Michel Friedman's Bayreuth Speech on Wagner's Antisemitism

At the Bayreuth Festival, Michel Friedman delivered a speech addressing the legacy of Richard Wagner's antisemitism. Friedman, a German Jewish public intellectual, spoke on the hill in Bayreuth, noting his complex relationship with the festival: 'I stand here as a German Jew on the hill in Bayreuth. Invited, uninvited, invited again.' The speech, part of the 'Verstummte Stimmen' (Silenced Voices) series, explored the responsibility that arises from Wagner's identity as a great composer and virulent Jew-hater, which is part of Germany's identity. The festival, celebrating 150 years of Wagner's works, provided the context for this reflection on historical and ongoing antisemitism.