Baron Munchausen / Münchhausen
According to the 1997 Encyclopedia of Fantasy", Rudolf Erich Raspe:
"... collected other Tall Tales, and thus met Baron von Munchhausen. Drawing upon a variety of sources, RER serialized several stories in ''Vademecum für lustige Leute'' ["Handbook of Humorous People"] between 1781 and 1783 and then expanded these as "Baron Münchhausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia" (fixup 1785 chap UK; exp vt "The Surprising Travels and Adventures of Baron Münchhausen" 1792). Although RER's work set in train a fascination for exaggerated tales, it was not his version that became the most popular. His countryman, Gottfried Bürger (1747-1794) translated it back into German with considerable embellishment as "Wunderbare Reisen zu Wasser und zu Lande, Feldzüge und lustige Abenteuer des Freyherrn von Münchhausen" (1786 chap UK; exp 1788) and it was this version, issued in English as "Singular Travels, Campaigns, Voyages and Sporting Adventures of Baron Munnikhouson, Commonly Pronounced Münchhausen, as He Relates them Over a Bottle When Surrounded by his Friends" (1786 chap UK), that really attracted the public's attention.
See also Mr. Munchausen, in the "Associated Shades" series.