German Leadership

Cultural activities.

Socialising at the Bayreuth Festival, in the garden of the Wagner family mansion (?1936), Wahnfried (from left) Wilhelm Bruckner (Hitler's Adjutant-in-Chief), Wolfgang Wagner, Winifred Wagner, unidentified SS guard, Adolf Hitler, Wieland Wagner. Hitler, of course, was a great enthusiast for the works of Richard Wagner from a young age. Winifred, Wagner's English-born daughter in law, became a great enthusiast for Hitler, who became a sort of informal member of the family; Wieland, Wolfgang and their sister knew Hitler as "Uncle Wolf". Hitler's love of Wagner's music was not, apparently, shared by the majority of Germans - or even by the majority of career Nazis - who generally preferred light musical comedy and variety. This must have been a relief to Dr Goebbels and his friends at the Propaganda Ministry; musical comedies were much cheaper to produce than the likes of "Parsifal". Best regards, JR.