Peter Cornelius, composer and friend of Wagner, praised the opera shortly before its premiere, stating that "Wagner wrote the German national opera" (Bermbach). A reviewer of the Karlsruhe performance “classified [Die Meistersinger] also as a national German opera expressing the sovereignty of the German spirit” (Psalms). His nationalist spirit made him become the symbol of Germany. When the Nazis came to power, Die Meistersinger was already loved by the German population. The Nazi government did not waste this useful tool. During the 12 years of the Third Reich's existence, Die Meistersinger was the most popular work. The Nazi government allowed the work to continue its wave of popularity, largely because its message coincided with theirs. There were many “parallels between Sachs's Nazi assessments and…the ideology and bureaucracy of the Third Reich” (Dennis 117). They also supported the “active role played in it by the German Volk, particularly in the last scene” (115). With the Nazi government seeking to promote the Volk and nationalistic ideology, Die Meistersinger became their favorite work as