Isn't Beethoven Beethoven?

Ning Zhang

A recent scientific research report has gained widespread attention on various news platforms, and it would not be an overstatement to describe it as a sensation. The research was focused on the iconic music composer Beethoven, whose genetic material was extracted from a few strands of his hair by scientists at Cambridge University. With two-thirds of his genome successfully decoded, this achievement represents a significant milestone and an invaluable step towards the goal of "Copying Beethoven".

Regrettably, the objective of this scientific research was not to recreate Beethoven, but rather to gather and analyze information about his health status, pathological indicators, and hereditary family history during his lifetime. The research produced diverse and extensive results, including the confirmation of the authenticity of his hair, evidence of alcohol poisoning, identification of genetic factors related to liver disease and traces of hepatitis B virus, the dismissal of the previous hypothesis of lead poisoning, refutation of rumors regarding syphilis infection, exclusion of the American-originated hypothesis of African ancestry, and the cause of his deafness still remains unknown, with his cause of death yet to be determined. However, the most significant discovery to emerge from this research is a shocking gossip - Beethoven was not actually Beethoven! What? Beethoven was not Beethoven? What does "not" mean here? And what does "Beethoven" mean here?

The research paper, titled "Genomic Analyses of Hair from Ludwig van Beethoven," was published in the English journal Current Biology. Upon perusing it, I found it to be extremely technical and specialized, making it difficult for me to fully comprehend. Nonetheless, I endeavored to summarize the century's findings as concisely as possible, while taking into consideration multiple news reports.

In Beethoven's country of origin, the Dutch Republic, which is now modern-day Belgium, a research team discovered five men who share the surname "Beethoven" but are not closely related (I will refer to them as the "Modern Beethoven Five" or MBF). According to their genealogy, they all have a common ancestor named Aert van Beethoven (1535-1609), who is also the 7th ancestor of the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven ("Ludwig"). The researchers confirmed that the MBF all share the same Y chromosome, which is inherited from father to son and is useful for tracing family lineage. However, they were surprised to find that Ludwig's Y chromosome did not match that of the MBF. After analyzing the results, scientists concluded that Ludwig and the MBF do not share a biological common ancestor. It appears that at least one of Ludwig's paternal ancestors, spanning seven generations from Johann (Ludwig's father) to Aert, had a son who was born out of wedlock and conceived through extra-pair paternity (EPP). Despite the biological father not being the woman's husband, the child was given the Beethoven surname, which altered the Y chromosome of the offspring, including Ludwig. As a result, Beethoven's lineage may not be directly related to the Beethoven family name. Therefore, it seems that Beethoven is not Beethoven after all!

Is it convoluted? The explanation is easy to understand?

Sensational! Beethoven was not Beethoven; the biological Beethoven was not the legal Beethoven, but instead the descendant of an unknown man. This unbelievable conclusion is really difficult for the majority of Beethoven enthusiasts to accept. Although a person's name is just a borrowed symbol, the symbol of Beethoven is too famous and shining in the past and present. This is a historical monument of people's admiration and love for the ages, one of the few cultural totems of mankind. How could such a revered name be altered, and we don't even know what it would be changed to? We are not happy and refuse to accept any modification to his name.

Wait, let's put aside the entanglement of depression and not surrender the battlefield without a fight. It is hasty for scientists to draw a conclusion that is by no means flawless. Therefore, I personally would like to take up the challenge and begin with MBF. The paper titled "Genomic Analyses of Hair from Ludwig van Beethoven" introduces MBF as follows: "The five living men belonging to the Van Beethoven patrilineage are only distantly interrelated genealogically but have matching Y chromosome haplogroups, consistent with descent from the common patrilineal 16th century ancestor Aert van Beethoven, also identifiable as such from genealogical data. Genealogical data also identify Aert as ancestral to Ludwig van Beethoven."(1)

The statement "consistent with descent from the common patrilineal 16th century ancestor Aert van Beethoven" does not seem to be a precise scientific term as scientists cannot have access to Aert's biological genes from four to five hundred years ago. The relationship between MBF and Aert can only be determined through genealogy, similar to the relationship between Ludwig and Aert. The research team did not provide a detailed family tree of MBF, which could be considered a flaw and insufficiently rigorous. To analyze this further, according to the genealogy website WikiTree, Aert had two marriages in his lifetime, with Josyne van Vlesselaer and Petronella Geerts as his wives, respectively. From his first marriage, Aert had a son named Hendrik, who passed down to the branch of Ludwig, while his second son, Joannes, from his second marriage, is not part of Ludwig's branch. Thus, the question arises whether MBF belongs to the Hendrik or Joannes lineage. There are three possibilities to consider:

1. MBF are descendants of the Hendrik and Joannes families, respectively. Although they take different paths, their Y chromosomes ultimately lead back to the same ancestor, Aert. This near-complete chain of evidence supports the scientific conclusion that Ludwig is not a direct descendant of Aert. I cannot think of any reasonable doubts that can be used to defend him, except for questioning the authenticity of the genealogy or even the integrity of the scientists who conducted the research. However, such questioning is baseless and should not be taken seriously.

