Wahnfried

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Wahnfried. Name of villa at Bayreuth into which Wagner and his wife moved in April 1874 and where they are buried. Now a museum housing valuable archives. Name chosen by Wagner (orig. Wahnfriedheim) from Hesse town of Wahnfried because he liked its mysticism, the word meaning ‘Peace from Wahn’ (Wahn = madness, illusion, etc.). Above portal he engraved: Hier, wo mein Wähnen Frieden fand—Wahnfried sei dieses Haus von mir benannt (Here where my illusion found peace, be this house named by me Peace from Illusion).