BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, December 28, 1822

Today, the Royal Swedish Academy in Stockholm names Beethoven to an honorary membership. The same honor had been similarly conferred on Beethoven’s teachers, Haydn, Salieri and Albrechtsberger, in 1799. The engraved diploma sent to Beethoven announcing this honor was once held by the Stadt- und Landesbibliothek in Vienna, but like some other Beethoven manuscripts and documents once found at that library, it seems to currently be lost or pilfered.

The consent of the Austrian government is required before Beethoven can accept this honor, and that for some reason takes several months. Although Beethoven typically disdained honors, he was quite proud of this distinction and arranged for it to be announced in multiple Vienna newspapers once the approval was obtained.

Albrecht, Letters to Beethoven 301.