2. MBF are all descended from the Joannes line rather than Hendrik's line, then there may be something interesting: if, for example, Joannes, who was the son of Aert's second wife Petronella Geerts, was not actually fathered by Aert but by someone else as an EPP, then it would be MBF, not Ludwig, who is not a true Beethoven descendant. This same assumption can be applied to the descendants of Joannes and beyond. Interested readers can explore this on their own. If we want to reach the conclusion that "Ludwig is not Beethoven," we must rule out this possibility. It is the responsibility of the scientists involved to take this matter seriously and avoid any careless mistakes. On a Beethoven-related website, I came across this statement: "It was this remarriage of Aert which created the Van Beethoven’s family tree from which we descend." (2) But which Van Beethoven genealogy was created? Does it include the lineage of Hendrik, the son of Aert's original spouse? And who exactly is the "we" that inherited this genealogy? I am not certain about these details, so I hope to throw a sprat to catch a mackerel.

3. MBF are all descended from the Hendrik line, which presents a challenge for Ludwig to maintain his Beethoven surname, although not entirely impossible. The EPP hypothesis can also be applied to the Hendrik family, meaning that a certain wife from a Hendrik branch other than Ludwig's direct line gave birth to an illegitimate son, and coincidentally, all of the MBF are descendants of this illegitimate child. While this possibility may seem improbable, it cannot be entirely discounted. Given that Aert's family tree spans over 400 years and more than a dozen generations, anything is possible.

This matter is of great importance. A DNA testing team consisting only of members from MBF is insufficient if we wish to fully prove that "Beethoven is not Beethoven." At least a dozen testers are required. The research team explained that they chose MBF to authenticate Ludwig's hair, not to prove that Ludwig is not Beethoven. The discovery that Ludwig's Y chromosome did not match that of MBF was entirely unexpected - What you said only gave yourself away. This "surprise" has made you unable to stop thinking about it, hasn't it? It is suggested that, in future DNA tests, the detailed family trees of every modern Beethoven family member participating in the test should be made public to allow for cross-checking and multiple reviews.

Scientists have also begun to work on Ludwig's immediate family. "Autosomal testing and analysis were also performed on three living descendants of Beethoven’s nephew, Karl van Beethoven, the son of Beethoven’s brother (Kasper Anton Karl). These results were inconclusive, unable to determine whether Karl’s father and Ludwig were full or half-siblings."(3) It is unclear where these descendants were found, but they were likely the descendants of Karl's four daughters who no longer carry the surname, Beethoven. This inability to determine full or half-sibling status is due to the fact that women do not have the Y chromosome. As a result, it seems that this test did not provide much insight into Ludwig's lineage. The scientific team conducting this test supposedly intended to discover whether Ludwig and Kasper Anton Karl were half-brothers, possibly due to a suspicion that their mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich, had an affair. Ludwig's poor mother has been suspected of infidelity for centuries; she can't wash it out even by jumping into the Rhine.

Ludwig's grandfather, Lodewijk, had a son named Johann who, in turn, had three sons: Ludwig, Kasper Anton Karl, and Nikolaus Johann. Ludwig did not have any sons, but he may have a daughter. Nikolaus Johann did not have any children, and Kasper Anton Karl had only one son named Karl. Karl had four daughters and one son named Ludwig Johann van Beethoven. Unfortunately, after Ludwig Johann van Beethoven's own son, Karl Julius Maria van Beethoven, died in 1917, the Beethoven family line of Lodewijk became extinct, which is a great loss for the family and for Beethoven enthusiasts. Those who are interested in learning more about this can refer to the article "How the Beethoven family died out?"(4) for additional information.

