Fritz Wotruba's Stage Model for Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung Opera Design in Berlin

This entry details Fritz Wotruba's stage model for the second scene of "Götterdämmerung" in Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen." Created in 1966 for a 1967 production at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the piece is a three-part overall model depicting "The Hall of the Gibichungs on the Rhine."

This archival record presents a significant stage model designed by Fritz Wotruba for Richard Wagner's epic opera "Der Ring des Nibelungen." Specifically, it is a three-part overall model for the second scene of "Götterdämmerung," titled "The Hall of the Gibichungs on the Rhine." This model was created in 1966 in preparation for the 1967 production at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. The work itself is a plaster cast derived from a clay model, measuring 40 x 60 x 64 cm, and is part of the Belvedere's collection, holding inventory number FW 1405. The model represents Wotruba's interpretation of the operatic stage design, translating the dramatic narrative and visual requirements of Wagner's work into a tangible architectural form. The artwork is currently not on display, and its provenance traces back to the estate of Fritz Wotruba, eventually becoming a permanent loan and then transferred to the Belvedere following the dissolution of the Fritz Wotruba Private Foundation.