166-566: The Beethoven House (German: Beethoven-Haus ) in Bonn , Germany , is a memorial site, museum, and cultural institution serving various purposes. Founded in 1889 by the Beethoven-Haus association, it studies the life and work of composer Ludwig van Beethoven . The centrepiece of the Beethoven-Haus is Beethoven's birthplace at Bonngasse 20. This building houses the museum. The neighbouring buildings (Bonngasse 18 and 24 to 26) accommodate
332-581: A military jail . Among the legions stationed in Bonn, the "1st", i.e. the Prima Legio Minervia , seems to have served here the longest. Units of the Bonn legion were deployed to theatres of war ranging from modern-day Algeria to what is now the Russian republic of Chechnya . The chief Roman road linking the provincial capitals of Cologne and Mainz cut right through the fort where it joined
498-489: A CD series. Renowned musicians such as Tabea Zimmermann , Daniel Sepec, the Schuppanzigh quartet, Jörg Demus and Andreas Staier perform compositions from Beethoven and his contemporaries on Beethoven's string instruments and pianofortes from Broadwood and Graf . Also documented herein are Pablo Casals 's legendary visits at the Beethoven-Haus in 1955 and 1958 when he played on Beethoven's violoncello. Since Bonn
664-523: A chamber music hall. Several times, the activities of the Beethoven-Haus were criticised by the public. Critics regarded the state of the museum at Beethoven's actual birthplace as not up-to-date and obsolete. Nevertheless, as part of the 2006 initiative "Invest in Germany – Land of Ideas", former German president Horst Köhler awarded the Beethoven-Haus a prize for its innovative combination of museum, research site and new media. The Beethoven-Haus association
830-493: A comprehensive register volume were also published by the G. Henle publishing house in 1996/1998. An eighth volume containing additional documents and registers is being prepared. Around 600 (half of them as audio letters) of the almost 2,300 letters are available at the Digital Archive in original form, featuring text transfers, content summaries and source descriptions. Already at the end of the 1920s Schiedermair pursued
996-503: A critical report and publishing it on modern media. Besides working on the complete edition, the Beethoven archive staff is also reviewing the composition directory published by Georg Kinsky and Hans Halm in 1955. Publishing selected manuscripts as facsimile editions fulfils the intentions of the Beethoven-Haus founders: collect and maintain original documents, prepare them under scientific aspects and make them available for researchers and
1162-480: A flat located in the house diagonally opposite. The front building was the residence of the court musician Philipp Salomon and his family. His son Johann Peter Salomon , a later friend of Joseph Haydn , would later become important for Beethoven as well. The ground floor of the Beethovens' flat accommodated a kitchen and a utility room with a cellar. The first floor housed two smaller and a somewhat larger room for
1328-425: A fully updated form of the permanent exhibition. They reorganized the exhibition and replaced the chronological structure with a thematic one. Multimedia installations complemented the displayed objects and the house itself became an exhibition piece through the choice of color and the exhibition pieces themselves that were chosen wisely for every room. On display are the baptism entry in the register of St. Remigius,
1494-525: A historic quartet table at which Beethoven himself might have played. One of the tasks of the Beethoven-Haus is to assess and prepare the collection for scientific use. In light of the increasing number of different editions and questions on the interpretation of Beethoven's work, the need for a new complete edition grew. A complete edition published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig had already been available since 1863-1865/1888; however, it only contained
1660-594: A human being, his everyday life still with his handycap, his relationships and lifestyle. Located in the back of the museum is the original living area of the Beethoven Family. It got renewed and redesigned as well. Nowadays a diorama on the ground floor clarifies the distance and location between the city center of Bonn, the Bonner Münster, the electoral castle, the marketplace and the Bonngasse. On
1826-575: A larger historic and cultural context as well as recordings. As such, the library not only documents Beethoven's compositions and their reception but also the composer's historic and personal environment. Apart from 50,000 books and essays, 160 magazines, 27,000 music items, among them 6,500 items of or relating to Beethoven, more than 11,000 image and microfilm records and 2,500 audio-visual media are available. Thanks to bequests, purchases and gifts from individuals (such as Herbert Grundmann, Hans Klingemann, Freiherr von Geyr, Hanns J. Eller, Dr. Klaus Steltmann)
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#17327717381271992-431: A lifelong and had a far greater impact on Beethoven's education than the few years he spent at school. In 1785 the family moved to Wenzelgasse 25. Of all the residences of the Beethoven family, the only one that remains today is Beethoven's birthplace at Bonngasse. The museum was opened on 10 May 1893 during the second chamber music festival. It was extended several times. Today, it houses the largest Beethoven collection in
2158-777: A minimum of 40% of nominees to the order to be women. The Order comprises four groups with eight regular classes and one special (medal) class (hereafter enumerated in English): The President of the Federal Republic holds the Grand Cross special class ex officio . It is awarded to him in a ceremony by the President of the Bundestag , attended by the Chancellor of Germany , the President of
2324-557: A production site in Bonn. Since April 2018, the head office of the company is located in the Rhineland-Palatinate municipality of Grafschaft . Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany [REDACTED] Grand Cross 1st Class, Special Issue [REDACTED] Grand Cross 1st Class [REDACTED] Grand Cross [REDACTED] Knight Commander [REDACTED] Commander [REDACTED] Officer [REDACTED] Member The Order of Merit of
2490-432: A research centre (Beethoven archive) comprising a collection, a library and publishing house, and a chamber music hall. Here, music lovers and experts from all over the world can meet and share their ideas. The Beethoven-Haus is financed by the Beethoven-Haus association and by means of public funds. The house at Bonngasse 20 (formerly: 515) featuring a baroque stone facade was erected around 1700 on an older cellar vault. It
2656-422: A separate exhibition, like for example diplomat and Beethoven biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer (1817–1897) in 2010 on the 100th anniversary of the publication day of the last volume of his Beethoven biography in 1911, or Max Unger (2000). The reception of Beethoven's music by musicians such as Johannes Brahms (1997), Richard Strauss (2002) or Paul Hindemith (2009) and artists like Naoum Aronson (2003),
2822-402: A stamp featuring the Beethoven-Haus. The stamp belongs to the definitive stamp series "Sights". In 1767, court singer Johann van Beethoven (1740–1792) moved into the garden wing of the house at Bonngasse 20 after marrying Maria Magdalena Keverich (1746–1787) from Koblenz /Ehrenbreitstein. Johann's father, bandmaster Ludwig van Beethoven (1712–1773), the composer's grandfather, moved into
2988-541: A steady 30–35% of recipients. Most of the German federal states ( Länder ) have each their own order of merit as well, with the exception of the Free and Hanseatic Cities of Bremen and Hamburg , which reject any orders (by tradition their citizens, particularly former or present senators, will refuse any decoration in the form of an order, the most famous example being former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt ). The order
3154-683: A student of Rodin, or Joseph Beuys (2005) was also addressed in special exhibitions, the same as The Operatic Life in Time of Beethoven , The collector of autographs Stefan Zweig , Beethoven's journeys in context of traveling in the 18th century and many others. Themes of master courses (Beethoven's String quartetts in 2011 and Piano sonates in 2012, courses for pianists, string trios, quartetts and so on) and congresses (Beethoven's Dedications in 2011, Congress of Vienna 1814–15 in 2014, With Beethoven living in Exile in 2018, Beethoven and Rossini in
3320-647: A substantial presence in Bonn. Roughly a third of all ministerial jobs are located in Bonn as of 2019 , and the city is considered a second, unofficial, capital of the country. Bonn is the secondary seat of the President , the Chancellor , and the Bundesrat , and the primary seat of six federal government ministries and twenty federal authorities. The title of Federal City (German: Bundesstadt ) reflects its important political status within Germany. The global headquarters of Deutsche Post DHL and Deutsche Telekom , both DAX -listed corporations, are in Bonn. The city
3486-449: A teacher, the new owner opened a restaurant on the ground floor in 1873 with the name Beethoven's Geburtshaus (Beethoven's birthplace). A beer and concert hall was added in the yard in 1887. In 1888 a grocery merchant bought the house but sold it a year later. The Beethoven Haus association, founded in 1889 to preserve the house, spared the house from demolition. The following years were characterised by renovation and remodelling works to turn
