AIH


 * GERMAN NATIONALISM THROUGH ART**

__WAGNER__

One of Germany's most prolific and famous musical men, //Richard Wagner// dazzled the world with his operas, essays, and compositions. As he gained fame, Wagner also became interested in the idea of //Nationalism,// the idea of German unification for a stronger country. This idea of a strong German nation contributed strongly to the second World War, and allthough Wagner was not alive during that time, he and his music is closely associated with it.

Richard Wagner was an avid anti-semite, a clearly popular belief during 1940's Germany. Hitler took advantage of this, as well as general adoration of Wagner's music by using it for theme music to represent the superiority of Germans and the Aryan race. Soon enough, every German came to associate various Wagnerian peices with the German, Aryan identity.

The repercussions of this manipulation are still seen today. Wagner's music has not been played in Israel since 1938. Whether or not he would have been proud of such a thing cannot be known, but his stifling association with Anti-Semitism certainly detracts from the beauty of his music.



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