The Bayreuth Festival during the 'Third Reich'

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject History Europe - Germany - National Socialism World War II grade: A (10) The New School (Historical Studies) course: Modern Dictatorship and Political Religion language: English abstract: [...]Since its founding in 1876 the Bayreuth Festival had been a locus of representation forpolitically prominent figures; among the guests of the first Festival were the German EmperorWilhelm I and the Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II2. In the years to come Bayreuth wouldkeep its meaning as a political symbol 3.From 1933 on the Wagnerian Hitler used the Festival for both the representation of hisperson and his regime. The Foundations for this appropriation were both ideological andpersonal:Firstly after Richard Wagner's death his Bayreuth disciples 4 grouped in the BayreuthCircle 5 especially Hans von Wolzogen and Houston Stewart Chamberlain6 created the Bayreuth idea 7; in this process of formulating their 'German Wagnerism' as a völkischideology they focused more on Wagner's prose writings8 than on his music and especiallyemphasized Wagner's anti-Semitism9.2 Eger Manfred: Die Bayreuther Festspiele in: Müller Ulrich/Wapnewski Peter (eds.): Richard-Wagner-Handbuch Stuttgart 1986 p. 589-624 here: p. 596.3 Schmidt Michael: Bayreuth als politisches Symbol. 125 Jahre Richard-Wagner-Festspiele in: NeueGesellschaft. Frankfurter Hefte 48 (2001) p. 470-474.4 Large David Clay: Wagner's Bayreuth Disciples in: Large David C. & Weber William (eds.): Wagnerism inEuropean Culture and Politics Ithaka and London 1984 p. 72-133.5 Schüler Winfried: Der Bayreuther Kreis von seiner Entstehung bis zum Ausgang der Wilhelminischen ÄraMünster 1971.6 The English-born racial theoretician Chamberlain had from 1888 on contact with Wagner's widow Cosima; in1908 he married Eva Wagner the daughter of Richard and Cosima and moved to Bayreuth; see Large David Clay: Ein Spiegelbild des Meisters? Die