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#17327717381273652-487: A way to celebrate German history in the design of the new honour for the Federal Republic. This is unlikely however as two stars represent decorations awarded during the Third Reich , and the other two are of Prussian origin. Prussia itself had only been recently abolished and the legacy of so called " Prussian militarism " was not something openly celebrated in the new Federal Republic of Germany . The riband of
3818-627: Is 15 km (9 mi) and 12.5 km (8 mi) in west–east dimensions. The city borders have a total length of 61 km (38 mi). The geographical centre of Bonn is the Bundeskanzlerplatz (Chancellor Square) in Bonn-Gronau. The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is divided into five governmental districts (German: Regierungsbezirk ), and Bonn is part of the governmental district of Cologne (German: Regierungsbezirk Köln ). Within this governmental district,
3984-653: Is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia , located on the banks of the Rhine . It has a population of over 300,000. About 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of Cologne , Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area and the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, with over 11 million inhabitants. The city served as
4150-531: Is a large area of protected woods on the hills west of the city centre. It is about 40 square kilometres (15 square miles) in area and part of the Rhineland Nature Park (1,045 km or 403 sq mi). In the very south of the city, on the border with Wachtberg and Rhineland-Palatinate , there is an extinct volcano, the Rodderberg , featuring a popular area for hikes. Also south of
4316-531: Is also on display in the August-Macke-Haus , located in Macke's former home where he lived from 1911 to 1914. The Bundeskunsthalle (full name: Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland or Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany), focuses on the crossroads of culture, arts, and science. To date, it attracted more than 17 million visitors. One of its main objectives
4482-438: Is an art museum founded in 1947. The Kunstmuseum exhibits both temporary exhibitions and its permanent collection. The latter is focused on Rhenish Expressionism and post-war German art. German artists on display include Georg Baselitz , Joseph Beuys , Hanne Darboven , Anselm Kiefer , Blinky Palermo and Wolf Vostell . The museum owns one of the largest collections of artwork by Expressionist painter August Macke . His work
4648-459: Is called Bundeswahlkreis Bonn (096). In the German federal election 2017 , Ulrich Kelber ( SPD ) was elected a member of German Federal parliament, the Bundestag by direct mandate. It is his fifth term. Katja Dörner representing Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and Alexander Graf Lambsdorff for FDP were elected as well. Kelber resigned in 2019 because he was appointed Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information . As Dörner
4814-459: Is displayed on the mirror and creates a sensible as well as a poetic atmosphere that enables the visitor to feel connected to Beethoven. Set up in the basement of the neighboring house is the treasury. The treasury was built to display original and special features from the collection of the Beethoven-Haus under conservatory and museum conditions. Above the treasury is a new music room which is used for small concerts. The peculiarity about concerts in
4980-783: Is home to the University of Bonn and a total of 20 United Nations institutions, the highest number in all of Germany. These institutions include the headquarters for Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UN Volunteers programme. Birthplace of composer Ludwig van Beethoven , a center of Rhenish carnival , and its geography by
5146-445: Is located in the nearby town of Siegburg and serves as Bonn's station on the high-speed rail line between Cologne and Frankfurt , offering faster connections to Southern Germany. It can be reached by Stadtbahn line 66 (approx. 25 minutes from central Bonn). Bonn has a Stadtbahn light rail and a tram system. The Bonn Stadtbahn has 4 regular lines that connect the main north–south axis (centre to Bad Godesberg ) and quarters east of
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5312-489: Is made up of a golden four-armed cross enamelled in red, with a central gold disc bearing a black enamelled German federal eagle ( Bundesadler ). The star is a golden star with straight rays, its size and points vary according to class, with the badge superimposed upon it. An interesting fact about the stars, of which no less than four grades use one, is that they all have the same basic shape as various other breast stars from German history. The reasoning behind this
5478-526: Is not clear. It is not known if this is deliberate or coincidence, as the tools used to make the stars were in short supply after the war, and using stamping dies that were readily available and could be reused or acquired from other manufacturers would have been a good way of cutting costs and simplifying production in a Germany only just starting to experience the Wirtschaftswunder . It is of course possible that this could have been deliberate, and
5644-429: Is now located on the other side of the Bonngasse, where the shop and the lecture hall are found. The official website, created in 2004 and awarded for concept and design, was given the title Master of Excellence at the 17th Corporate Media competition in 2005. Apart from its research aims related to music history, the Beethoven-Haus association has always organised chamber music festivals and concerts on its premises. On
5810-717: Is on the premises of the Museum Koenig where the Parlamentarischer Rat first met. The Deutsches Museum Bonn , affiliated with one of the world's foremost science museums, the Deutsches Museum in Munich, is an interactive science museum focusing on post-war German scientists, engineers, and inventions. Other museums include the Beethoven House , birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven ,
5976-447: Is one of Germany's few 24-hour airports, and is a hub for Eurowings and cargo operators FedEx Express and UPS Airlines . The federal motorway ( Autobahn ) A59 connects the airport with the city. Long distance and regional trains to and from the airport stop at Cologne/Bonn Airport station . Another major airport within a one-hour drive by car is Düsseldorf International Airport . Bonn's central railway station, Bonn Hauptbahnhof
6142-520: Is one of the few remaining middle class houses from the era of the prince elector. Back then it was in the neighbourhood preferred by the employees of the courts, in the heart of the town between the castle, the town hall with the market square and the banks of the Rhine River . This is currently a pedestrian precinct close to Bonn Beethoven Hall and the opera close. In the first half of the 19th century, an additional, somewhat smaller, timbered house
6308-572: Is one of the foremost German museums of contemporary German history, with branches in Berlin and Leipzig . In its permanent exhibition, the Haus der Geschichte presents German history from 1945 until the present, also shedding light on Bonn's own role as former capital of West Germany. Numerous temporary exhibitions emphasize different features, such as Nazism or important personalities in German history. The Kunstmuseum Bonn or Bonn Museum of Modern Art
6474-635: Is responsible for programme and artistic direction. Following Beethoven's example as a teacher, the Beethoven-Haus has been offering a research-focused study programme for students and young music scientists since 2007, dealing with selected research topics on Beethoven. The master classes initiated by Kurt Masur in 2006 aim at promoting the development of young musicians. Initially, the classes were only available for conductors. Since 2010 chamber music ensembles can also participate in these classes, where famous artists study and perform Beethoven compositions with young musicians during public rehearsals. In addition,
6640-401: Is set on complete and rare recordings. The list of the captured items not only contains the title of the publication but also information on content, origin and a short description. This is especially helpful for older, rare or comprehensive publications, printed sheet music and sheet music manuscripts. Detailed indexing provides additional information and makes searching easier. A current project
6806-469: Is situated 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) north-east from the city centre of Bonn. With around 10.3 million passengers passing through it in 2015, it is the seventh-largest passenger airport in Germany and the third-largest in terms of cargo operations. By traffic units, which combines cargo and passengers, the airport is in fifth position in Germany. As of March 2015, Cologne Bonn Airport had services to 115 passenger destinations in 35 countries. The airport
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6972-623: Is the Kurfürstliches Schloss , built as a residence for the prince-elector and now the main building of the University of Bonn . The Poppelsdorfer Allee is an avenue flanked by Chestnut trees which had the first horsecar of the city. It connects the Kurfürstliches Schloss with the Poppelsdorfer Schloss , a palace that was built as a resort for the prince-electors in the first half of
