The houses of Beethoven.
During his Viennese sojourn Beethoven changed dwelling, within the city, at least thirty times. These frequent changes of residence created for the Master several problems, which added themselves to his continual domestic concerns. Beginning in 1804, his letters inform rather extensively on all this: the search for a suitable house, the cost of rent, repairs, removals, disputes with landlords or with neighbours with whom he often quarrelled, reasons for dissatisfaction with a given lodging, and so forth. What the reason for these continual changes may have been is not clear. “One of Beethoven’s most curious manias,” Seyfried wrote, “was that of changing house; the move naturally entailed no few problems, because Beethoven had to bring everything with him [piano included, of course], and often lost things. As soon as he had taken possession of a new apartment he immediately found that something was not right, and then he at once set about searching for another.”
In seeking a new dwelling he had rather clear ideas and certain requirements. For example, he desired houses whose windows faced south, onto the open spaces which, in the period during which he lived in Vienna, surrounded the city immediately outside the walls. This was the so‑called Glacis. On the other hand Beethoven, besides the thirty urban dwellings, lodged in at least another thirty houses immediately outside the walls of Vienna, in places of summer retreat or of spa treatments, and in some inns. Indeed from 1802 it was his habit to go spend the summer, until the beginning of autumn, in the countryside. And naturally in these houses as well he brought his piano. But, curiously enough, in his letters one does not find complaints concerning the transport of his instrument from one house to another, and yet at times his rooms were at the top of steep flights of stairs. He must certainly have been continually concerned about the transport of the piano, if in a letter of the summer of 1803, from Oberdöbling, he writes to Ferdinand Ries [K.77], asking him to go to Mattheus Andreas Stein, the son of Johann Andreas, who had opened his own piano factory, and to ask him to have an instrument sent there, adding: “I am afraid to have mine transported here.”
The places habitually frequented in summer were Heiligenstadt, Döbling, Hetzendorf, Baden, Mödling, which in his time were small clusters of houses or small rural villages, but which today have become suburbs of the city that has wholly or almost wholly absorbed them. In the years 1811 and 1812 he chose for his summer stays the spa towns of Teplitz, Karlsbad, and Franzesbad. All this must have had a certain weight upon his finances, because Beethoven, in certain periods of the year, found himself renting two houses simultaneously, the summer one and the Viennese one. In the years 1816–1817 and 1819–1820, moreover, he even had a simultaneous second accommodation in Vienna, once at the inn “Zum Römischen Kaiser”.
Certain stages of this domestic pilgrimage of his deserve to be recalled. Upon his arrival in Vienna, in November 1792, Beethoven lodged in an attic in the district of Alsergrund, immediately outside the city walls, at number 45 of the Alserstrasse, corresponding to today’s number 30 of the same street. After a couple of months he moved to a small lodging on the ground floor of the same building, where he remained from January 1793 to the summer of 1794; he then moved to the first floor of the same building, as a guest of Prince Lichnowsky, who had his city residence there, where he remained until the spring of 1795. This house deserves to be remembered for various reasons. First of all because, after he left it, his pilgrimage from one house to another began, with stays usually of only a few months. The only exceptions were the lodging on the Mölkerbastei, owned by Baron Pasqualati, where he lived repeatedly, for rather long periods, though with the usual summer flights and some interruptions, from October 1804 to the spring of 1815; and the house on the Glacis, Alsergrund 200, the Altes Schwarzspanierhaus, where he lived from October 1825 until his death. The second reason is that this house belonged to Mr. Strauss, a printer; it would be he, thirty‑five years later, who printed the invitation to Beethoven’s funeral, distributed in Haslinger’s shop. The third reason is that fate willed that the Schwarzspanierhaus, in which Beethoven had his last residence and died, should be very near his first lodging and in the same district, the Alsergrund.
