On 17 July 2022, the anniversary of the death of Beethoven’s mother, the “Bürger für Beethoven” of Bonn, together with representatives of the “Mutter‑Beethoven‑Haus” of Koblenz, laid a wreath on the grave of Maria Magdalena van Beethoven, née Keverich, at the Alten Friedhof in Bonn at 11:00 a.m. Afterwards, Caroline Steiner, cellist of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, performed the Suite No. V in C minor BWV 1011 for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach. At the same time, the two Beethoven associations agreed on closer cooperation.
The sponsoring associations “Bürger für Beethoven” of Bonn and “Mutter‑Beethoven‑Haus” of Koblenz agreed on closer collaboration during a meeting in Bonn. The occasion was the 235th anniversary of the death of Beethoven’s mother, Maria Magdalena van Beethoven, née Keverich, which occurred on 17 July. She is buried in the Alten Friedhof in Bonn. The gravestone had been restored by the City of Bonn in 2020 at the insistence of the “Bürger für Beethoven”. Members of both associations laid a wreath. Afterwards, the life of Maria Magdalena van Beethoven was honoured with a concert held in the cemetery chapel. The cellist of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Caroline Steiner, provided the music.
“The sponsors of the Mother‑Beethoven‑House in Koblenz‑Ehrenbreitstein are grateful to have been able to attend the anniversary of the death of Maria Magdalena van Beethoven, née Keverich. We wish to strengthen further our cooperation with the ‘Bürger für Beethoven’ of Bonn in the interest of the aims of our association,” said the chairman of the Koblenz association, Kai‑Thomas Willig. On behalf of the “Bürger für Beethoven”, their chairman Stephan Eisel added that they are now also reciprocal members of the ‘sister association’: “Beethoven’s mother played a central role for the great composer, even though she died when he was only sixteen. At the time he called her his ‘beste Freundin’ — his ‘best friend’.”
Maria Magdalena Keverich — usually called “Lenchen” — originally from Ehrenbreitstein, had married the Bonn court musician Johann van Beethoven on 12 November 1767 in the Remigius Church in Bonn. They had met through the Koblenz court musician Johann Konrad Rovantini, who had joined the Bonn court orchestra in 1764 and was married to a cousin of Beethoven’s mother. The woman had already been widowed at the age of eighteen after a brief marriage to a much older personal valet in Koblenz. After the wedding, the Beethovens moved to Bonngasse, where in 1770 their son Ludwig was born. Maria Magdalena and Johann van Beethoven had seven children in total, three of whom reached adulthood. Beethoven’s mother died of consumption on 17 July 1787.
She was born on 19 December 1746 in Ehrenbreitstein and grew up there. Since 1975, a museum has been established in her birthplace in Ehrenbreitstein.
