Speaking at a commemoration for Jewish artists persecuted during the Nazi regime, Friedman criticized the insufficient actions taken since the war to address Wagner’s legacy, labeling the Green Hill as a ‘Nazi history.’ He described Wagner as a ‘terrible antisemite’ and noted that the post-war focus should have been on closing this dark chapter rather than reopening it. Katharina Wagner, the festival’s director, was acknowledged for positively transforming Bayreuth’s culture of remembrance.