Bayreuth Festival and foreign singers, long after they had been banned from all other venues across Germany (including heldentenor Max Lorenz, married to a well-known Jewish woman). Winifred's influence with Hitler was so strong that Hitler even wrote a letter (at her behest) to anti-fascist Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, begging him to lead the festival. Toscanini refused. From 1933 to 1942, the festival was conducted principally by Karl Elmendorff. It was under the Third Reich that the festival made its first break from tradition, abandoning the deteriorating 19th century sets created by Richard Wagner. Many protested at the changes, including prominent conductors
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