Bayreuth Festival King Ludwig (who attended in secret, probably to avoid the Kaiser), and other members of the nobility, as well as the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who committed much effort to helping his then good friend Wagner establish the festival, and such accomplished composers as Anton Bruckner, Edvard Grieg, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt, and the young Arthur Foote. Artistically, the festival was a success. ("Something has taken place at Bayreuth which our grandchildren and their children will still remember", wrote Tchaikovsky, attending the Festival as a Russian correspondent.) Financially, however, the festival was a disaster and did not begin to make money
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