The Richard Wagner Museum in the Festival City of Bayreuth
With its Festivals and the Richard Wagner Museum, Bayreuth is regarded as the epicentre of the global interest in Wagner and his works. Like the Festival Hall, Wahnfried House, with its significant and eventful history, is an important German cultural centre, where not only may the aura of one of the greatest German artists be sensed in a special and authentic way, but which is also symbolic of the ambivalent and sensitive nature of German intellectual and cultural history spanning the last 150 years.
Exhibitions and other attractions
The Richard Wagner Museum and the National Archives are operated by the foundation known as the Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Bayreuth. The permanent exhibition records in three parts the life and work of Richard Wagner, the history of the Bayreuth Festival and the historical impact of his work. Temporary special exhibitions dive deeper into a wide range of special topics.
A broad selection of services such as guided tours and museum-related educational activities open up the various areas of the museum to visitors. In addition, the museum offers attractive events such as chamber music concerts, lectures, conferences and book launches, especially during the Bayreuth Festival. The museum’s activities are publicized by means of a newsletter and press releases. The museum premises may also be hired by companies, associations, federations – but not private persons – upon request.
The National Archives of the Richard Wagner Foundation
The National Archives contain the world’s largest and most important Wagner collection. In addition to handwritten letters, manuscripts and scores by Richard Wagner, it also contains countless letters written to Wagner and his family. There are also documents, archives, photographs, works of art, libraries and a wide variety of exhibits pertaining to the life and work of Richard Wagner and the history of the Bayreuth Festival. Interested parties may register to use the archives. In the coming years, the archive materials will also be made accessible online as part of two major digitisation projects.
Classic donations, one of several attractive support opportunities, as well as other forms of cooperation in the area of sponsoring, support the work of the museum and the archives.