Trudy Gold
Wagner, the Jews, and his Legacy
Summary
Richard Wagner (1813–1888) is one of the most important cultural figures in the modern world. He towers above the 19th century, his followers worship him with the kind of awe that is very, very seldom seen to any great artistic figure. And yes, nobody denies that he was violently antisemitic. In this lecture Trudy Gold discusses the man himself and his history outside of the music he created. Part 2 of 2.
Trudy Gold
Trudy Gold was the CEO of the London Jewish Cultural Centre and a founding member of the British delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Throughout her career she taught modern Jewish history at schools, universities, and to adult groups and ran seminars on Holocaust education in the UK, Eastern Europe, and China. She also led Jewish educational tours all over the world. Trudy was the educational director of the student resources “Understanding the Holocaust” and “Holocaust Explained” and the author of The Timechart History of Jewish Civilization.
Now, this is the question and they will argue that you can read half a dozen books that say one, half a dozen books that say the other. I do not know enough about the music to actually, I’m not going to pronounce on that. I know a lot about biography. I know a lot about German history, but I do not know enough about the music. I don’t even know that Patrick will pronounce on it because we try not to be… You know, if there’s such a thing as objectivity, a good historian will attempt to be objective. There is no such thing because we come through our own prisons. But I would not answer that. I would not, I’m not equipped to answer that question. If at some stage there are people who want to stage that debate on Lockdown, I’m sure that Wendy and I would welcome it. But I can’t be that person.
You’re going to find there aren’t that many places you’re going to be able to go to soon.