Dresden (dpa / sn) - The Saxon Minister of Education Christian Piwarz (CDU) considers blanket accusations of racism against adventure writer Karl May (1842-1912) to be nonsensical. He is very surprised at the hysteria and the extent of the insinuations, said Piwarz on Thursday at a press conference on the new school year in Saxony, also expressing himself as an early May fan. The complete edition of Karl May's works was pretty much complete in his father's bookcase and, with the exception of the late work, he had read and literally devoured all of the books, the minister revealed. In the current discussion he could only shake his head.
"You don't have to like Karl May," emphasized Piwarz, calling him a "dazzling figure" with regard to his life. But when you think about how his works came about, it also becomes clear what fantasy goes with it. "I liked reading the books back then and I hope that as many children as possible will still read them today and see them as beautiful literature." One should stop with the nonsense of accusing May of racism in general. "Something goes wrong in our country when a few others want to dictate what they have to do and think." Literary freedom in particular is high.
The Ravensburger company had withdrawn several of May's books from sale due to allegations of racism. With the "Winnetou" titles, the "feelings of others were hurt," the company justified its decision on Instagram. Hundreds of users of the social media platform then expressed their incomprehension and accused the company of censorship or giving in to criticism. But there was also support for the decision.
Karl May has Saxon roots. He was born in Hohenstein-Ernstthal and died in Radebeul. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages and published in around 50 countries around the world.
