Article Karl May Museum

The museum was founded in 1928 and its goal is to commemorate the work of German adventure writer Karl May and popularize North American cultures.

The heart of the museum is the Shatterhand Villa, which Karel May had built between 1893 and 1895. He named it after one of his most famous literary characters, Old Shatterhand. The villa itself is an architectural gem, combining elements of historicism and art nouveau. Its ostentatious facade, decorated with turrets and balconies, reflects May's growing popularity and financial success.
After the writer's death in 1912, the villa changed hands several times before being purchased in 1928 by the widow of his first publisher, Henrietta Münchmeyer. She founded the Karl May Museum here in 1928, ensuring that the famous writer's legacy would be preserved.

The interior of the villa has been furnished with great care and taste. May lived here with his second wife, Clara, and the villa became the center of his literary activity. Visitors can see authentically furnished rooms, including May's study, drawing room, and dining room. Exhibits include original furniture, personal items, manuscripts, photographs, and period documents that provide insight into May's private and professional life.

On the ground floor of the villa is May's famous collection of weapons and objects, which he collected during his travels in the United States and the Orient. May liked to portray himself as a well-traveled adventurer. Also on display are his famous silver rifle, a bear-slayer, and a repeating Henry rifle.

Karl Friedrich May (1842–1912), creator of unforgettable fictional characters such as Winnetou, Old Shatterhand and Kara Ben Nemsi, has been one of the most popular and widely read German writers for generations, internationally. He is best known for his adventure stories set in the Orient, the United States and 19th-century Mexico.
Karl May's work has been translated into more than 45 languages, and the total circulation of his books worldwide is approximately 200 million.

On the first floor of the villa, you can visit the writer's study, which is furnished with oriental furniture.

The writer's extensive library contains approximately 3,000 volumes, including rare publications.

The salon is furnished in the Art Nouveau style and is an impressive testament to German literary history.

In the spring of 1995, after the return of the inventory from Bamberg, the three most important rooms of the listed building were restored to their original state: the reception room on the ground floor and Karl May's library and study on the first floor. A few months later, the room of the writer's wife, Klára Mayová, was set up on the walled-in veranda.

In the small museum shop you will find a diverse assortment of gifts, toys, jewelry, postcards and souvenirs.
A large selection of works by Karl May in German and literature related to the writer and the museum is also available.

In the garden around the villa there is another building – Villa Bärenfett (Bear's Fat in Czech), which was built in 1928 in the style of a log cabin in the American Wild West.

Inside this villa is a unique collection in Europe on the culture and life of the indigenous people of North America. The exhibition includes more than 600 ethnological objects from the 18th and 20th centuries, reflecting the great diversity of Native American cultures.

Karel May greatly idealized the Indian tribes and their way of life in his novels. The museum therefore collects authentic artifacts, clothing, weapons, tools, and art objects that bring visitors closer to the history and culture of these indigenous peoples of America.

The rich ethnographic collection shows magnificently decorated clothing, expensive wood carvings, impressive feather work, and above all, life-size figures of Indians, which arouse great interest among young and old visitors from all over the world.

Adjacent to the Shatterhand Villa is a park that completes the atmosphere of the entire museum complex. Today, the park is open to the public and serves as a pleasant place to walk and relax. The extensive park by the museum with an adventure playground, gold panning, refreshments and an Indian teepee that can be entered invites both young and old to spend pleasant moments in the summer months.