In Germany there is an established popular devotion to the American West, for which Karl May (1842-1912) is responsible, who created an idealized version of that territory in his best-selling novels, without ever setting foot on it. The author did not visit the United States until old age, and even then he did not travel to the West.

Everyone in Germany knows the characters of the Apache Winnetou and his blood brother Old Shatterhand, a German engineer turned cowboy, who have starred in movies and series. There are May's books in most homes, and there are theme parks and festivals where families with children dress up as cowboys and Indians in ad hoc settings. The best known, in Bad Segeberg (land of Schleswig-Holstein), receives 250,000 visitors a year.

Karl May's work has been subject to critical review for years in Germany, which grapples with his legacy. Scholars point out that his novels contain stereotypes about Native Americans and offer an idealized vision of the West that hides the genocide of indigenous peoples at the hands of European colonizers. However, he is recognized as a pioneer in advocating friendship between peoples and cultures. At the end of the 19th century, against the prevailing imaginary, Karl May portrayed Winnetou and his tribe as heroes, and the white settlers almost always as villains.