The Winnetou Revolution
Its impossible for foreigners to understand the impact the Karl-May-movies of the late sixties had on german society under the Speer-regime. Especialy Americans, who watch the Winnetou-movies, just see a B-western, in which the Crimea-peninsula and ukrainian peasant in redface tried to cosplay as the Wild West and american Indians. But for many Germans the movies represent the fundamental change of the country after Speer´s victory in the GCW. The first time since 1933, Winnetou, a person of a non-white race was presented as equal and actually more noble then aryan people. Maybe much more incredible was, that the movies included a mixed-race relationship between german hero Old Shatterhand.played by Götz George, and Winnetou´s sister Ntscho-Tschi.
It changed nothing on the impact, that the Indian characters were played by white actors, like french Pierre Brice as Winnetou and german actress Uschi Glass as his sister. Natural it was also highly symbolic, that Brice, a former resistance fiMghter against the Burgundians, and Götz George,a member of a Speer-militia, played best friends and blood-brotherss in the movies. But to fully understand all, you must knew the role of Karl Mays work in the Third Reich.
Karl Mays (1842-1912)books are till today the most famous youth novels in Germany. Still their symphathy for "lower" races made them problematic for the Nazis. Ironicly Hitler himself was a huge fan of Winnetou and protected the books from a ban. Still in the late 1950th Martin Borman, who disliked May for his catholic mysticism and pacifism, pressed for a ban. There iis a legend, that a public burning of Mays book let to a first massiv youth protest. At least authentic RSHA-reports certfie, that the slogan "Winnetou darf nicht sterben" was more and more written on walls. During the GCW Speer miltias called themselve "Winnetous Rache" or "Bärenfett-Brigade". Speer-partisans in Saxony were called "Apatschen". One of this young "Apatchen", Joschka Fischer, later claimed: "We couldn´t have won the war without Winnetou. We couldn´t have won the peace without Winnetou!" That is maybe a bit much, but to some degree, it was really Winnetou´s revolution.
Its impossible for foreigners to understand the impact the Karl-May-movies of the late sixties had on german society under the Speer-regime. Especialy Americans, who watch the Winnetou-movies, just see a B-western, in which the Crimea-peninsula and ukrainian peasant in redface tried to cosplay as the Wild West and american Indians. But for many Germans the movies represent the fundamental change of the country after Speer´s victory in the GCW. The first time since 1933, Winnetou, a person of a non-white race was presented as equal and actually more noble then aryan people. Maybe much more incredible was, that the movies included a mixed-race relationship between german hero Old Shatterhand.played by Götz George, and Winnetou´s sister Ntscho-Tschi.
It changed nothing on the impact, that the Indian characters were played by white actors, like french Pierre Brice as Winnetou and german actress Uschi Glass as his sister. Natural it was also highly symbolic, that Brice, a former resistance fiMghter against the Burgundians, and Götz George,a member of a Speer-militia, played best friends and blood-brotherss in the movies. But to fully understand all, you must knew the role of Karl Mays work in the Third Reich.
Karl Mays (1842-1912)books are till today the most famous youth novels in Germany. Still their symphathy for "lower" races made them problematic for the Nazis. Ironicly Hitler himself was a huge fan of Winnetou and protected the books from a ban. Still in the late 1950th Martin Borman, who disliked May for his catholic mysticism and pacifism, pressed for a ban. There iis a legend, that a public burning of Mays book let to a first massiv youth protest. At least authentic RSHA-reports certfie, that the slogan "Winnetou darf nicht sterben" was more and more written on walls. During the GCW Speer miltias called themselve "Winnetous Rache" or "Bärenfett-Brigade". Speer-partisans in Saxony were called "Apatschen". One of this young "Apatchen", Joschka Fischer, later claimed: "We couldn´t have won the war without Winnetou. We couldn´t have won the peace without Winnetou!" That is maybe a bit much, but to some degree, it was really Winnetou´s revolution.