What is Wolfgang Wagner?
[[File:Wolfgang Wagner.jpg|thumb|right|Wolfgang Wagner]] '''Wolfgang Wagner''' (born 30 August 1919 - 21 March 2010) was a [[Germany|German]] [[opera]] director.<ref name=smh>{{Cite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/bayreuth-supremo-wolfgang-wagner-dies-20100323-qtzp.html |title=Bayreuth supremo Wolfgang Wagner dies |work=smh.com.au |accessdate=1 January 2011 }}</ref> He was the grandson of the opera [[composer]] [[Richard Wagner]] and great-grandson of the composer [[Franz Liszt]].<ref name=smh/> For 42 years he was director of the [[Bayreuth Festival]], which was created by Richard Wagner for the performances of his operas. At first he was director together with his brother Wieland. After Wieland died he continued to be director until he retired in [[2008]]. He tried to get rid of the festival’s [[Nazi]] past, and put on productions which were very [[symbol]]ic: using lighting effects instead of complicated scenery and heavy costumes. ==Life== Wagner was born in [[Bayreuth]]. His mother, [[Winifred Wagner]] (born Williams-Klindworth), was English. She married Richard Wagner’s son Siegfried, who was much older than she was. Although Siegfried was [[gay]] they had two sons (Wieland and Wolfgang) and two daughters. When Siegfried died in [[1930]] Winifred took over the running of the festival. She was friends with [[Adolf Hitler]] who often came to the performances. Hitler became a family friend. The children called him “Uncle Adolf” or “Uncle Wolf” (his nickname). When [[World War II]] started, Wieland did not have to fight in the army because Hitler said he was too important for German [[culture]]. However, Wolfgang had to fight, and he was wounded in [[Poland]], but got better. He started to produce operas in Berlin. Hitler liked him, but he never joined the Nazi party. During the war a lot of Bayreuth buildings were damaged, but not the theatre. The Americans used it for [[religious]] services. After the war Winifred was not allowed to run the opera house because of her