Konflikty wokół Festiwalu Wagnerowskiego w Bayreuth
Controversies over the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth

Summary/Abstract: The theatre in Bayreuth (Bayreuther Festspielhaus) founded by Richard Wagner in 1876 and intended exclusively for the performance of his works, has experienced stormy ups and downs throughout the course of its history. Since its beginnings it has remained in the hands of the composer’s family, and has always faced problems of a financial nature. Ceaseless endeavours to raise funds for the maintenance of the festival institution and high artistic standards of the Wagner festivals have continually accompanied this celebrated stage. However, the crisis in Wagner’s theatre that broke out in the 1990s was of a broader dimension, as it was linked not only with financial problems due to a planned withdrawal of donation by the federation for festivals, but also with a serious crisis of the festivals’ management that has not been solved to this day. An account of the controversy over the election of a successor to the current president of the festival, Wolfgang Wagner, sheds light on the recent problems of this institution of international renown.

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