Another dwelling that deserves to be recalled is that on the fourth floor in the house of Baron von Pasqualati on the walls of Vienna, Mölkerbastei 1239, which still exists today at the address Mölkerbastei 8. It is a large and magnificent house, of imposing aspect, whose structure has remained that of Beethoven’s time. The façade, freshly repainted in a light blue colour (which I saw again on Saturday, 26 October 2002), preserves the dignity of an important house of the period. The steps of the spiral staircase are still those upon which Beethoven himself placed his feet many times, ascending and descending, as is shown by the fact that many have been repaired in their central part, the one subjected to the greatest wear. And probably even the iron handrail is still the one of that time. But even if it had been replaced it would not matter: the circular wall is certainly still the same against which Ludwig leaned when returning home tired. I believe that the atmosphere, in climbing, is still that of former times. The apartment, or rather the rooms, have instead changed greatly. Two of them still have, like the Viennese houses of old, a floor of wide wooden planks, curved by time, varnished with a thick layer of dark brown paint. Let us not forget that in Baron de Trémont’s description the apartment consisted of only two rooms. The adjacent rooms, which I do not know whether the Master inhabited or whether they were added merely to enlarge the space dedicated to the relics, are instead deeply restored rooms: the floor is covered with a modern wooden pavement, and despite the reproductions of scores and images hung around, every atmosphere of the time is entirely lacking. Looking out of the window one no longer sees the Viennese woods; opposite rise the walls of the University building, and below there is a small square with a column. In this house Beethoven lived for periods more or less long, from 1804 to 1815. Baron Pasqualati, who admired Beethoven greatly, had given orders that, when the Master went away, the house was not to be rented to others, so certain was he that, as often happened, Beethoven would return.
Finally, the Schwarzspanierhaus, the House of the Black Spaniards. It was the last, large, and noble dwelling of the Master. It was so called because it formed part of a building complex in which there had been a convent of Spanish monks, whose habit was black. Unfortunately the building was demolished in 1903, for urban speculation, despite attempts to save it made by certain Viennese cultural associations. We know, however, very well what this house was like: the façade, with the windows of the rooms inhabited by Beethoven, was drawn even in the days of the Master’s funeral and photographed in the years that followed; and before the demolition even the interior, with the great staircases and Beethoven’s rooms, was photographed. On the façade of the house that replaced it a plaque recalls the stay of the great composer.
The address of the Master’s residences in certain periods is known with certainty because it is written on his letters; at times his visitors speak of it; at other times it has been discovered thanks to patient research or through information obtained from those who were close to him. Beethoven’s address in Vienna has remained unknown for certain periods. Many times Beethoven did not trouble himself to write the address in his letters, in his notes, or he limited himself to very generic phrases, for example “a fine house that looks onto the ramparts” [Letter to Wegeler, 29 June 1801, E.65]. Especially in his last years he was such a well‑known figure that, in a letter to Schlesinger of 13 November 1821 [A.1060], he could proudly write: “No other address is needed than: ‘To Ludwig van Beethoven’.”
And here follows a most up‑to‑date list of Beethoven’s residences in Vienna and outside Vienna, reconstructed on the basis of the data reported by Schindler, Frimmel, Thayer, and the Epistolary.
Vienna. November 1792–December 1792 Alsergrund, Alsergasse no. 45, Attic Today: Alsergasse no. 30
Vienna. January 1793–summer 1794 Alsergrund, Alsergasse no. 45, Ground floor Today: Alsergasse no. 30
Vienna. Summer 1794–May 1795 Alsergrund, Alsergasse no. 45 (Lichnowsky House), First floor Today: Alsergasse no. 30
Vienna. May 1795–February 1796 Ogylyisches Haus, Kreuzgasse no. 35, First floor Today: Löwelstrasse 6
Travelling to Prague, Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin. February 1796–July 1796 It was a true and proper concert tour, which perhaps had not even been planned, but during which Beethoven achieved great success as an improviser and performer of his works, as for example in Prague, where the Aria “Ah perfido!” Op. 65, written for Madame Dussek, was performed, and in Berlin, where he played with Duport his Sonatas for violoncello and piano Op. 5. Beethoven returned to Vienna, on an unspecified date, at the beginning of July, when Berlin emptied itself for the summer holidays.
Vienna. July 1796–May 1799 Address unknown.
Vienna. May 1799–January 1800 Sankt Petersplatz no. 650, Third floor Today: Sankt Petersplatz no. 11 In the memoirs of Countess Therese Brunsvik it is said that Beethoven, in the spring of 1800, lived in Sankt Petersplatz, and that to reach his room one had to climb three steep flights of stairs.
