He could become a petty thief. His ambitions were saved from prison - criminal adventures were not enough, he wanted to become a real pioneer and discoverer.
A robber will grow from a little fidget, or a great traveler often determines the case. Even if initially everything goes badly, fate can make a sharp turn and go uphill. Only here life has not taught our hero anything.
Childhood
Karl was born in February 1842. The family lived in the provincial Prussian town of Ernsttal and were rich only in children. The boy's father worked as a weaver, and his income was not enough for the basic needs of his wife and kids. Hunger was a constant guest in their home, and many of our hero's brothers and sisters died in infancy.
To survive, the boy started working at a local bar. He arranged the pins, which were famously knocked down by the regulars of the establishment. He remembered one of the guests of the drinking house - the man returned to his homeland from a distant journey, he visited America, talked a lot and interestingly about his adventures and wonders that he saw overseas. Karl fired up to repeat the exploits of the pioneer. However, the adults encouraged him to do more music, which he also liked. The place of a musician in a restaurant for a representative of the poorest strata of the population was much more realistic than a naval rank.
On an oblique
The school teachers felt sorry for the little ragamuffin. They decided to give him a chance and sent him to the seminary in Waldenburg. May studied there for only 3 years - in 1859 he was kicked out for stealing several candles. The guy did not have an education in order to find a well-paid job, but he could teach grammar to completely illiterate people and young children. Karl combined his teaching career with a criminal one.
For more than 10 years, a dissolute young man traded in petty theft. He was periodically detained and sent to jail. It was in prison that Karl May became addicted to reading. He was even appointed head of the library at the correctional institution in Zwickau.
Attempt at writing
Once again leaving the prison, the unfortunate man decided that he had had enough. In 1874 he returned to his father's house and took up literary work. Publishers were just looking for new names, and the young, unknown writer was interested. A letter came from Dresden from Heinrich Gotthold Münchmeyer, who offered Karl May the post of editor of the magazine "Mine and Mining Works". The aspiring author happily agreed.
Moving to another city meant the beginning of a new life. The former thief wrote a new biography for himself, where he was a university graduate, and began writing fascinating adventure stories, which were published not only in the publication where he worked. Munchmeyer was so pleased with the work of his subordinate that he tried to marry him to his daughter. Freedom-loving Karl did not allow his boss to interfere in his personal life.
Love and other crimes
In 1879, an old drunkard from Dresden died. Among the grieving relatives of the deceased was his lovely niece, Emma Polmer. Mayu has long liked her, now there is a reason to get to know each other better. Our hero came to the house where the trouble happened, and, posing as an investigator, conducted long conversations with the girl. Someone suspected a dirty trick, a strange detective was reported to the police, and the adventurer was arrested.
Emma appreciated Karl's action. As soon as he was released, she reciprocated his feelings, and they got married. The employers were moved by this romantic story, so they did not refuse to cooperate with the former writer. This saved our hero. Family life turned out to be very costly, and I had to work with renewed vigor to provide for it.
Dreams Come True
Karl May worked in the genre that is called western. In his works, distant lands and the life of brave people were described. In 1892, the stories that readers fell in love with were published in the form of a book. The circulation was sold out, and the author began to receive royalties that allowed him to lead a comfortable life. In 1885, the famous writer was presented with a mansion.
The protagonist of most of May's novels was Old Shetterhand, a white guy who lived in North America and was friends with Indians. Someone from fans of fascinating reading material hypothesized that the writer himself is the prototype of this character. Karl was flattered, he began to get used to the role of Shatterhand. During meetings with his fans, he claimed that he had been overseas and commanded an army of Redskins. Our hero also had achievements in music, his passion for which he carried through his whole life.
Last years
Touring Germany and going out to the public in a traveler's costume inspired Karl May on a real trip to an exotic country. In 1899, the writer and his wife went to Sumatra. Expectations did not coincide with reality, which led the dreamer into a rage close to insanity. In Germany, even more unpleasant news awaited him - there were journalists who called him the new Baron Munchausen. Karl quarreled with Emma and broke up.
In 1903, our hero tried to start all over again. He married Clara Plain and went to the USA 5 years later. Unfortunately, the old man could not get to know the Indians, whose contribution to the popularization of the culture and history of which he made. May lived out his day on his estate, where he died in March 1912.
