Bayreuth Festival the world of opera. Other notable directors to have participated in "Werkstatt Bayreuth" included Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Sir Peter Hall of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Götz Friedrich of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Harry Kupfer of the Berlin State Opera in the former communist East Germany and Heiner Müller of the Berliner Ensemble. In the end, Wolfgang's decision to bring in experimental directors helped rejuvenate Bayreuth and restore its reputation as the world leader in Wagnerian opera. There was uncertainty over how the Festival was to be managed after the retirement of Wolfgang Wagner at the end of August 2008. In 2001,
Medi Bayreuth Basketball Bundesliga. In 1979, the basketball team separated from Post SV and the club was re-founded as USC Bayreuth. After the 1983–84 season the team relegated form the Bundesliga. Following this event, the club merged with TTBG Steiner-Optik Bayreuth, a former table tennis club, to form BG Steiner Bayreuth. As Steiner Bayreuth, the team had some great successes. The club immediately returned to the highest level and years later started to win several trophies in Germany. In 1988 and 1989 the team won the BBL-Pokal and in the 1988–89 season the team was crowned German national champions after winning the