Summer 1799. Mödling. Address unknown.
Vienna. January 1800–spring 1801 Greinersches Haus, Tiefer Graben no. 241, Third floor Today: Tiefer Graben no. 10 The home address here is certain, because it is reported on the announcement of the concert of 2 April 1800, in which, besides a symphony by Mozart and parts of Haydn’s Creation, there were also performed a Piano Concerto by Beethoven (it is impossible to know which), the Septet Op. 20, and a new Symphony by Beethoven in C major, the First. Beethoven also improvised. Someone has, however, supposed—on the basis of various descriptions—that it may have been one of the houses situated behind and within the one cited.
Travelling to Pest. April 1800–June 1800 The information concerning this journey is not abundant. As one learns from the notes of the Brunsvik family, Beethoven was in Pest from the end of April to the beginning of July, a period during which he often visited the Brunsviks’ summer residence. Beethoven played with the famous horn player Giovanni Punto his Sonata Op. 17 for horn and piano, in Pest on 7 May. But concerning the rest of the stay no information has survived.
Summer 1800. Unterdöbling. Address unknown.
Vienna. Spring 1801–May 1802 Hamberger Haus, Wasserkunstbastei no. 1275 Today: Seilerstätte 15 Since the time of Thayer, scholars have thought they could identify Beethoven’s lodging in this period with the house of Johann Nepomuk Hamberger on the Wasserkunstbastei, whose entrance opened onto the Sailerstätte. In his letter to Wegeler of 29 June [1801] [K.52], Beethoven speaks of it, but says only: “now I have a fine house that looks onto the ramparts, which for my health is worth twice as much.” Therefore the identification is by no means certain. Many years later, however, Beethoven returned to this area, when in 1815 he went to live in the Lamberti house, a house full of sunlight and with a fine view over the suburb of Landstrasse and the Glacis.
Summer 1801. Hetzendorf. Address unknown.
May–October 1802. Heiligenstadt, Herrengasse no. 13. Today: Probusgasse no. 6 The house at Probusgasse no. 6 in Heiligenstadt, the house of the “Testament,” preserves intact all its atmosphere. Nothing has changed: beyond the heavy wooden gate, a few steps on the uneven stone pavement of the vaulted passage lead into the courtyard, in which an ancient silent tree grows. No noise. The roof of the house, of steeply sloping slate, is covered in large part with moss. A few wooden steps, certainly rebuilt, lead to the small apartment, whose windows still today look onto the woods, where on the sides one glimpses, not far away, the walls of small buildings. [Sunday, 27 October 2002.]
Vienna. October 1802–April 1803 “Zum silbernen Vogel,” Sankt Petersplatz no. 649, second or third floor Today: Sankt Petersplatz no. 11 During this period Beethoven also lived temporarily with Countess Erdödy, Jedlesee, Augasse no. 58. Today: Jeneweingasse no. 17
Vienna. April 1803–early 1804 Theater an der Wien, Laimgrube, An der Wien no. 26 Today: Linke Wienzeile no. 6
Summer 1803. Baden. Address unknown. Then Oberdöbling, Hofzeile no. 4. Today: Döblinger Hauptstrasse no. 92. The house on Döblinger Hauptstrasse still exists. It belonged to a vinegar manufacturer, Franz Nusser. It has been altered and enlarged. It is known by the name of its last owner, “Biederhof,” but also as the “Eroica House.” The “Eroica Haus,” at no. 95 (or 92) of the Hauptstrasse in Oberdöbling, in 1803, when Beethoven lived there in summer and worked on the Waldstein, the Triple Concerto, and the Eroica, was a farmhouse amid the vineyards. Today it is a house facing, among an uninterrupted series of houses and buildings, a very busy street. I have read somewhere that in Beethoven’s time it had only one floor; now there is an upper floor, which is the one open to visitors, in whose rooms Beethovenian relics are displayed. It remains fascinating that the courtyard at the back still opens onto the countryside as in former times. [Sunday, 27 October 2002.]
