I had never heard or heard of "Ein Mann, der sich Kolumbus nannt" until coming across it in
Hiev Rund. This is one of a few German seasongs that I learned at the behest of Ernst Richter.
This is a very light-hearted, unhistorical song about how America managed to get itself discovered. According to the song Columbus was a man who overcame his depression by discovering new countries at sea. Columbus was drinking his coffee over breakfast one day when he suddenly shouted hooray because the Spanish king was coming to visit him on the first train. The king said to Columbus that he had already achieved some fine deeds but he now wanted Columbus to discover America for him and Hispanic Glory. Being a man of deeds and not words, Columbus immediately set sail on the same day. A few days later he sighted land where the inhabitants were lined up silent on the beach. Columbus wished them good-day and asked them whether this was America to which all the inhabitants shouted "Yes". The inhabitants were then very frightened and they all shouted, "We've been discovered!". The chief of the inhabitants then exclaimed, "You must be Columbus".
Well, I guess any American (North or South) will be astonished at this story but that's the way they tell it here in Germany.