«GENETIC DETECTIVE» OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: What mystery does the death of the great composer conceal

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), around 1800 / Art design: huxley.media via Photoshop

It happened on March 27, 1827. On an otherwise unremarkable Monday, except for the fact that a crazy spring storm hit Vienna that day. To the sound of rain furiously drumming against the window, the great Ludwig van Beethoven was dying, tortured by severe pains in his stomach. They had begun the previous Christmas.

A heavy, exhausting illness had kept him bedridden for months. Everyone around him, including the composer himself, knew that his time was short. It is said that just before his death, in anger, he shook his fist at the sky and gave his soul to God amidst another clap of thunder. His death left us with many mysteries…

WHAT WERE HIS «LAST WORDS»?

n that day, besides the terrible storm, there were his friends, his daughter-in-law, his brother, and his personal secretary by his side. All of these people left us different versions of the composer’s final words. According to one, he said, «Applause, my friends, the comedy is over!» According to another, referring to his deafness, he said, «In heaven, my hearing will return to me!» A third version states: «I feel that very little has been accomplished!»

According to his friend Johann Hummel, not long before his death, Beethoven uttered, «Isn’t it true, Hummel, that I did have a spark of talent?!» Opera singer Luigi Lablache remembered Beethoven’s final phrase as: «Do you hear the bells? Can’t you hear their ringing? It’s time to lower the curtain. Yes, my curtain is falling».

Who was telling the truth and who invented a beautiful legend, we will never know. But it is likely that the words of a man enduring heavy pre-death suffering were not filled with dramatic effects. Perhaps the version closest to the truth is yet another one, according to which the composer’s last words were: «What a pity, what a pity, too late!» This referred to a box of his favorite wine, which Beethoven’s publisher had gifted him, hoping to somehow brighten his final, dreadful moments.

ALCOHOLISM, SYPHILIS, HEPATITIS

The irony of fate was that the publisher’s gift indeed came too late. According to many researchers, it was the wine that became the cause of the great composer’s early death at the age of 56. As is well-known, Beethoven’s father suffered from alcoholism, and, in general, his family members did not have good health. However, the real causes of the composer’s death remained a mystery for a long time.

A whole mythology developed around them, with various diagnoses ranging from syphilis to cirrhosis of the liver. The veil of mystery was lifted when a group of scientists from the University of Cambridge managed to decode Beethoven’s genome. The DNA for the genetic analysis was extracted from strands of the composer’s hair, which had been preserved in private collections.

The researchers were able to determine that Beethoven indeed had a history of alcohol abuse, which negatively impacted his liver, to which he was genetically predisposed. However, the greater damage to this organ came not from alcohol but from the hepatitis B virus, which Beethoven managed to contract near the end of his life.

At the same time, the scientists did not claim that liver problems were the sole cause of the great composer’s death. In their opinion, it was more likely a combination of fatal factors.

DID BEETHOVEN POISON HIMSELF WITH LEAD?

But among the various versions, there was another original one that deserves a more detailed explanation. Italian doctors, analyzing some strands of hair, discovered extremely high concentrations of lead, arsenic, and mercury. They exceeded the normal levels by tens of times. One of the authors of the study, pathologist Paul Gianetto, even stated that he had never encountered such abnormal readings in his career.

It is quite likely that these toxic metals could have served as serious catalysts for the gastrointestinal problems and jaundice that Beethoven suffered from. But when it comes to his deafness, it is most probable that lead was the cause. Beethoven began losing his hearing at the age of 26, and by the age of 41, he was completely deaf.

Doctors put forward various theories about this condition: typhus, various autoimmune diseases, and the strange habit of the composer sleeping with his head dipped in cold water.

However, doctors from the University of Padua once discovered similar symptoms in one of their patients. The cause of her poor health was an old frying pan, from which lead leached into her system after the protective ceramic layer had worn off.

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TOXIC LEAD — EVERYWHERE!

In Beethoven’s case, the Italians suggested that the primary source of toxic metal in his body was wine. Arsenic and mercury entered his system primarily through fish caught in the Danube — a type of food he greatly enjoyed. As for lead acetate, winemakers of that time generously added it to their products, giving the wine a more vibrant taste.

Furthermore, lead served as a preservative — wine lasted longer, which meant it stayed on the market longer, increasing sales and profit. Naturally, neither the seller nor the buyer was aware of the lethal properties of this additive. But wine was not the only source of lead.

It was also present in glass bottles and in Beethoven’s beloved lead cup, from which he drank. Beethoven’s physician, Andreas Wawruch, also contributed to the elevated lead levels in his patient’s body.

To relieve his patient’s stomach pains, Wawruch resorted to a barbaric method: he literally pierced Beethoven’s abdomen to drain the «harmful liquid», then applied lead-based poultices to the wound!

THE FEMININE DOUBLE: THE COLLAPSE OF THE «LEAD» THEORY

One would think that the mystery of Ludwig van Beethoven’s deafness and death had been solved. However, everything previously mentioned about the composer’s close «relationship» with lead turned out to be far from the truth! A more detailed analysis and comparison of hair samples from different collections revealed that the unusually high lead concentrations were not from Beethoven but from a female source!

Imagine the disappointment and anger of the collectors when this forgery was uncovered! It is quite possible that a substantial sum of money had been paid for the false Beethoven strands. So, what about the real composer’s hair? It was finally discovered and identified in 2023, compared with genetic material from his relatives.

The lead content in Beethoven’s hair turned out to be only slightly elevated and nowhere near as shocking as in the unknown «female double».

DNA SURPRISE: EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS

However, the surprises in Beethoven’s genetics did not end there. DNA analysis raised even more questions about the life and death of the famous composer. Where did he contract hepatitis? How did a strand of women’s hair come to be passed off as Beethoven’s hair for centuries? And what was behind his stomach pains and hearing loss?

But the main mystery lay elsewhere: the comparison of the Y-chromosome in samples of Beethoven’s hair and his modern paternal relatives revealed an extramarital sexual activity in the generations preceding the composer’s birth.

According to Tristan Begg, a British anthropologist from the University of Cambridge, the genetic data indicates the presence of “illegitimate paternity,” which occurred between the conception of Hendrik van Beethoven in Kampenhaut in 1572 and the conception of Ludwig van Beethoven in 1770 in Bonn.

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After Beethoven’s death, a document written by him a quarter-century earlier was found among his personal belongings. It contained a request to his brothers to disclose the details of his condition. What prompted such a strange request? We can only guess.

When, on that dark stormy night of March 27, Beethoven’s friends and colleagues cut strands of his hair as mementos, could they have imagined what «genetic detective story» their desire to keep a «piece of Beethoven» would lead to?

Original research:

• DNA From Beethoven’s Hair Reveals Surprise Nearly 200 Years Later
• Genomic analyses of hair from Ludwig van Beethoven
• A Modern Case Sheds Light on a Classical Enigma: Beethoven’s Deafness
• High Lead Levels in 2 Independent and Authenticated Locks of Beethoven’s Hair

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