Vienna. May 1804–June 1804 Rothes Haus, Alsergrund, Alservorstädtisches Glacis no. 173 Today: between Garnisongasse, Frankgasse, and Rothenhausgasse This dwelling stood at a right angle to the church and to the Schwarzspanierhaus, and faced the great open space on which the new Votivkirche was later built. At first he lived alone in an apartment; then he settled in the one, in the same house, in which Stephan von Breuning lived. But in early June 1804, while dining with Stephan, he learned that the agents of the Esterházy family, who owned the building, had not been informed that he had left his apartment, and that thus he was obliged to pay the rent nonetheless. This provoked a violent quarrel; Beethoven abandoned the meal and left the house, moving to Baden. The old friendship later led to a reconciliation between the two.
July 1804. Baden. Address unknown. August–September 1804. Oberdöbling, Hofzeile no. 4 (same house as summer 1803?) According to Thayer, before going to Baden in July, the Master spent a short period in Hetzendorf.
Vienna. October 1804–summer 1808 Pasqualati House, Mölkerbastei no. 1239 Today: Mölkerbastei no. 8 It was Ries who found this lodging for Beethoven; “from the fourth floor,” he wrote, “one enjoyed a beautiful view.” Beethoven did not live there continuously, but in practice Baron Pasqualati always kept it at the Master’s disposal, and he returned there repeatedly.
Vienna. Late 1804–autumn 1805 Theater an der Wien, Laimgrube, An der Wien no. 26 Today: Linke Wienzeile no. 6
Summer 1805. Hetzendorf. Address unknown. Beethoven probably stayed in Hetzendorf from June to September working on Leonore, except for a brief period in July when he returned to Vienna and met Cherubini and Vogler at Sonnleithner’s.
Summer 1806. In Hungary. September–October. In Silesia, at the Lichnowsky Castle of Grätz near Troppau, where according to Thayer he moved towards the end of summer.
Summer 1807. Baden, Joanneshof. Today: Johannesgasse Heiligenstadt. Address unknown. September 1807. In Eisenstadt. In Heiligenstadt Beethoven worked on the Fifth Symphony in C minor and on the Mass in C major.
Vienna. Winter 1807–1808 Krugerstrasse no. 1074, guest of Countess Erdödy (but he also keeps the Pasqualati House) Today: Krugerstrasse no. 10
Summer 1808. Heiligenstadt, Kirchengasse (Grinzigerweg) no. 8. Today: Grinzigerstrasse no. 64 Autumn 1808. Baden, Alter Sauerhof. Today: Weilburgstrasse In Heiligenstadt Beethoven lived in the same house as the Grillparzer family. Beethoven’s windows looked onto the street; those of the Grillparzers onto the garden. The poet’s mother often sat outside the door listening to Beethoven play. One day the Master, who detested being listened to, went out and found her there, listening. Despite the lady’s apologies and her promise to keep the passage between the two apartments closed, Beethoven never played again. The house is still preserved.
Vienna. Autumn 1808–April 1809 Erdödy House, Krugerstrasse no. 1074 Today: Krugerstrasse no. 10 Beethoven had at his disposal a lodging in the apartments of Countess Erdödy. This excellent pianist was accustomed to giving private concerts in which many of Beethoven’s works were performed, which she interpreted masterfully.
Vienna. Early 1809 Pasqualati House, Mölkerbastei no. 1239 Today: Mölkerbastei no. 8 He probably returned there for a short time.
Vienna. May 1809–29 September 1809 “Klepperstall,” Teinfaltstrasse, Innere Stadt 82 Today: Schreyvogelgasse no. 1 The owner of the house was the lawyer Andreas Gostischa. Beethoven had moved to Countess Erdödy’s in autumn 1808. After the quarrel with her, to which the letter of March 1809 [K.186] refers, in which the Master asks her forgiveness, he sought this dwelling, about which he began complaining even before moving in (after 24 April 1809), because he thought the landlord had deceived him. The subsequent move took place to the Walfischgasse on 29 September 1809.
Vienna. October 1809–early 1810
Walfischgasse no. 1087, second floor
Today: Walfischgasse no. 11, corner of Akademiestrasse no. 22
In this building, which looked onto the Glacis, there was also a house of tolerance.
