Did Beethoven's mother have syphilis

Answer 1

Ludwig van Beethoven, composer of the Classical Period -

Born - 16th or 17th of December, 1770 in Bonn, Germany

Died - 26th of March, 1827 in Vienna, Austria

Major works include - 8 Symphonies, 6 String quartets, 2 Piano sonatas, 1 Sonata for violin and piano, 1 Violin concerto, 1 Piano concerto.

Genres - Symphonies, Piano concertos, String quartets, Piano sonatas.

In 1787, Beethoven's instructor suggested that he travel to Vienna to take lessons from Mozart, who was greatly impressed by Beethoven's ability and talent. He also had lessons with Joseph Haydn which he considered were not successful and Mozarts rival, Antonio Salieri. Johann van Beethoven was an alcoholic and a bully, and responsible for Ludwigs deafness due to the beatings he served up. At around 30 years of age, Ludwig was forced to acknowledge the fact that he was almost deaf and that the problem was incurable.

Answer 2

According to Richard Dawkins' 'The God Delusion', no, she did not.

Excerpt from the book:

Peter and Jean Medawar,* in The Life Science, attribute the following version [of the Beethoven Fallacy] to Norman St John Stevas (now Lord St John), a British Member of Parliament and prominent Roman Catholic layman. He, in turn, got it from Maurice Baring (1874-1945), a noted Roman Catholic convert and close associate of those Catholic stalwarts G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc. He cast it in the form of a hypothetical dialogue between two doctors.

'About the terminating of pregnancy, I want your opinion. The father was syphilitic, the mother tuberculous. Of the four children born, the first was blind, the second died,

the third was deaf and dumb, the fourth was also tuberculous. What would you have done?'

'I would have terminated the pregnancy.'

'Then you would have murdered Beethoven.'

The internet is riddled with so-called pro-life web sites that repeat this ridiculous story, and incidentally change factual premises with wanton abandon. Here's another version.

'If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three of whom were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded (all because she had syphilis), would you recommend that she have an abortion? Then you would have killed Beethoven.'

This rendering of the legend demotes the great composer from fifth to ninth in the birth order, raises the number born deaf to three and the number born blind to two, and gives syphilis to the mother instead of the father. Most of the forty-three websites I found when searching for versions of the story attribute it not to Maurice Baring but to a certain Professor L. R. Agnew at UCLA Medical School, who is said to have put the dilemma to his students and to have told them, 'Congratulations, you have just murdered Beethoven.' We might charitably give L. R. Agnew the benefit of doubting his existence - it is amazing how these urban legends sprout. I cannot discover whether it was Baring who originated the legend, or whether it was invented earlier.

For invented it certainly was. It is completely false. The truth is that Ludwig van Beethoven was neither the ninth child nor the fifth child of his parents. He was the eldest - strictly the number two, but his elder sibling died in infancy, as was common in those days, and was not, so far as is known, blind or deaf or dumb or mentally

retarded. There is no evidence that either of his parents had syphilis, although it is true that his mother eventually died of tuberculosis. There was a lot of it about at the time.

Answer 3

Yes. From an early age, Ludwig had to support the family. Johann Beethoven was Ludwig's first musical teacher, and is said to have been violent when his son's performance did n't please him -- typical alcoholic behavior.

Answer 4

Some people believe (including me) that his father was very harsh because he was on drugs. It seems most likely that it is, but some people I know asked if Beethoven became deaf because his father beat him on the ears, but this is not true. Ludwig's father had was a drug addict, and he came home with his friends every night and have Ludwig play, and he even pushed him against the wall once! So yes, Ludwig probably didn't like his father. Hope this is the answer you were looking for!

Answer 5

Beethoven's family didn't have a sickness. His father was an alcholic though. He forced his son to play instruments so he wouldn't have to work like Mozart's father.

Answer 6

Yes, That's how he died. From syphilis I believe.

Answer 7

There is no record of this.