Editing Das Judenthum in der Musik (section)

==Reception of the 1869 article and aftermath==
Once again many of Wagner's supporters were troubled by the essay's provocation. By this time, Wagner was a well-known public figure and the publication brought many responses in the press. Productions of ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' were hissed, and a Berlin production of ''[[Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin]]'' had to be delayed. Ironically, when the ''Lohengrin'' production proceeded, it was enthusiastically received by the Jews in attendance. When Wagner heard this news, he was dismayed at the implication that the Jews had "forgiven" him for having written the "hasty" article, rather than grasped its true purpose.<ref>Wagner (1987) p. 749</ref>

Despite making his anti-Jewish sentiments publicly known, Wagner enjoyed close friendships with a circle of notable Jews. These included the conductor [[Hermann Levi]] (who premiered ''[[Parsifal]]'' in 1882), the pianists [[Carl Tausig]] and {{ill|Joseph Rubinstein|de}}, the writer [[Heinrich Porges]], and others.

In his later years, Wagner's antipathy towards Jews and "Judenthum" would apparently soften as he became more [[humanist]], less focused on politics and more concerned with metaphysical and spiritual matters. Heavily influenced by the philosophy of [[Schopenhauer]] and the [[India|Indian]] religions [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]], Wagner came to regard the true problem facing humanity as what he called ''Weltenwahn'': "World-madness", similar to the concept of ''[[Maya (religion)|Maya]]'' in these religions: a delusion blinding society brought on by materialism, greed, and lust for power, which perpetuates human suffering. Wagner would name his final private residence in [[Bayreuth]] as ''[[Wahnfried]]'': "Peace-from-madness".

Rather than needing emancipation from "Judenthum", Wagner notes in his late essay "Know Thyself" (''Erkenne dich Selbst'', 1881) that this "madness" arises from within German society itself just as much as Jewish society, though Germans blame their troubles on external elements like the Jews rather than identifying the source within themselves:

<blockquote>What we don't understand, we attack. And if we end up hurting ourselves in the process, we convince ourselves that it was someone else who hurt us. Who wouldn't see this happening again today when observing the current movement against Jews with this idea in mind?</blockquote>

Wagner writes  of the need for a spiritual awakening for all of humanity to realize their shared "simple, sacred dignity". Only once society has woken up, will there "be no more Jews", not due to their physical eradication, or even loss of their essence due to assimilation, but because such a noble process will result in the end of division and conflict based on all such superficial identities, with humanity recognizing itself as one.<ref>Wagner, 1881</ref> These themes are explored in his final opera ''Parsifal''.

That Wagner wanted nothing to do with the [[Racial antisemitism|racial antisemitic]] movements growing in the late 19th century at the time, positing notions of superior and inferior races which would become the foundation of [[Nazism]], is confirmed in his private letters:

<blockquote>From the modern antisemitic movement I stand completely distant. In an upcoming issue of the [[Bayreuther Blätter]] there will appear an article ["Know Thyself"] by me that ardently announces that it will actually be impossible for me to associate myself with that movement.<ref>Wagner, 1881</ref></blockquote>

Despite these sentiments, after Wagner's death in 1883, racialist antisemites such as the British-born [[Houston Stewart Chamberlain]] and [[Winifred Wagner|Winifred Williams]] would descend on [[Bayreuth Festspielhaus|Bayreuth]] and its annual [[Bayreuth Festival|festival]], taking it over, expelling Jewish musicians, and transforming it into a theater for the Nazis to subject Wagner's stage works to racist interpretations, with [[Adolf Hitler]] appearing there often as an honored guest.