Madame Butterfly in Valhalla. "Festival Plays" 1945-1950

On Richard Wagner's 136th birthday, 22 May 1949, Hans Knappertsbusch conducted a concert by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in the Festspielhaus. It was symbolically opened with Beethoven's "Consecration of the House", thus drawing a line under its rather profane use since the end of the war in 1945, which was perceived by many as sacrilege.
After the occupation of the city of Bayreuth on 14 April 1945, the American military government confiscated the property of prominent National Socialists and supporters of the regime, including that of Winifred Wagner. From then on, the intact Festspielhaus was used to look after the American troops. In addition to church services, the stage was mainly used for entertainment programmes as part of the so-called "USO camp shows". Ingrid Bergman and Jack Benny performed a show, the chorus girls from "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe Nightclub" and "The Rockettes" shook their legs.
Erich Bohner, a former employee of the Bayreuth Festival, founded the Bayreuth Symphony Orchestra, which organised almost fortnightly concert or operetta evenings and played for opera performances such as "Fidelio", "Tiefland" and "Madame Butterfly".
From 9 December 2025, a cabinet exhibition at the Richard Wagner Museum will shed light on this short period of time in which completely different "festival performances" were given in the Festspielhaus, while in the background, on the ruins of the Third Reich, the shape and direction of future Richard Wagner Festivals was being discussed.
The Richard Wagner Museum would like to thank the Bayreuth Municipal Archives and the Bayreuth Historical Museum for providing loans and illustrations.
Madame Butterfly in Valhalla "Festival Plays" 1945-1950
Special exhibition in the Richard Wagner Museum, Graphic Cabinet, Haus Wahnfried
9 December 2025 - 31 May 2026
September - June: Tue - Sun, 10 am - 5 pm
Included in the admission price

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Last edited on 22.12.2025