BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Friday, September 7, 1821

Beethoven’s health, while better, is still below par even for him. As a result, his doctor, Jakob Staudenheim recommends that he go to Baden bei Wien (not to be confused with the more famous Baden-Baden in Baden-Württemberg, Germany), about 26 km south of Vienna, for the baths and spa there. The town had been largely been destroyed by a fire in 1812. Beethoven had learned of this disaster while in Karlsbad that summer, and organized a charity concert for the reconstruction. Baden bei Wien is not entirely recovered and still rebuilding at this point.

On this date, Beethoven arrives in Baden, and moves into the house at Rathausgasse 94 (now number 10). Beethoven’s landlord there, Johann Beyer, was a coppersmith, and thus the building is today known as the Kupferschmiedhaus, or Coppersmith’s House. The building, one of the oldest in the city, still survives and can be seen here. It has served as a Beethoven museum since 2014.

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Beethoven’s rooms were on the first floor (second floor American), facing the street, divided into an anteroom, bedroom and study.

The change does Beethoven good, and his condition at last begins improving almost immediately. Beethoven will stay in these same rooms over the next two summers as well. The date is known from a letter Beethoven writes on September 27, when he specifically identifies September 7 as his arrival date in Baden.