7138-461: Is the city's biggest park intra muros. The Rhine promenade and the Alter Zoll (Old Toll Station) are in direct neighbourhood of the city centre and are popular amongst both residents and visitors. The Arboretum Park Härle is an arboretum with specimens dating to back to 1870. The Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden) is affiliated with the university. The natural reserve of Kottenforst
7304-442: Is the city's main public transportation hub. It lies just outside the old town and near the central university buildings. It is served by regional ( S-Bahn and Regionalbahn ) and long-distance ( IC and ICE ) trains. Daily, more than 67,000 people travel via Bonn Hauptbahnhof. In late 2016, around 80 long distance and more than 165 regional trains departed to or from Bonn every day. Another long-distance station, ( Siegburg/Bonn ),
7470-428: Is the foundation for philological research and edition. Besides, employees of the Beethoven-Haus regularly take part in international events concerning the research on Beethoven such as congresses and seminars. The archive's inventory is complemented with the literature and sheet music collection of the Beethoven-Haus library. In 1927 the collection became part of the archive, whereas the manuscript collection remained in
7636-417: Is the reconstruction of Beethoven's own library to determine the composer's mind and way of thinking. The list of the books and music items from that it is known that the composer read, studied, copied, excerpted, put to music, lent and borrowed, gave away or intended to buy would be very long. However, even Beethoven's core belongings, his own book and music sheet collection, are only known partially. Therefore,
7802-559: Is to show the cultural heritage outside of Germany or Europe. Next to its changing exhibitions, the Bundeskunsthalle regularly hosts concerts, discussion panels, congresses, and lectures. The Museum Koenig is Bonn's natural history museum. Affiliated with the University of Bonn , it is also a zoological research institution housing the Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität der Tiere . Politically interesting, it
7968-719: The Altes Rathaus , which is also used for representative and official purposes. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: Four delegates represent the Federal city of Bonn in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia . The last election took place in May 2022. The current delegates are Guido Déus ( CDU ), Christos Katzidis (CDU), Joachim Stamp ( FDP ), Tim Achtermeyer (Greens) and Dr. Julia Höller (Greens) Bonn's constituency
8134-767: The A562 (connecting the right with the left bank of the Rhine south of Bonn), and the A565 (connecting the A59 and the A555 with the A61 to the southwest). Three Bundesstraßen, which have a general 100 kilometres per hour (62 miles per hour) speed limit in contrast to the Autobahn, connect Bonn to its immediate surroundings (Bundesstraßen B9, B42 and B56). With Bonn being divided into two parts by
8300-641: The Carus publishing house from Stuttgart in 2007. All these publications and the remaining library inventory of literature, manuscripts, pictures, press articles, and recordings are listed in different catalogues. These are also available online. The library catalogue alone contains more than 800 biographical representations of Beethoven, work monographs, sketch and source studies, documents on performance procedures and organology, studies in music history, documents relating to Vienna and Bonn, bibliographical and lexical reference books, historic magazines, in particular of
8466-532: The Gold Award for interior design in 1991). In combination with the other Beethoven-Haus institutions, the chamber music hall is an ideal venue for concerts and can also be booked for concerts, congresses and other events. The annual programme of the chamber music hall with its more or less 40 events is characterised both by tradition and modern approaches, comprising classic chamber music performed by famous ensembles and solo musicians as well as young artists at
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#17327717381278632-595: The Immortal Beloved ), Beethoven's diary 1812–1818 or the register his Bonn friends gave the composer as a farewell gift upon his departure to Vienna in 1792. A major area of the research on Beethoven that was generally neglected in music science but has been incorporated in the guidelines of the Beethoven archive in 1972 already is sketch research. In 1952 Joseph Schmidt-Görg founded an edition of scientifically reviewed and commented sketches and drafts by Beethoven for his compositions. Sieghard Brandenburg continued
8798-484: The Middle Rhine make it an important tourist destination. Situated in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest metropolitan area with over 11 million inhabitants, Bonn lies within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia , on the border with Rhineland-Palatinate . Spanning an area of more 141.2 km (55 sq mi) on both sides of the river Rhine , almost three-quarters of
8964-684: The Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn (Rhinish Regional Museum Bonn), the Bonn Women's Museum , the Rheinisches Malermuseum and the Arithmeum . There are several parks, leisure and protected areas in and around Bonn. The Rheinaue [ de ] is Bonn's most important leisure park, with its role being comparable to what Central Park is for New York City. It lies on the banks of the Rhine and
9130-722: The Rhine , three bridges are crucial for inner-city road traffic: the Konrad-Adenauer-Brücke (A562) in the South, the Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke (A565) in the North, and the Kennedybrücke (B56) in the centre. In addition, regular ferries operate between Bonn-Mehlem and Königswinter , Bonn- Bad Godesberg and Königswinter- Niederdollendorf , and Bonn-Graurheindorf and Niederkassel -Mondorf. Located in
9296-635: The Ubii , in Bonn. The Latin name for that settlement, "Bonna", may stem from the original population of this and many other settlements in the area, the Eburoni . Bona is Celtic for tribe. The Eburoni were members of a large tribal coalition effectively wiped out during the final phase of Caesar 's War in Gaul . After several decades, the army gave up the small camp linked to the Ubii-settlement. During
9462-516: The death mask deliver an impression of Beethoven's appearance. Franz Xaver Stöber 's watercolour depicting the funeral cortege on 29 March 1827 shows how much Beethoven was recognized and revered even in his lifetime. Beethoven's hearing problems are documented by the exhibited ear trumpets and a conversation booklet, i.e. a booklet in which Beethoven's interlocutors wrote down what they had to say. Letters, notes, various contemporary music instruments and items of daily life give an idea of Beethoven as
9628-537: The minster , grew the medieval city of Bonn. Local legends arose from this period that the name of the village came from Saint Boniface via Vulgar Latin *Bonnifatia , but this proved to be a myth. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque style Bonn Minster was built, and in 1597 Bonn became the seat of the Archdiocese of Cologne . The city gained more influence and grew considerably. The city
9794-576: The 100th anniversary of the association in 1989, the newly constructed chamber music hall was inaugurated in the building next to Beethoven's birthplace. It is named after the former chairman Hermann Josef Abs , who had initiated the construction and supported it generously. Held in the tradition of a semi-oval amphitheatre , the hall accommodates 199 seats and offers great acoustics and a very private atmosphere. The architects Thomas van den Valentyn and Klaus Müller were awarded several prizes for it (German Architect Award 1989, Mies van der Rohe Award 1990 and
9960-431: The 18,000 federal officials remain in Bonn. A total of 19 United Nations (UN) institutions operate from Bonn today. The current mayor of Bonn is Katja Dörner of Alliance 90/The Greens since 2020. She defeated incumbent mayor Ashok-Alexander Sridharan in the most recent mayoral election, which was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September. The results were as follows: The Bonn city council governs
10126-750: The 18th century, and whose grounds are now a botanical garden (the Botanischer Garten Bonn ). This axis is interrupted by a railway line and Bonn Hauptbahnhof , a building erected in 1883/84. The Beethoven Monument stands on the Münsterplatz, which is flanked by the Bonn Minster , one of Germany's oldest churches. The three highest structures in the city are the WDR radio mast in Bonn-Venusberg (180 m or 590 ft),
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#173277173812710292-423: The 19th century, documents and studies on reception history and programme booklets in current European languages. The aim to capture everything was already abandoned for the press archive that now focuses on local history and the reception of Beethoven literature. Among the sheet music prints original editions (i.e. the first editions Beethoven himself ordered) and other singing voice or score editions published during