Summer 1809. In Hungary, at the Castle of Korompa. In Baden, Alter Sauerhof At Korompa Beethoven would have been a guest of the Brunsvik family. But there are those who doubt both these stays, given the military events of the time. The French once again came to occupy Vienna. Yet Andersson and the Epistolary record, as sent from Baden, a letter to Dr. Troxler [A.225, E.399], because this was Thayer’s attribution. The exact duration of the stay in Baden is not known, from where he would have gone back and forth to Vienna, as certain letters of the summer of 1809 suggest.
Vienna. Early 1810–March 1814 Pasqualati House, Mölkerbastei no. 1239 Today: Mölkerbastei no. 8
Summer 1810. Baden, Johanneshof Thayer reports that in this summer Beethoven did not take a stable residence in Baden, but went back and forth to Vienna.
Summer 1811. Teplitz: he lodges at the “Harfe” in Badgasse. Then he goes to Grätz. Varnhagen von Ense, who spent his holidays in Teplitz with Rahel Levin, has left an interesting account of those days and of his acquaintance with Beethoven.
Summer 1812. Baden, “Alter Sauerhof”
Summer 1812–November 1812. Teplitz: Hotel “Zur goldenen Sonne” and “Zur Eiche”. Karlsbad: Hotel “Aug’ Gottes”. Franzensbad.
May–September 1813. Baden. “Alter Sauerhof”
Vienna. February 1814–June 1814 Bartensteinsches Haus, Mölkerbastei 94, first floor Today: Mölkerbastei no. 10
June–September 1814. Baden. Johanneshof?
Vienna. September 1814–October 1814 Address unknown.
Vienna. November 1814–spring 1815 Pasqualati House, Mölkerbastei no. 1239 Today: Mölkerbastei no. 8
Vienna. Spring 1815–April 1817 Lambertisches Haus, Auf der Seilerstadt no. 1055–56, third floor Today: Seilerstätte no. 21 Beethoven had already lived near here about twelve years earlier: Count Lamberti’s house, very sunny, had a magnificent view over the Glacis, from the Karlskirche and the Belvedere Gardens to the distant Carpathians.
Summer 1815. Baden. Johanneshof? Autumn 1815. Unterdöbling. An der Steige no. 33–34. Today: Silbergasse no. 4 and Nusswaldgasse no. 2 In Baden Beethoven spent considerable time in the company of Charles Neate, who took a house near his. With the English musician and pianist, his great admirer, he took long walks in the woods and in the Helenen-Thal. Neate spoke of this stay to Thayer in 1861, describing Beethoven’s enthusiasm for nature: “Nature was like food to him; he seemed to live within it.”
July–October 1816. Baden. Ossolynisches Schloss, Alandgasse no. 4. Today: Breitnerstrasse no. 26
Vienna. Winter 1816–1817 Hotel “Zum Römischer Kaiser”, Renngasse no. 145 Today: Renngasse no. 1 That Beethoven lived in this building was reported by Carl Friedrich Hirsch. But it is not known whether he moved there temporarily or merely gave lessons there; it seems certain, in fact, that Beethoven kept the lodging he had in the Sailerstätte until 27 April 1817, thus paying, simultaneously, two rents in Vienna.
Vienna. April–October 1817 Haus zum grünen Kranz, Landstrasse no. 268, second floor Today: Landstrasser Hauptstrasse no. 26 This dwelling was probably chosen because it was near the Streicher house and the Giannattasio del Rio institute.
Early summer 1817. Heiligenstadt. Schöglisches Haus, Am Platz no. 66. Today: Pfarrplatz no. 2 It is astonishing how the house at Pfarrplatz 2, in Heiligenstadt, has preserved the exterior characteristics it had at the beginning of the summer of 1817, when it was inhabited by Beethoven. Even today it is identical to what is shown in drawings and sketches of the first half of the nineteenth century. The house has two wings with a courtyard between them; on the façade there is a wooden statue of St. Florian from the 1820s; the church of St. Jacob faces the small square. Beethoven lodged there in May 1817; his rooms were in the left part of the house, on the first floor. Everything inside the building has been renewed and restored. What remains certainly unchanged is the charm of the inner courtyard, with a pergola and yellow autumn leaves, through which the Master passed when entering and leaving, and in which he probably walked. [I stopped here to drink beer, not wine, as he would have done. Sunday, 27 October 2002.]
