Lohengrin, a romantic opera written in three acts and first performed in 1850 in three acts, is acclaimed as the masterpiece of Richard Wagner. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself inspired by the epic of Garin le Loherain. It is part of the Knight of the Swan tradition When King Heinrich of Saxony arrives at Brabant castle, Telramund and his wife, the pagan princess Ortrud, tell the king a lie. They state that Elsa has murdered her brother, Gottfried, in order to inherit his money. Luckily, a knight in shining armor comes to save Elsa. However, she does this only on the condition that she never asks his identity. The Knight and Elsa soon fall in love. However, on their wedding night, she makes the mistake of asking his identity. This question breaks a spell that allowed him to remain at Brabant with her. Lohengrin must now return to the Grail but promises that Gottfried will return.