In fact, the claim that "Beethoven is not a Beethoven" is not a recent development. Rumors that Ludwig did not belong to the Beethoven family have circulated for a long time, both during his lifetime and after. During his lifetime, it was rumored throughout much of Europe that Ludwig's biological father was not Johann, but rather Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia. Even Ludwig himself did not deny this rumor, and the temptation of being a prince may have been too great to resist. For more information on this, please see my article "Not a Blade, but a Flame: Beethoven, Counterrevolutionary." Since his death, some have suggested that the issue may actually lie with Ludwig's grandmother, Maria Josepha Poll. This suspicion is based solely on the fact that she suffered from alcoholism and had a troubled relationship with her husband, Lodewijk. Additionally, her son Johann has no record of being baptized, which would suggest that Johann is not a true Beethoven. If Johann is not a Beethoven, then Ludwig certainly cannot be one either. However, both Johann and Ludwig were known to be heavy drinkers, with Johann being particularly out of control and Ludwig being more restrained. Is it possible that this trait was inherited maternally? To determine whether Johann is truly Lodewijk's biological son and whether Ludwig is Johann's biological son, there is a feasible way: excavating the graves of relevant deceased individuals to obtain DNA for comparison testing. We already have Ludwig's DNA, so our attention naturally turns to Johann and Lodewijk.

When discussing the Beethoven family graves, it is important to note that there is a wealth of information available online, but it is often difficult to verify and contradictory, with no consensus reached. Currently, limited information suggests that Ludwig's grandfather, Lodewijk, may have been buried in the Old Cemetery (Alter Friedhof) in his hometown of Bonn, while his father, Johann, may have been buried in the Duisdorf district of Bonn. However, it is more certain that Ludwig's mother, Maria Magdalena, was buried in the Old Cemetery, according to an exciting report: "The grave of Maria Magdalena was sold in 1826. All record of it vanished and the exact location was forgotten. It was rediscovered in 1932. The Beethoven House Society donated the headstone with the quotation by Ludwig." Ludwig's quote about his mother reads: "She was to me such a good loving mother, my best friend."(5) It should be noted that this report has not been confirmed by the Old Cemetery website. It is unfortunate that the couple rests in different cemeteries, and even more so that the headstones of the grandfather and father no longer exist, making the specific locations of their graves unknown, and their remains missing. Nevertheless, this is a good thing, as it allows the deceased to rest in peace without disturbance from modern society. Beethoven remains the biggest brand and pride of Bonn, and in the last century, two cemeteries erected plaques in memory of his three closest relatives. Ludwig's surviving kin include his brothers Kasper Anton Karl and Nikolaus Johann, and his nephew Karl. It is known that the graves of Nikolaus Johann in Linz, and Kasper Anton Karl and Karl in Vienna still stand, and their exact locations are traceable. However, exhuming graves is subject to local laws and social morality, making specific implementation difficult.

Speaking of exhumation, it is worth mentioning another potentially significant figure in Ludwig's life: Minona von Stackelberg. There is speculation that Minona was Ludwig's illegitimate daughter with his "Immortal Beloved," Josephine von Brunswick. I have delved into this topic extensively in my article, "Birds of a Feather: Exploring Beethoven's 'Immortal Beloved.'" Please excuse me for not restating it here to avoid digressing too much from the current topic. Some ardent Beethoven enthusiasts have proposed DNA testing to determine conclusively whether Minona is biologically related to Ludwig. However, several technical issues have prevented this from happening. Minona lived to be almost 84 years old, never married and was buried in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Wiener Zentralfriedhof). She is resting in the same cemetery as her possible biological father. However, it is unclear whether her remains can still be found as the grave marker reportedly no longer exists, and there is no indication of a tombstone cover. As I conclude this passage, a sense of poignancy envelops me.

There is a significant and important question that warrants serious consideration: as modern individuals, do we have the right and obligation to expend effort in tracing the lineage of historical figures? While investigating whether Ludwig had any offspring may be of some value, what historical or practical significance does performing paternity tests on the three generations from Lodewijk to Ludwig hold? With Pandora's Box now opened, how should this continue, and how should it end? Beethoven has been thrust into the forefront this time, but who will be next? If historical and cultural figures require identity verification, isn't it even more critical to use modern high-tech methods to establish the purity of royal bloodlines that have been passed down for hundreds of years in Europe and the Middle East? After all, those golden caves are the hardest hit by extramarital affairs.