10458-505: The 1st century AD , the army then chose a site to the north of the emerging town in what is now the section of Bonn-Castell to build a large military installation dubbed Castra Bonnensis, i.e., literally, "Fort Bonn". Initially built from wood, the fort was eventually rebuilt in stone. With additions, changes and new construction, the fort remained in use by the army into the waning days of the Western Roman Empire , possibly
10624-535: The Beethoven archive are published as part of the various series the Beethoven-Haus publishes. The first series under the direction of Ludwig Schiedermair as editor counts ten volumes published between 1920 and 1934. Most of them are commented original documents from Beethoven with facsimile. The series also comprises monographs. After the war it continued under the name "Neue Folgen" (new series). The new series 1 containing sketches and drafts shows how relevant sketch research has always been deemed.[48] As part of series 2
10790-485: The Beethoven research (the publications also contain contributions from external scientists), books for children and music aficionados as well as CDs. The publishing house closely co-operates with the G. Henle publishing house in Munich that publishes the large edition series on Beethoven's compositions and his written correspondence. In order to market and distribute its publications the Beethoven-Haus publishing house joined
10956-426: The Beethoven-Haus chamber music festivals that are held every two years. Charity concerts under the direction of Joseph Joachim and supported by renowned musicians raised enough money to maintain the buildings and pay for the association's activities. During the first of these chamber music festivals, the largest-ever Beethoven exhibition took place, showing 360 items on loan from all over Europe. On 10 May 1893, during
11122-659: The Beethoven-Haus solely from its interest income. Capital contributors to the foundation are given honorary titles such as "Patron", "Donor" or "Founder". Revenue-focused institutions and activities like the museum shop and the granting of image usage rights were outsourced to the Beethoven-Haus Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH. Their revenue goes into the publicly supported budget. 50°44′13″N 7°6′5″E / 50.73694°N 7.10139°E / 50.73694; 7.10139 Bonn Bonn ( German pronunciation: [bɔn] )
11288-755: The Beethoven-Haus, the Beethoven archive and the publishing house. The 3rd series is dedicated to the facsimile editions. For the facsimile of the Pastoral Symphony (op. 68) (Vol. 14, 2000) and the facsimile edition of the Moonlight Sonata (op. 27,2) (Vol. 16, 2003) the publishing house was awarded the German Music Edition Prize. This prize was given for the publication "Beethoven im Bild" (2012) in 2013, too. The 4th series on publications on Beethoven research contains congress reports, dissertations and monographs dealing with
11454-446: The Beethoven-Haus, who is appointed by the board of directors, presides over the administration, conducts active business and is responsible for the association's facilities and projects. In 1998 a separate position was established to oversee the different departments. Andreas Eckhardt (until 2009) was named director. He was succeeded by Philipp Adlung (until 2010) and Manfred Harnischfeger. Since May 2012 Malte Boecker serves as director of
11620-545: The Beethoven-House. Apart from the director position, there is a committee for the promotion of the association and its purposes. That committee includes the chairman, secretary and treasurer and the director as advisers, and a representative of each responsible level of government (German federal government, federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, regional authority of the Rhineland and the city of Bonn). Chairmen of
11786-403: The Beethoven-Jahrbuch (Beethoven Yearbook) was published in 1953/54 and 1973/81. In 1999 the yearbook was replaced by the annual publication Bonner Beethoven-Studien (Bonn Beethoven Studies) belonging to series 5. Apart from articles about sources and interpretations concerning Beethoven's life, his compositions and their reception these volumes also feature a review of the past year's activities of
11952-744: The Bodmer collection was celebrated with a retrospective exhibition, and in 2010 the autograph of the Diabelli Variations was presented to the public. On other occasions, contemporaries were reanimated using collection items and items on loan, such as Beethoven's teacher Christian Gottlob Neefe (1999), piano builder family Streicher (1999) and the Breitkopf & Härtel publishing house (2007), poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1999) and painter and drawer Moritz von Schwind (2004/2005). Furthermore, renowned Beethoven researchers were dedicated
12118-609: The British artist Mark Alexander (painter) was commissioned by the Beethoven-Haus Society to paint a Beethoven portrait. Until spring 2015 the Villa Wasmuth was his studio, where he created a work cycle of five paintings after the famous Beethoven portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler. Credo II was donated to the Beethoven-Haus. By offering guided tours for children, holiday workshops and afternoon activities at
12284-652: The Bundesrat , and the Supreme Court President . Other than the German president, only a foreign head of state and their spouse can be awarded with this highest class. There is also the provision of awarding the Grand Cross 1st class in a "special issue" with laurel wreath design ( Großkreuz in besonderer Ausführung ), in which the central medallion with the black eagle is surrounded by a stylized laurel wreath in relief. This Grand Cross 1st class, special issue has been awarded only to three persons,
12450-534: The Court. From 1784 onwards, even the young Beethoven joined the court orchestra, Beethoven and his father gave private music lessons to the families of noble Court officials. During his time in Bonn, friendships with noble and bourgeois families were established such as the widow of Court Counsellor von Breuning and her children Stephan, Christoph, Eleonore, and Lorenz, the family of violinist Fran Anton Ries and with Franz Gerhard Wegeler. Many of these friendships lasted
12616-408: The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland , or Bundesverdienstorden , BVO ) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields. It was created by the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss , on 7 September 1951. Colloquially,
12782-532: The Federal Republic of Germany. Bonn's time as the capital of West Germany is commonly referred to as the Bonn Republic , in contrast to the Berlin Republic which followed reunification in 1990. German reunification in 1990 made Berlin the nominal capital of Germany again. This decision, however, did not mandate that the republic's political institutions would also move. While some argued for
12948-571: The Foundation Hans Arp und Sophie Taeuber-Arp e. V., as a guesthouse. Furthermore, selective promotion of young researchers, musicians, composers and artists by the Beethoven-Haus takes place in that residence. In cooperation with the German Academic Scholarship Foundation the Beethoven-Haus awards scholarships to young composers, who are allowed to work there on their compositions for a month under
13114-465: The German cultural foundation "Kulturstiftung der Länder", an elementary school project dealing with Beethoven's house was awarded a prize in the final competition, and in the competition Kooperation. Konkret 2011 the same projekt won the first prize. In 2007 "Hello Beethoven", a special internet site for children was launched. The site contains information on topics such as Beethoven's family, his friends and school career, his daily routine, his illnesses,
13280-468: The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is awarded for achievements that served the rebuilding of the country in the fields of political, socio-economic, and intellectual activity, and is intended to be an award for all those whose work contributes to the peaceful rise of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2022 Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier introduced a gender quota which demands
13446-627: The Rhenish National Museum, the bomb did not cause a disaster. The damages were repaired in the early 1950s. In the late 1960s, the third renovation took place. For the fourth, basic renovation of the buildings from 1994 to 1996 the Beethoven-Haus was awarded the Europa Nostra award for cultural heritage (awarded since 1978) in 1998 as the first institution in Germany. In January 2003, the Deutsche Post AG issued
13612-548: The Rhine ( Beuel and Oberkassel ), as well as many nearby towns like Brühl , Wesseling , Sankt Augustin , Siegburg , Königswinter , and Bad Honnef . All lines serve the Central Station and two lines continue to Cologne, where they connect to the Cologne Stadtbahn . The Bonn tram system consists of two lines that connect closer quarters in the south, north and east of Bonn to the Central Station. While
13778-469: The Stadtbahn mostly has its own right-of-way, the tram often operates on general road lanes. A few sections of track are used by both systems. These urban rail lines are supplemented by a bus system of roughly 30 regular lines, especially since some parts of the city like Hardtberg and most of Bad Godesberg completely lack a Stadtbahn/Tram connection. Several lines offer night services, especially during
