WoO 117 – Der freie Mann: Wer ist ein freier Mann? for chorus in unison, solo voice and piano, 1792–March 1795, published in Bonn by Simrock, early 1808.
GA no. 232 (series 23/18) – Boett. 1/7 – B. 233 – KH (WoO) 117 – L. IV, p. 348h – N. p. 177 – P. 26 – Sch. p. 218/32 – T. 23.

Nottebohm refers to three sketches from a sheet associated with the Bonn period (it may date from 1794): “The first, despite the indication ‘vier männliche Stimmen’ (four male voices), is in fact for a single voice or vocal part (alternatively, chorus in unison and solo voice), with piano accompaniment that is not always clearly legible. The initial idea it provides, and even more so the section that follows, have almost nothing in common with the final version. The other two, without words (the second also reproduced by Schiedermair with the addition of words), clearly foreshadow the theme. Of the work, fully developed no later than early 1795, two autograph versions survive, now preserved in the British Museum: one corresponds to the version published by the GA; the other, with some slight discrepancies in the accompaniment and a different piano ending, was first published by W. Hess a few years ago in Musica (together with the sketch of the supposed ‘four male voices’ version, of which Nottebohm had reproduced only the opening seven bars), and later (1962) in the fifth fascicle of the Supplemente zur GA. Beethoven gave the small composition to his friend Wegeler, who, by fitting different words to the music, turned it into the anthem of the Bonn Masonic lodge under the title ‘Ein Maurerfrage’: ‘Was ist der Maurer Ziel?’, published by Simrock in 1806 (see below). With the original text, the work appeared with the same publisher only later, in 1808, together with the song ‘Herz, mein Herz’ op. 75 no. 2 and the Opferlied op. 121b. The music, which is repeated identically in each of the seven stanzas, is in a style that one might describe as that of a popular refrain in question-and-answer form: like a dialogue in which the collective and the individual mutually confirm their shared feeling. It nevertheless seems to us that it already anticipates, in its own way, the popular celebration with which Fidelio concludes.

The first Masonic lodge in Bonn was founded on 31 October 1775 under the “Strict Observance” system. Although it was composed of prominent members of the city, it was active only until 1778. Apart from a surviving list of members in the archives, all other information about their activities is missing. The list included Karl Otto Freiherr von Gymnich, two nephews of the Elector, Ernst Adrian and Meinard Grafen Königsegg, and the minister Freiherr JC von Waldenfels.

The next attempt to establish a lodge took place in 1804, during the French occupation. The lodge “Les frères coraggioux” was nominally part of the Grand Orient de France and was officially founded on 24 May 1805. The meeting rooms were located “opposite the ballroom of the local castle,” and in 1806 a new building was constructed opposite the old lodge house. By 1808, the lodge had grown to 66 brothers, two-thirds German and one-third French. Among its members were the mayor of Bonn, Anton von Belderbusch; the founder of the General-Anzeiger of Bonn, Peter Josef Neusser; the commander of the local French garrison, Edouard de Cantobre; the prefect of the department, Alexandre de Lameth; and, especially in connection with Beethoven, the music professor Franz Anton Ries, the composer Ferdinand Ries, and the music publisher Nikolaus Simrock.

When Bonn fell into Prussian hands in 1815, the new district director Rehfues ordered the immediate dissolution of the lodge. Its property and lodge house were auctioned off. Rehfues remained in office until 1840, and it took another 17 years for Masonic activity to develop again in Bonn.