In Germany, the withdrawal of two children’s albums by Apache Winnetto is sparking controversy

We like to turn off a dispute, and sometimes we start it again. German publisher Ravensburger learned this the hard way after withdrawing from cataloging two children’s albums featuring Winnetou, the fictional Apache created at the end of the 19th century.^e Century by the novelist Karl May (1842-1912) and most famous across the Rhine.

Posted with Image Der junge Häuptling Winnetou (“The Young Chef Vinedo”), directed by Mike Marzuk and released in theaters on August 11, both books were only selling fast in bookstores. Because “Too many negative comments”The publishing company decided not to offer them for sale after a few days, they explained. “Fiction full of clichés”Unrelated to the actual story “Oppression of Tribal People”. On Monday, August 22, Ravensburger boss Clemens Meier promised ” [s]We are No intention to offend anyoneAdding that his house should be “More attentive to the issue of diversity and cultural appropriation”.

“Wogist Hysteria”

The decision to withdraw the two books from sale was heavily criticized without putting people’s minds at rest. For a conservative tabloid picture, Ravensburger Publishing surrendered “Vokist Hysteria”. “It recalls the era of Stalinism, when Vinnetto’s adventures could only spread below the line”Hubertus Knabe, the former director of the Hohenzollern Memorial, the seat of the Stasi’s central prison during the East German era, was outraged.

On the left, several personalities expressed their understanding, such as the former leader of the Social Democratic Party, Sigmar Gabriel, who announced on Twitter: “When I was a kid, I loved Carl May’s books, especially Vinnetto. When my hero died, I cried, but Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn didn’t turn me into a racist. That’s why Vinnetto always has a place in my children’s library. There is. »

Because of their vigor, these reactions recall the place Winnetto occupies in Germany, where his adventures have been the subject of numerous television and cinematographic adaptations, as well as many theater productions. As it has been held since 1952 in Bad Segeberg, a small town in the north of the country, it attracts almost 250,000 visitors every year.

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