© Bayreuther Festspiele, Meistersinger 2018

News from the Members

17.04.2016
Did you know?
Have you ever wondered how the symbol of the RWVI, the W encircled by the globe, came into being?
With thanks to Rainer Fineske, President, RW Society Berlin, here is the story.

Above the Festspielhaus flies the flag bearing the Dürer "W", which was designed specifically for the Festspielhaus by Wagner himself, from an original by Albrecht Dürer. Hence the squiggly letter.
 
Two Dürer Ws

When the Richard Wagner Society of German Women was founded in 1909, they adopted a modified version of the Wagner "W" on the Festspielhaus flag with a slightly looser "W". The logo has existed since 1909 in its unchanged form to and is currently used by many Societies. The "W" with the globe in the background was created by Josef Lienhart at the founding of the International Association of Wagner Societies in 1991 and is recommended to use by all members.

And in fact many member Societies have been using the Wagner "W" with the globe in the background since 1991. It helps to create a corporate identity and thereby gives the impression that the Societies are all bound together in their membership of the RWVI, like one big family.