With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Zurich exile shaped Wagner's creative genius

Wagner composed much of his opera epic, The Ring Cycle, during his stay in the city and wrote a number of essays – including "Judaism in Music" that was later adopted by the Nazis.

Wagner fled to Zurich in 1849, at the age of 36, having narrowly avoided arrest for his political involvement in the May uprising in Dresden, where he had been living.

His arrival marked the beginning of a transformation during which the young composer redefined his ideas of art and introduced new artistic concepts.

In its exhibition which runs until mid-November, the Bärengasse Museum in Zurich has recreated Wagner's life in the city between 1849 and 1858 – the years it describes as "among the most formative and productive of his whole life".
Read entire article at Swissinfo