The French philosopher Voltaire raved about Franconia. An exchange of letters that has now been published with Margravine Wilhelmine, the initiator of what later became a world heritage site, deals with high culture, diplomacy and digestive issues. What calculation was behind it.
From
Olaf Przybilla, Bayreuth
So Voltaire wrote to Wilhelmine, the Princess of Bayreuth and initiator of the Margravial Opera House, which later became a World Heritage Site. It is the 16th surviving letter of this correspondence between the two, which is now available as a book, and it can be said that Voltaire’s letter of March 28, 1752 begins in a way that Bayreuthers would have to be hard-nosed to completely suppress local pride. “I’m waiting, Madame, for the happy time,” Voltaire begins, “when I’ll be healthy to start the journey to Bayreuth.”