Why was Richard Wagner unable to attend Lohengrin’s first performance?

Richard Wagner was unable to attend the first performance of his opera Lohengrin because he had fled Germany after a warrant was issued for his arrest.1

Wagner had become deeply involved in the Revolutions of 1848–49, writing articles in support of the movement and taking an active role in the Dresden uprising of 1849. When the uprising failed, he was forced to escape to avoid imprisonment. Consequently, the premiere of Lohengrin on August 28, 1850, in Weimar was conducted by his friend Franz Liszt in Wagner's absence.1