13944-516: The US 1st Infantry Division captured the city during the battle of 8–9 March 1945. After the Second World War, Bonn was in the British zone of occupation. Following the advocacy of West Germany's first chancellor, Konrad Adenauer , a former Cologne Mayor and a native of that area, Bonn became the de facto capital, officially designated the "temporary seat of the Federal institutions," of
14110-400: The association had 344 members, a quarter of them abroad, among them 35 Britons and 11 Americans. Violinist Joseph Joachim (1831–1907), known for his interpretation of Beethoven's violin concert in D major (op. 61) and who together with his Joachim quartet contributed significantly to the success of Beethoven's string quartets, served as honorary president. In 1890 the association established
14276-555: The association has about 1,000 members. Numerous prominent figures of the music scene were and are still awarded honorary memberships. Around half of its funds stem from the public authorities (federal German government, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, city of Bonn); the other 50 percent is obtained through donations and sponsors, activities run by the association, and project-related funds from third parties such as foundations and other promotional institutions. The non-profit Beethoven-Haus Bonn Foundation, founded in 1999, supports projects of
14442-499: The association's chairman, in made sure that the collection was brought to an underground shelter near Siegen , avoiding any war-related losses or damages. During a bombing of Bonn 's city centre on 18 October 1944, a fire bomb fell on the roof of Beethoven's birthplace. Due to the help of janitors Heinrich Hasselbach and Wildemans, who were later awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit , and Dr. Franz Rademacher from
14608-475: The association: On 7 May 1945 an administrative council was established alongside the management of the association upon request of the military government. The election of conductor Kurt Masur as chairman revived the former tradition of having an artist as chairman. In 2012 this tradition continued with famous violist Tabea Zimmermann. From the beginning on, the association consisted of members of all classes of society, providing various areas of expertise. Today,
14774-462: The beginning of their career. Concerts played on historical instruments give an impression of the time Beethoven lived in. Contemporary jazz offers the opportunity for improvisation and inspiration, family concerts and events for elementary schools let children and parents alike explore classic music, and theme-focused series and conversation forums allow visitors to meet composers and learn about music eras and cultural phenomena. The department management
14940-424: The building was sold again. In 1907, house number 18 was bought to extend the property. This house is one of the oldest, still present 18th-century buildings in Bonn. Gertrud Baum, Ludwig van Beethoven's godmother, lived here with her family. Beethoven's baptism is said to have taken place here on 17 December 1770. In the middle of the 19th century, the house accommodated a store for colonial goods. Around that time,
15106-588: The buildings shows the historic console of the organ that once stood in St. Remigius' Church (former Minoriten church) and that Beethoven regularly played since he was ten years old. The console was given to the Beethoven-Haus when the church was reconstructed in 1904. Distinct from the organ it pertained to, the console survived World War II . Silhouettes and portraits of the von Breuning family, greeting cards to Beethoven from Eleonore von Breuning, pictures of Franz Gerhard Wegeler and Christian Gottlob Neefe depict some of
15272-473: The capital of West Germany from its formation in 1949 until 1990 and as the capital of reunited Germany from 1990 until 1999 when the seat of government was moved back to Berlin . Bonn is the birthplace of Germany's present day constitution, the Basic Law . Founded in the 1st century BC as an Ubii and then Roman settlement in the province Germania Inferior , Bonn is one of Germany's oldest cities. It
15438-590: The capital of the reunified Germany, and they felt that locating the capital in a major city like Frankfurt or Hamburg would imply a permanent capital and even weaken support in West Germany for reunification. In 1949, the Parliamentary Council in Bonn drafted and adopted the current German constitution, the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany . As the political centre of West Germany, Bonn saw six Chancellors and six Presidents of
15604-516: The city alongside the mayor. It used to be based in the Rococo -style Altes Rathaus (old city hall), built in 1737, located adjacent to Bonn's central market square. However, due to the enlargement of Bonn in 1969 through the incorporation of Beuel and Bad Godesberg, it moved into the larger Stadthaus facilities further north. This was necessary for the city council to accommodate an increased number of representatives. The mayor of Bonn still sits in
15770-617: The city became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany . Bonn was of little relevance in these years. During the Second World War , Bonn acquired military significance because of its strategic location on the Rhine, which formed a natural barrier to easy penetration into the German heartland from the west. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Bonn on 7 March 1945, and
15936-639: The city lies on the river's left bank. To the south and to the west, Bonn borders the Eifel region which encompasses the Rhineland Nature Park . To the north, Bonn borders the Cologne Lowland . Natural borders are constituted by the river Sieg to the north-east and by the Siebengebirge (also known as the Seven Hills) to the east. The largest extension of the city in north–south dimensions
16102-494: The city of Bonn is an urban district in its own right. The urban district of Bonn is then again divided into four administrative municipal districts (German: Stadtbezirk ). These are Bonn, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Bonn-Beuel and Bonn-Hardtberg. In 1969, the independent towns of Bad Godesberg and Beuel as well as several villages were incorporated into Bonn, resulting in a city more than twice as large as before. Bonn has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dobk ). In
16268-561: The city of Bonn is the University of Bonn (including the university clinics) and Stadtwerke Bonn also follows as a major employer. On the other hand, there are several traditional, nationally known private companies in Bonn such as luxury food producers Verpoorten and Kessko, the Klais organ manufacture and the Bonn flag factory. The largest confectionery manufacturer in Europe, Haribo , has its founding headquarters (founded in 1920) and
16434-462: The city, there is the Siebengebirge which is part of the lower half of the Middle Rhine region. The nearby upper half of the Middle Rhine from Bingen to Koblenz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more than 40 castles and fortresses from the Middle Ages and important German vineyards. Named after Konrad Adenauer , the first post-war Chancellor of West Germany, Cologne Bonn Airport
16600-423: The composer's death, the Beethoven archive was founded. It serves as a pillar for the research on Beethoven. Accordingly, the post-war statute includes "Maintenance of memory and work". In 2004 the list of purposes and duties was reviewed and elaborated, also assumed in 2013. On its 100th anniversary in 1989 the Beethoven-Haus association moved into a new building, accommodating rooms for archive and offices as well as
16766-476: The decorations of the different classes of the Order are also known as the Federal Cross of Merit ( Bundesverdienstkreuz ). It has been awarded to over 262,000 individuals in total, both Germans and foreigners. Since the 1990s, the number of annual awards has declined from over 4,000, first to around 2,500, then from 2015 to under 1,500, with a low of 918 awards in 2022. Since 2013, women have made up
16932-457: The family. It was probably in one of the tiny attic chambers that Ludwig van Beethoven was born on 16 or 17 December 1770 and baptised in St. Remigius on 17 December 1770. The child was named after his grandfather Ludwig van Beethoven (1712–1773), a reputable court bandmaster, singer and wine merchant, who was also his godfather. The baptism celebration took place in the neighbouring house Im Mohren at
17098-610: The famous painting from Joseph Karl Stieler (1820). Thanks to gifts or permanent loans from private and public foundations and patrons the collection grows continuously. The most important new acquisitions of the last decade is the purchase of the engraver's copy of the Missa Solemnis (op. 123) in 2005 and the purchase of the original manuscript of the 33 variations on a waltz for piano by Anton Diabelli (op. 120) in December 2009. Air-conditioned and museum-appropriate rooms in
17264-404: The figure on the front and the byname "Im Mohren" (to the blackamoor) appeared for the first time. The figure features the ideas of the 19th century. It combines the attributes of different subdued peoples: The dark skin colour and feather ornaments and pipe refers to the indigenous nations of Central- and South Africa and North America . In the course of the colonial history during the 19th century
