Wilhelm Furtwängler.

On 25 January 1886, Wilhelm Furtwängler was born in Berlin, Germany, to archaeologist Adolf Furtwängler and Adelheid Furtwängler. He had a brother, Walter.

He grew up in Berlin, surrounded by the city’s music and culture. His native language was German.

Furtwängler became musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1922, holding the post until 1945 and again from 1952 to 1954. His tenure coincided with the Nazi era. In the 1930s, he chose to remain in Germany, viewing himself as a protector of German music. He accepted sponsorship from Joseph Goebbels, prompting denunciation by Arturo Toscanini and others. An offer to conduct the New York Philharmonic was withdrawn after public outcry.

He helped and protected many Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. After World War II, he was de-Nazified and continued to conduct, including a filmed Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival in 1955, released posthumously. The film Taking Sides later dramatized the US accusations against him.

Furtwängler was married twice, first to Zitla Lund and later to Elisabeth Ackermann. He had two children: Andreas Furtwängler and Dagmar Bellová. Through his marriage to Elisabeth, he became stepfather to actress Kathrin Ackermann, who married his nephew Bernhard Furtwängler. Their daughter, Maria Furtwängler, is also an actress.

After his death in 1954, Furtwängler’s reputation revived. Many critics now consider him the greatest German conductor of the 20th century, often ranking him above Arturo Toscanini. His performances, such as the 1955 Salzburg Don Giovanni, have been released on DVD and CD, keeping his interpretations in the repertoire. He received awards including the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts, the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Goethe Medal for Art and Science. He appears posthumously in films such as Ludwig – Requiem for a Virgin King 1972 and A Dream, What Else? 1995. The film Taking Sides 2001 dramatizes the moral questions around his life. Furtwängler is remembered for his interpretations of the German symphonic tradition and his decision to stay in Germany under the Nazis.