Born Karl Friedrich Hieronymus on May 11, 1720, what German born member of the nobility was well known for outrageous tall tales, such as riding cannonballs, travelling to the Moon, and escaping from a swamp by pulling himself up by his own hair?
Baron Munchausen Baron Munchausen Baron Munchausen (; ) is a fictional German nobleman created by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe in his 1785 book "Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia". The character is loosely based on a real baron, Hieronymus Karl Friedrich, Freiherr von Münchhausen (; 1720–1797). Born in Bodenwerder, Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the real-life Münchhausen fought for the Russian Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739. Upon retiring in 1760, he became a minor celebrity within German aristocratic circles for telling outrageous tall tales based on his military career. After hearing some of Münchhausen's stories,
Karl Friedrich von Klöden Karl Friedrich von Klöden Karl Friedrich von Klöden (21 May 1786 Berlin – 9 January 1856 Berlin) was a German educator, historian, and geographer. The son of an officer from an old line of Markish nobility, he grew up in impoverished circumstances. In 1801, he went to work for his uncle, a goldsmith. He filled the gaps in his general education while learning engraving. In 1807, he began engraving on his own, and making maps as well, earning a reputation as a geographer. From 1814 to 1817, he gave lessons at Plamann's institute while attending the University of Berlin. In