17430-496: The focus was on Beethoven's chamber music compositions, in which the composer ventured out into the open ("Into the open" was the motto of the 2010 Beethoven festival). In 2015, the British Artist Mark Alexander (b.1966) created a series of work titled Credo I - V, to commemorate 245th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Additional publications offer more information. Some special exhibitions are archived on
17596-459: The former German chancellors Konrad Adenauer , Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel . Except for the lowest class, the medal, the badge is the same for all classes, but with slightly different versions for men and women (slightly smaller badge and ribbon for women): The badge for the Member and Officer classes however are only enamelled on one side, and flat on the reverse. The badge of the Order
17762-647: The fort along with the remnants of the troops stationed here. During the final decades of Imperial rule, the troops were supplied by Franci chieftains employed by the Roman administration. When the end came, these troops simply shifted their allegiances to the new barbarian rulers, the Kingdom of the Franks . From the fort, the Bonnburg, as well as from a new medieval settlement to the South centered around what later became
17928-571: The fort's main road (now, Römerstraße). Once past the South Gate, the Cologne–Mainz road continued along what are now streets named Belderberg, Adenauerallee et al. On both sides of the road, the local settlement, Bonna , grew into a sizeable Roman town. Bonn is shown on the 4th century Peutinger Map . In late antiquity , much of the town seems to have been destroyed by marauding invaders. The remaining civilian population then took refuge inside
18094-408: The front building. The inner yard was decorated with trellises and sandstone slabs, and a garden replaced the place where the beer hall had been. It has not been remodelled since. In order to preserve the character of Beethoven's birthplace in its contemporary environment and to protect the building, the association bought the neighbouring house number 22 in 1893. After installing a fire protection wall,
18260-417: The guidance of mentors. The project ends with the first performance of their works. Since 2013, the Beethoven-Haus also organizes mentoring supported by Bonn Rotary Club and Foundation Arp e. V. Young musicologists and musicians have the chance to promote their academic or artistic studies. They stay in the Villa Wasmuth, get direct access to the sources and facilities of the Beethoven-Haus and are supported by
18426-675: The headquarters of the Deutsche Post called Post Tower (162.5 m or 533 ft) and the former building for the German members of parliament Langer Eugen (114.7 m or 376 ft) now the location of the UN Campus. Just as Bonn's other four major museums, the Haus der Geschichte or Museum of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany, is located on the so-called Museumsmeile ("Museum Mile") . The Haus der Geschichte
18592-404: The homepage of the Beethoven-Haus and can be accessed permanently. The garden of the Beethoven-Haus contains a collection of Beethoven busts dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The studio for digital collections where visitors see and read and partially even explore by listening all the digitised documents as well as manuscripts and first prints of compositions, letters and pictures
18758-415: The house into a memorial site. At the time, major parts of the building were still as they had been in the second half of the 18th century. In order to preserve spacious museum rooms, the floor plans of the main house were changed and an office for the association, plus a library and a flat for the janitor were installed. Construction changes in Beethoven's flat were limited to the stairs and the passageways to
18924-809: The international collaboration with research centres and other institutions dealing with Beethoven. Among the duties of the Beethoven-Haus, the oldest one is collecting documents related to Beethoven. Within the 120 years of its existence, the Beethoven-Haus has established the largest and most diverse Beethoven collection. It comprises more than 1,000 original manuscripts (sketch sheets and sketch booklets, autographs, Beethoven-revised copies, conversation booklets, around 700 letters) as well as composition prints annotated by Beethoven, music instruments, memorabilia and items from Beethoven's daily life. The art collection consists of more than 3,000 pictures, paintings, photographs and sculptures, featuring among others three-quarters of all authentic Beethoven portraits, like for example
19090-484: The last remnants of the medieval city wall. To date, Bonn's Roman fort remains the largest fort of its type known from the ancient world , i.e. a fort built to accommodate a full-strength Imperial Legion and its auxiliaries. The fort covered an area of approximately 250,000 square metres (62 acres). Between its walls it contained a dense grid of streets and a multitude of buildings, ranging from spacious headquarters and large officers' quarters to barracks , stables and
19256-418: The library grew significantly. Among the most important collections are the one from Hans Conrad Bodmer, a Swiss physician and Beethoven collector who bequeathed more than 850 items to the Beethoven-Haus in 1956 as well as the collection of Franz Gerhard Wegeler , friend and biographer of Beethoven. It consists of over 400 items that were handed over to the Beethoven-Haus as a permanent loan in 1998. Furthermore,
19422-401: The library is in possession of several bequests, for example from Anton Schindler , Theodor von Frimmel and Max Unger . With an inventory of almost 100,000 media units containing biographical data the Beethoven-Haus library is now the largest public Beethoven-related library. Its reading room and reference library are popular with users from all over the world who enjoy working and studying at
19588-456: The lifetime of the composer are given priority. The spectrum is complemented with editions by major editors or publishers, reviews, pocket scores and critical new editions from other publishing houses. Apart from Beethoven-related music items a collection featuring early prints of Beethoven's contemporary musicians is maintained. It also includes recordings of gramophone records and long-playing records, music tapes, CDs and Beethoven films. The focus
19754-420: The living conditions of that time. In the 20th century, the permanent exhibition was renewed several times. The original concept focused on a reconstruction of the house and on the display of a lot of items. When the rooms and the exhibition were refurbished and updated the last time in 1995 and 1996, the idea was to give visitors the opportunity to experience a step back in time when viewing the 150 exhibits from
19920-414: The mid-5th century. The structures themselves remained standing well into the Middle Ages , when they were called the Bonnburg. They were used by Frankish kings until they fell into disuse. Eventually, much of the building materials seem to have been re-used in the construction of Bonn's 13th-century city wall . The Sterntor [ de ] ( star gate ) in the city center is a reconstruction using
20086-453: The museum, the Beethoven-Haus aims at reaching children and teenagers. Children who play an instrument meet several times a year at the chamber music hall to study and perform adaptations of Beethoven compositions. There are also concerts for children and various educational projects for elementary schools. Each year around 1,000 elementary school children visit the "scenic school concerts". In the 2011 competition "Kinder zum Olymp!", organised by
20252-439: The new building and a safe ensure that the precious documents are stored adequately. Every month the museum displays an object of the month. The buildings next to the birthplace house the Beethoven archive, i.e. the scientific department of the institution. It was established on 26 March 1927 on the occasion of Beethoven's 100th anniversary as a foundation belonging to the Beethoven-Haus. Initially, it had its own administration and
20418-416: The new music room is that musicians use old and historic instruments from the time Beethoven was alive. Apart from the permanent exhibition the museum offers theme-related special exhibitions several times a year. These exhibitions are often linked to special events such as recent purchases or anniversaries. In 1998 the newly acquired Wegeler collection was presented. The 50th anniversary of the acquisition of
20584-477: The newly formed Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. However, the Bundestag, seated in Bonn's Bundeshaus , affirmed Berlin 's status as the German capital. Bonn was chosen as the provisional capital and seat of government despite the fact that Frankfurt already had most of the required facilities and using Bonn was estimated to be 95 million DM more expensive than using Frankfurt. Bonn was chosen because Adenauer and other prominent politicians intended to make Berlin
20750-484: The northern sub-district of Graurheindorf, the inland harbour of Bonn is used for container traffic as well as oversea transport. The annual turnover amounts to around 500,000 t (490,000 long tons; 550,000 short tons). Regular passenger transport occurs to Cologne and Düsseldorf. The head offices of Deutsche Telekom , its subsidiary Telekom Deutschland , Deutsche Post , German Academic Exchange Service , and SolarWorld are in Bonn. The third largest employer in