Returning to the topic. These scientists are really awesome. Without conclusively proving that "Beethoven is not Beethoven", the search for the real Beethoven has been launched. The following news comes as another shock: "The research team used the genetic Y chromosome profile obtained from Ludwig's hair to identify potential patrilineal relatives in the FamilyTreeDNA database. These potential relatives had already taken a DNA test on a small section of their Y-DNA and the researchers offered them a free upgrade in order to have a more in-depth test done. Six of the participating customers were found to share patrilineal ancestry with Ludwig van Beethoven."(6) "The new information regarding Beethoven's Y-DNA and mtDNA has been added to the FamilyTreeDNA database. Customers may be able to find Beethoven in their match list, as well as explore his Y-DNA haplogroup within Discover. Customers who would like to aid in this research are able to upgrade their Y-DNA tests to provide more refined haplogroups and SNPs related to the composer's haplogroup. The more information available for review, the closer we are to finding the truth about Beethoven's cause of death and genetic paternal lineage."(7) Ludwig's genetic information has already been uploaded to an online DNA database, allowing anyone to compare their DNA to his and determine whether they are distant or close relatives of the musical genius. This is great news for those interested in family history. With the growing popularity of DNA ancestral identification technology, soon everyone will have the opportunity to discover and take pride in their prosperous ancestors. However, perhaps to exercise caution or to gradually expose information for a better effect, scientists have not provided key personal information about the six customers who share a paternal lineage with Ludwig, such as family surnames and genealogy, but they do reveal that these people have different surnames, which seems peculiar. While the paternity test is ongoing, Beethoven remains Beethoven for the time being, but we don't know how long the situation will last. In truth, there is no such thing as "for the time being" or "how long" in this matter, as now is permanent. As lovers of Beethoven, the scientific verdict holds little significance for us because, in our hearts, God is always God! Beethoven is always Beethoven!

Not a postscript's postscript

Because it is added at the end, it could be considered as a postscript; because the content is not insignificant, it shouldn't be considered a postscript. As I neared the end of the article, I conducted a thorough review, which revealed an issue. What was initially perceived as a loophole—the research team did not provide a detailed family tree of MBF—turns out not to be a loophole. Further investigation revealed that the genealogy of the MBF was provided in a supplemental document (S1P). While not exhaustive, it included sufficient detail and new information. I must apologize to the scientists involved, as it was not a matter of their lack of rigor but my own oversight. However, I really wish it had been the scientists who lacked rigor. Now let's examine the Beethoven family genealogy more closely: Aert, the family's ancestor, had two marriages in his lifetime: to Josyne and Petronella, respectively. His first marriage produced his eldest son, Hendrik, and his second son, Lambert (not listed on WikiTree). Hendrik is Ludwig's sixth direct ancestor, born almost exactly two hundred years before Ludwig. Jan, Aert's third son, was born in his second marriage. The three individuals in the MBF come from the lineage of Lambert, while the other two come from Jan's lineage. None of them are descended from Hendrik's lineage, which is the one that leads to Ludwig. However, all five individuals share the same Y chromosome, proving their descent from Aert. It is unlikely that the Lambert and Jan branches both had extrapair paternity involving the same unrelated man. However, to ensure greater accuracy, it would be advisable to include the descendants of Hendrik's lineage in the testing group of "Modern Beethoven." Again, it is worth questioning the value and significance of verifying Ludwig's lineage at such great expense and effort. Regardless, the three possibilities proposed earlier have lost their original intent. While I may not have the energy to make major changes, I will leave this section as is. It serves as a reflection and a way to showcase the work that has been done, even though it may ultimately be fruitless. Thanks to an extramarital affair involving a paternal ancestor's spouse, Ludwig was born into the Beethoven family and grew into a towering figure, leaving behind an eternal legacy of greatness. There's no doubt that this is the most understandable, forgivable, splendid, magnificent, and wonderful extramarital affair in human history!


References：

(1) "Genomic Analyses of Hair from Ludwig van Beethoven", P9, (https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(23)00181-1)
(2) https://debeethovencatalogus.wordpress.com/tijdlijn/
(3) New DNA Analysis Uncovers Mysteries Around Beethoven’s Paternal Line (https://blog.familytreedna.com/beethoven-first-dna-test/)
(4) https://www.popularbeethoven.com/how-the-beethoven-family-died-out/
(5) Maria van Beethoven Grave, Bonn (https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/maria-van-beethoven-grave-51396.html)
(6) DNA testing finds Ludwig van Beethoven ‘wasn’t really a Beethoven’ (https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/ludwig-van-beethoven-dna/)
(7) FamilyTreeDNA Works With Cambridge University Team To Uncover New Health and Genetic Information About Beethoven (https://blog.familytreedna.com/new-beethoven-study/)

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