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Winnetou is the Native American hero of several novels written by Karl May (one of the best selling German writers of all time), in German including the sequel Winnetou I to Winnetou III. According to Karl May's story, first-person narrator Old Shatterhand encounters Winnetou and after initial dramatic events, a true friendship between Old Shatterhand and the Apache Winnetou arises; on many occasions they give proof of great fighting skill but also of compassion for other human beings. It portrays a belief in an innate "goodness" of mankind, albeit constantly threatened by ill-intentioned enemies.

Winnetou became the chief of the tribe of the Mescalero Apaches (and of the Apaches in general, with the Navaho included) after his father Intschu-tschuna and his sister Nscho-tschi were slain by the white bandit Santer. He rode a horse called Iltschi ("Wind") and had a famous rifle called "Silberbüchse" ("The Silver Gun", a double-barrel rifle whose stock and butt were decorated with silver studs). Old Shatterhand became the blood brother of Winnetou and rode the brother of Iltschi, called Hatatitla ("Lightning"). In the last book of the trilogy Winnetou himself was murdered.

Karl May's "Winnetou" novels symbolize, to some extent, a romantic desire for a simpler life in close contact with nature. In fact, the popularity of the series is due in large part to the ability of the stories to tantalize fantasies many Germans and Austrians had and have for this more untamed environment. The sequel has become the origin of festivals (the "Karl-May-Festspiele" or "Karl-May-Spiele", first initiated in Bad Segeberg, Germany, and then expanded to further places like Lennestadt-Elspe) in honor of Karl May or, rather, of his Apache hero, Winnetou. Now, they are never difficult to find in either Germany or Austria.

• Winnetou I-III (1893)

Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.7, "Winnetou I" - ISBN 3-7802-0007-4

Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.8, "Winnetou II" - ISBN 3-7802-0008-2

Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.9, "Winnetou III" - ISBN 3-7802-0009-0

• Winnetous Erbe (Winnetou IV) (1910)

Karl May - Gesammelte Werke, Bd.33, "Winnetous Erben" - ISBN 3-7802-0033-3

Winnetou is also featured prominently in the following novels: Old Surehand I/II, Weihnacht, Unter Geiern, Der Ölprinz, Old Firehand, Der Schatz im Silbersee.

In all following movies Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice who was usually coupled with Lex Barker as Old Shatterhand. The music for all Winnetou-movies (with its famous title melody played on the harmonica by René Giessen) was composed by German composer Martin Boettcher, except "Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand", which was composed by German composer Peter Thomas. The films were so successful in Germany that their budgets could be increased almost every time. Principal shooting usually took place in national park Paklenica karst river canyon, Yugoslavia now Croatia. The early films preceded the Spaghetti western.

• Der Schatz im Silbersee (1962) - Treasure of Silver Lake (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou 1. Teil (1963) - Apache Gold (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Old Shatterhand (1964) - Apaches Last Battle (1964) (UK) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou 2. Teil (1964) - Last of the Renegades (1966) (UK) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Unter Geiern (1964) - Frontier Hellcat (1966) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Der Ölprinz (1965) - Rampage at Apache Wells (1965) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou 3. Teil (1965) - Winnetou: The Desperado Trail (1965) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Old Surehand 1. Teil (1965) - Flaming Frontier (1969) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi (1966) - Half-Breed (1973) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand (1966) - Thunder at the Border (1966) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)
• Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968) - Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death (1968) (Germany) (Yugoslavia)

All of the Winnetou movies are available on VHS tape (PAL) (some also dubbed in English under the above mentioned English titles). "Winnetou I - III", "Der Schatz im Silbersee", "Old Shatterhand" and "Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten" are also available on DVD (region-code 2) - but all in German only. Within 2004/2005 the missing movies will also appear on DVD - DVD extras until now are unknown. A 2001 parody of the Winnetou films, "Der Schuh des Manitu", directed by Michael Herbig ranks as the most successful German film of all time.

Also in the following series' Winnetou was played by French actor Pierre Brice.

• Mein Freund Winnetou (1980) - My friend Winnetou - Winnetou le Mescalero, 6 episodes á 52 min.
• Winnetous Rückkehr ("The return of Winnetou") (1998), 2 parts, in all 171 min.