20916-538: The original document for study purposes. These documents were to be complemented by facsimile reproductions of all certificates relevant for Beethoven's biography and his work and by a collection of all material needed to study Beethoven's art and time. The Beethoven archive as a hub of the Beethoven research was also deemed to be useful for the general interest in art. The collection now comprises over 11,000 autographs, music sheet, letters, documents, music prints and other sources from more than 200 libraries and archives. It
21082-701: The people most influential for Beethoven's personal development and musical education. The relocation to Vienna is represented by the famous entry of Count Ferdinand Ernst von Waldstein in Beethoven's register, wishing Beethoven " Mozart 's spirit from Haydn 's hands" when taking lessons with Haydn in Vienna. (The original register is in Vienna). Twelve exhibition rooms illustrate Beethoven's early years as piano player and composer as well as his master compositions. On display are portraits of Beethoven's teachers Joseph Haydn, Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and Antonio Salieri ,
21248-562: The plan to publish a complete edition of the conversation booklets, however first the Prussian, then later the German State Library revoked that plan and published the edition themselves between 1968 and 2001. At the moment eleven volumes are available; the series has, however, not been completed yet. Publications stemming from the work of the Beethoven-Haus staff are published by the in-house publishing house. Many editions of
21414-417: The position. In 1984, he was followed by Sieghard Brandenburg , who has also been head of department since 1998 as part of the new director position at the Beethoven-Haus. From 2003 to 2006 Ernst Herttrich was in charge of the Beethoven archive. He was also head of the complete edition since 1990 and head of the Beethoven-Haus publishing house since 1998. Since 1 January 2007 until March 2015, Bernhard R. Appel
21580-599: The possession of the Beethoven-Haus association. The library primarily provides literature for the Beethoven-Haus and serves as a research library. To a lesser extent it is also an archive library with a proprietary source collection. The library's management is also responsible for indexing, the Digital Archive and the website of the Beethoven-Haus. As major collection items the library maintains original, first and early prints of compositions by Beethoven and other people from his environment, scientific literature published in form of essays or books, literature and magazines relating to
21746-470: The poster announcing Beethoven's first public performance in Cologne in 1778, the first printed composition from 1783 and a portrait of Beethoven's grandfather. Paintings of Beethoven's employers Elector Maximilian Friedrich von Königsegg-Rothenfels and Elector Maximilian Franz from Austria as well as his official viola illustrate Beethoven's activity as a member of the Bonn court band. The room connecting
21912-476: The printed editions of Beethoven compositions known at that time. Compositions discovered since then or yet unprinted pieces (compositions without opus number ) were not included in the old edition. Apart from that the entitlements to historic editions had changed. Delayed by the maelstrom of WW2 , the G. Henle publishing house published in 1961 the first volume of the New Beethoven Edition that
22078-424: The project tries to determine them more closely and bring them together at the Beethoven-Haus. Librarians and scientists contribute their knowledge and antiquarians and private collectors sell their books granting special conditions. By adopting books, friends of the Beethoven-Haus can also support the endeavour. In order to let Beethoven's original instruments not only be heard in concerts, the Beethoven-Haus started
22244-528: The proprietary collection of the Beethoven Haus. Portraits, manuscripts, sheet music printouts, instruments and items of everyday life give an insight into Beethoven's life and work. For Beethoven's 250th birthday in 2020, the exhibition was extended and renovated. Opened on 17 December 2019, the design by the Holzer Kobler architect firm and Studio TheGreenEyl and Lichtvision Design gave visitors
22410-622: The public. Due to other tasks, the review was at first postponed but was started anew in 1953 under the direction of Joseph Schmidt-Görg and has since been continued by his successors. The publishing house not only publishes composition manuscripts and original editions such as the Waldstein Sonata (op. 53), songs based on texts by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe or the Six bagatelles for piano (op. 126) but also written documents like letters (to, e.g. Josephine Countess Deym, née. v. Brunsvik , or to
22576-513: The recipient to explore the composer. Their intention was to acquire the house and maintain it as a memorial site. They paid 57,000 mark for the house; the refurbishing costs amounted to additional 24,000 mark. To support their project the founding members gained a number of famous people as honorary members, among them politicians, artists and scientists. Examples include Reich Chancellor von Bismarck , Count von Moltke , Johannes Brahms , Clara Schumann , Max Bruch , and Giuseppe Verdi . By 1890,
22742-492: The research on Beethoven and research-related topics. Among the publications are several books about the composer's family and his dwellings, the reception of Beethoven compositions in France and the influence Beethoven had on the reception of early music. Other books deal with specific compositions, genres or interpretation issues. Today, the publishing house serves as a department of the Beethoven-Haus and publishes literature about
22908-466: The residence of Beethoven's godmother Anna Gertrud Baum, née Müller. The family grew quickly. However, out of the seven children only Ludwig and two brothers survived: Kaspar Anton Karl (1774–1815) and Nikolaus Johann (1776–1848). Around 1774 the Beethoven family moved into the house Zum Walfisch owned by baker Fischer at Rheingasse no. 24. Ludwig van Beethoven's father and grandfather had temporarily lived here, too. The family made its living by working for
23074-572: The same, and now in 2020 Beethoven – Perspectives ) are also presented by exhibition for the public. For some years now exhibitions accompanying the Bonn Beethoven festival have been organised. In 2009, under the motto "The power of music" theatre and concert shows relating to Beethoven performances held at the Bandō prisoner-of-war camp for German soldiers in Japan were performed, whereas in 2010
23240-525: The seat of government to move to Berlin, others advocated leaving it in Bonn – a situation roughly analogous to that of the Netherlands , where Amsterdam is the capital but The Hague is the seat of government. Berlin's previous history as united Germany's capital was strongly connected with the German Empire , the Weimar Republic and more ominously with both Nazi Germany and Prussia . It
23406-409: The second chamber music festival, the Beethoven-Haus was opened as a memorial site and museum for Beethoven's life, work and impact. The statute from 1896 describes its purposes as follows: Maintain the memory of Ludwig van Beethoven by means of a museum and a collection, events, musical performances, prizes and scholarships, as well as Beethoven-Haus publications. In the following decades the association
23572-423: The second floor visitors get the opportunity to experience and listen to five significant early works from Beethoven in the new sound room. The nucleus of the exhibition is the so-called birth room, the presumable parent's bedroom, which, compared to the old design appears in a new, more modern character. Visitors are now allowed to step into the room which is equipped with a large mirror. Sheet material of Beethoven
23738-449: The series in 1972. The latest sketch edition volume was published in 2011. Under the direction of Sieghard Brandenburg the work on the initially planned complete edition of Beethoven's written correspondence was finally started. As Beethoven's handwriting is oftentimes hard to decipher and as the preserved letters are spread all over the world, this task constituted a particularly challenging endeavour. The six volumes (Letters 1783–1827) and
23904-665: The social and political situation at that time and so on. It is recommended by the German central institution for political education for schools. As described in its statute, the Beethoven-Haus fulfils the following purposes: collection and maintenance of manuscripts, pictures, original editions, early prints and publications related to Beethoven and his cultural environment; promotion of the Beethoven research by means of research projects, publications, congresses; organisation of exhibitions and museum-related events, production and distribution of publications and recordings of Beethoven compositions; support of musical performances and promotion of
24070-546: The south of the Cologne lowland in the Rhine valley, Bonn is in one of Germany's warmest regions. The Bonn weather station has recorded the following extreme values: The history of the city dates back to Roman times. In about 12 BC, the Roman army appears to have stationed a small unit in what is presently the historical centre of the city. Even earlier, the army had resettled members of a Germanic tribal group allied with Rome,