July–August 1817. Nussdorf. Greinischeres Haus. Today: Kahlenbergstrasse no. 26 In Kahlenbergstrasse, at number 26, that is, in Nussdorf not far from Heiligenstadt, there is a beautiful small eighteenth‑century house, which was inhabited by Beethoven in the summer of 1817. It is very decayed and worn. It still retains its light and singing appearance. The entrance door could well be the same one for over 180 years. What is certainly unchanged is the portal, with its steps, as well as the stucco decoration and reliefs of the façade. Even the window frames seem to me to show very many years. It is not possible to enter and know which rooms were Beethoven’s. [The street is deserted, but the only car one sees is parked right in front. Sunday, 27 October 2002.]
Vienna. October 1817–April 1818 Haus zur grünen Baum, Gärtnergasse no. 26, second floor (or Haus zur grünen Kranz, Landstrasse no. 268?) Today: Gärtnergasse no. 5
Vienna. April 1818–May 1819 Haus “Zur grünen Baum”, Gärtnergasse no. 26 Today: Gärtnergasse no. 5 This house too is located in the suburb of Landstrasse.
May–September 1818. Mödling. Hafnerhaus, Herrengasse no. 76. Today: Hauptstrasse no. 79 Beethoven arrived in Mödling on 29 May, with his nephew and two servants. The house still exists today, with a beautiful courtyard enclosed by an arched portico. Beethoven lived in an apartment on the first floor consisting of a large room facing the courtyard, two small rooms facing the garden and the courtyard, and a small kitchen. To the right of the entrance door there is a commemorative plaque which, however, bears the wrong date of 1820, the year in which Beethoven lived in another house in Mödling.
May–October 1819. Mödling. Hafnerhaus, Herrengasse no. 76. Today: Hauptstrasse no. 79
Vienna. October 1819–May 1820 Fingerlingsches Haus, “Zur goldenen Birne”, Josephstadt Glacis, Schwibbogengasse no. 6 Today: Auerspergstrasse no. 3
Vienna. Winter 1819–1820 “Zum alten Blumenstöck”, Ballgasse 986 Today: Ballgasse no. 6 Beethoven returned to Vienna from Mödling at the end of October 1819. The house at Josephstadt Glacis had been chosen so as to be near Blöchinger’s institute, where his nephew was staying. But in this period Beethoven also had a second lodging, the one in Ballgasse, which appears in two court documents. A tourist guide states that in Trautsongasse there is a dwelling in which Beethoven lived in 1819–1820 and worked on the Missa Solemnis. Thayer reports that he lived, in 1819, in Josephstadt at “Zur goldenen Birne” and in Ballgasse at “Zum alten Blumenstöck”. In fact, Beethoven’s new lodging, at the end of 1819 after his return from Mödling, is described by Schindler in a conversation book of March 1820 as “opposite the Auersperg Palace, in the same house where the coffeehouse is in the Josephstadt Glacis,” which corresponds to today’s situation in Trautsongasse, to the left of the Auersperg Palace. The building of the “Zum alten Blumenstöck,” where Beethoven used to drink with Zmeskall, still exists.
Summer 1820. Mödling. “Christhof”, Babengergasse no. 116. Today: Aschenaugasse no. 6 Beethoven could not return to the previous lodging because the landlord was annoyed by the continual quarrels that had occurred the previous year. This house, whose address according to Thayer was Babengerstrasse no. 116, was the one Beethoven had tried to purchase a year earlier.
Vienna. Before 26 October 1820–[unknown] “Zu den zwei Wachsstocken”, Alt-Lerchenfeld, Kaiserstrasse no. 8 Today: Josephstädterstrasse no. 57 According to the recollections of a daughter of Karl van Beethoven, the Master lived at this address to be near the Blöckingler institute, but only for a very short time.
Vienna. Autumn 1820–May? 1822 Grosses Haus der Augustiner no. 244, second floor Today: Hauptstrasse no. 60 At this address Beethoven received a visit from Dr. W. C. Müller of Bremen, who left a vivid written account of the Master.
June–September 1821. Unterdöbling. An der Winterzeil no. 11. Today: Silbergasse no. 9
September–October 1821. Baden. Rathausgasse no. 94. Today: Rathausgasse no. 10 Beethoven arrived in Baden on 7 September to undergo a treatment prescribed by Dr. Staudenheim.