24236-636: The spa quarter of Bad Godesberg . In addition he was a patron of the young Ludwig van Beethoven , who was born in Bonn in 1770; the elector financed the composer's first journey to Vienna . In 1794, the city was seized by French troops, becoming a part of the First French Empire . In 1815 following the Napoleonic Wars , Bonn became part of the Kingdom of Prussia . Administered within the Prussian Rhine Province ,
24402-676: The staff and even the honorary members of the Beethoven-Haus Society. Among the mentees were chamber music ensembles as the Elias String Quartet (2013) and the Trio Rafaele (2015), soloists as the pianists Sunwook Kim (2013), Rafael Lipstein and Olga Pashchenko (2014), Karim Said (2015) and the cellist Jonas Palm (2015) so far. Furthermore, the Swiss musicologist Dominique Ehrenbaum could intensify his studies about fugues in Beethoven's late work (2013). In January 2014
24568-577: The string quartet instruments provided by Prince Karl von Lichnowsky , a patron of Beethoven during the first years in Vienna (on permanent loan from the State Institute for Music Research, Prussian Cultural Heritage, Berlin), Beethoven's last instrument, the pianoforte from Conrad Graf, and selected composition editions. Portraits of the composer in various stages of his life, the famous bust from Vienna sculptor Franz Klein (1779–1840), Josef Danhauser 's lithography "Beethoven on his deathbed" and
24734-478: The students have access to the corresponding manuscripts, can discuss themes on philology, music history and performance techniques with the staff of the Beethoven-Haus and can obtain advice on how to interpret Beethoven's compositions. Since 2013 the Beethoven-Haus uses the Villa Wasmuth, former residence of the art collector Johannes Wasmuth (1936–1997) in Rolandswerth (Rolandseck, Rhineland) and now owned by
24900-544: The term "blackamoor" became a negative stereotype at the latest due to enslavement and colonialism and cannot be separated from this context historically. At first used as an apartment building, in 1927 the newly founded Beethoven archive moved in Bonngasse 18. In the mid-1930s both houses were extensively renovated. Both buildings including its front were declared a historic monument in 1985. The Beethoven-Haus survived both World Wars almost unscathed. In World War II , senior building officer Theodor Wildemann, who later served as
25066-530: The votes of the eastern German legislators tipped the balance in favour of Berlin. From 1990 to 1999, Bonn served as the seat of government of reunited Germany. In recognition of its former status as German capital, it holds the name of Federal City (German: Bundesstadt ). Bonn currently shares the status of Germany's seat of government with Berlin, with the President , the Chancellor and many government ministries (such as Food & Agriculture and Defence ) maintaining large presences in Bonn. Over 8,000 of
25232-648: The weekends. Bonn is part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg ( Rhine-Sieg Transport Association ) which is the public transport association covering the area of the Cologne/Bonn Region . Four Autobahns run through or are adjacent to Bonn: the A59 (right bank of the Rhine, connecting Bonn with Düsseldorf and Duisburg ), the A555 (left bank of the Rhine , connecting Bonn with Cologne),
25398-408: The world. The museum includes two formerly separate buildings: the front building and the annex toward the garden where the composer spent the first years of his life. When setting up the buildings as a museum, they were connected. The rambling rooms with their low ceilings, the creaking stairs in the back building and the wooden floors in the listed building of the 18th century convey an impression of
25564-436: Was begun in 1959. Until today it is the archive's most important scientific project. 56 volumes, divided into composition categories and instrumentation, are planned. The edition elaborated by the scientific staff of the Beethoven archive and internationally renowned music scientists is to identify the sheet music Beethoven intended but that is not always available in a clear form by comparing authentic sources, by justifying it in
25730-424: Was built on the property behind the house. Five families temporarily lived in the multi-storey front and back buildings. Three tailors and one shoemaker also had their shops here. In 1836 the entrance door was widened and replaced with a gate entrance. After the back part of the house was identified as Beethoven's birthplace around 1840 by Beethoven's friend Franz Gerhard Wegeler , a physician, and Carl Moritz Kneisel,
25896-492: Was closely related to the University of Bonn . Bonn music scientist Ludwig Schiedermair was initiator, founding member and served as director until 1945. Between 1945 and 1972 he was succeeded by Joseph Schmidt-Görg and Günther Massenkeil (1972–1974, as interim until 1976). All three were also professors at the seminar for the science of music. From 1976 until he went to the University of Göttingen Martin Staehelin held
26062-524: Was elected Lord Mayor of Bonn in September 2020, she resigned as a member of parliament after her entry into office. Beethoven's birthplace is located in Bonngasse near the market place. Next to the market place is the Old City Hall, built in 1737 in Rococo style, under the rule of Clemens August of Bavaria . It is used for receptions of guests of the city, and as an office for the mayor. Nearby
26228-485: Was established on 7 September 1951 by the decree of Federal President Theodor Heuss . Signed by Heuss, German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer , and Minister of the Interior Robert Lehr , the decree states: Desiring to visibly express recognition and gratitude to deserving men and women of the German people and of foreign countries, on the second anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany, I establish
26394-686: Was felt that a new peacefully united Germany should not be governed from a city connected to such overtones of war. Additionally, Bonn was closer to Brussels , headquarters of the European Economic Community . Former West German chancellor and mayor of West Berlin Willy Brandt caused considerable offence to the Western Allies during the debate by stating that France would not have kept the seat of government at Vichy after Liberation. The heated debate that resulted
26560-456: Was head of archive and publishing house. He is followed by Christine Siegert. The purpose of the Beethoven archive was mainly to create a centre for documentation on Beethoven's life, compositions and cultural environment. In order to reach that aim, a comprehensive Beethoven library was to be established along with all original editions of Beethoven's compositions and all preserved music manuscripts as photographic reproductions suitable to replace
26726-554: Was not interested in maintaining Beethoven's birthplace in 1888, twelve art-loving citizens and pensioners of Bonn founded the Beethoven-Haus association on 24 February 1889 (former legal form) and acquired the property to turn it into a memorial. They aimed not only at reconstructing the birthplace "as it was when Beethoven was young" but also at setting up a collection comprising all his compositions as manuscripts and printed editions, his letters, pictures and other beloved items as well as all literature about him, i.e. everything that allows
26892-409: Was quite busy organising chamber music festivals (30 festivals until 1956) and establishing the collection. In order to complement the museum- and music-related activities, the research on Beethoven was gradually intensified. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Beethoven's birthday in 1920 the association started a proprietary series of scientific publications. In 1927, on the 100th anniversary of
27058-552: Was settled by the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) only on 20 June 1991. By a vote of 338–320, the Bundestag voted to move the seat of government to Berlin. The vote broke largely along regional lines, with legislators from the south and west favouring Bonn and legislators from the north and east voting for Berlin. It also broke along generational lines as well; older legislators with memories of Berlin's past glory favoured Berlin, while younger legislators favoured Bonn. Ultimately,
27224-503: Was subject to a major bombardment during the Siege of Bonn in 1689. Bonn was then returned to Cologne where it remained the capital at the Peace of Ryswick . The elector Clemens August (ruled 1723–1761) ordered the construction of a series of Baroque buildings which still give the city its character. Another memorable ruler was Max Franz (ruled 1784–1794), who founded the university and
27390-545: Was the capital city of the Electorate of Cologne from 1597 to 1794, residence of the Archbishops and Prince-electors of Cologne . From 1949 to 1990, Bonn was the capital of West Germany . The era when Bonn served as the capital of West Germany is referred to by historians as the Bonn Republic . Due to a political compromise ( Berlin-Bonn Act ) following the reunification, the German federal government maintains
27556-402: Was turned into a legal entity in 1896. It comprises the general meeting of its members and the voluntary board of directors. In line with its tradition the board of directors includes between 5 and 12 persons selected by the members. The chairman, secretary, and treasurer, and the director of the Beethoven-House as chief executive officer, are also members of the board of directors. The director of
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