May–June 1822. Oberdöbling. Alleegasse no. 135. Today: Pyrkegasse no. 13 The exact date on which Beethoven arrived in Oberdöbling is not known, but he was certainly there in June.
September 1822. Baden. “Zum goldenen Schwann”, Weinergasse no. 23. Today: Antongasse no. 4 Beethoven left Oberdöbling for Baden on 1 or 2 September and took temporary lodging at the Schwann, which still exists. A plaque commemorates his stay.
October 1822. Baden. Magdalenahof, Frauengasse no. 85. Today: Frauengasse no. 10 The stay was interrupted because Beethoven took part in the rehearsals and first performances of Die Weihe des Hauses at the Josephstadt Theater, from 3 to 6 October. He returned around 11 October. This dwelling also still exists, and here too a commemorative plaque recalls the Master’s stay. The bill for the lodging has also been preserved.
Vienna. November 1822–May 1823 Windmühle, Obere Pfarrgasse no. 60 Today: Laimgrubengasse no. 22 Schindler says that from September Beethoven had shared the lodging with him in the Pfarrgasse–Vorstadt Leimgrube.
May–August 1823. Hetzendorf. Villa Pronay, Hetzendorfer Hauptstrasse no. 32. Today: Hetzendorferstrasse no. 75a Beethoven arrived at the villa, owned by Baron Müller‑Pronay, which was expensive and poorly served by the post, on 17 May. During this stay he suffered from eye troubles. The villa still exists today. Here he worked on the Ninth Symphony. A letter of 1 July 1823 to the Archduke [A.1203] also mentions the pains in his eyes.
August–October 1823. Baden. Rathausgasse 94. Today: Rathausgasse no. 10 Schindler says that Beethoven decided to move to Baden “in a raptus,” “annoyed because Baron Müller‑Pronay made too many bows every time he met him,” and summoned him for the move at five in the morning.
Vienna. October 1823–May 1824 Haus “Zur schönen Sklavin”, Landstrasse no. 323, on the corner of Bockgasse (today Beatrixgasse) and Ungargasse Today: Ungargasse no. 5 He entered the new house around 25 October and worked there on the Ninth Symphony, especially on the last movement.
May 1824. Penzing, “Hadikschlössel”, Parkstrasse 43, first floor Today: Hadikgasse no. 62 Beethoven rented the house, for 180 florins, from 1 May, from the tailor Johann Hörr. People passing nearby could, from a small bridge, cast a glance into the apartment, and Beethoven, annoyed, instead of drawing the curtains, abandoned everything and moved to Baden.
May–November 1824. Baden. “Schloss Gutenbrunn”, Hermitage. Today: Sanatorium Gutenbrunn, Peregrinstrasse The Master arrived in Baden on 27 May and remained until November. Thus Beethoven, in these months, paid three lodgings simultaneously.
Vienna. November 1824–April 1825 Johannesgasse 969, fourth floor Today: Johannesgasse no. 1, at the corner with Kärntnerstrasse The house belonged to the Kletschka family. In this house Beethoven had major quarrels with the owners and with his nephew; moreover, it seems he pounded on the piano mercilessly. It was perhaps because of these disagreements that after 25 April 1825 Beethoven moved to a new house in Krugerstrasse.
Vienna. April–May 1825 Krugerstrasse no. 1009 Today: Krugerstrasse no. 13 This seems to be the exact address reported by Gerhard von Breuning, although Rellstab says it was no. 767, which appears to have been a non‑existent number.
May–October 1825. Baden. “Schloss Gutenbrunn”, Hermitage. Today: Sanatorium Gutenbrunn, Peregrinstrasse
Vienna. October 1825–26 March 1827 Glacis Alsergrund no. 200, Schwarzspanierhaus, second floor Today: Schwarzspanierstrasse no. 15
29 September–November 1826. Gneixendorf In the property of his brother Johann. Today the house, an ancient building dating back to 1200, with the rooms inhabited by the Beethoven family, from which there was a beautiful view of the Danube, still exists. Here Beethoven composed the new finale for the Quartet Op. 130.