Maria Magdalena Keverich 1744-1787: "such a kind loving mother and my best friend"

Today is claimed to be the birthday of Ludwig von Beethoven (born in 1770).

This brings me to his mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich, who already at the age of 18, was a widow and had lost one infant. Then she remarried to Beethoven's father.

Maria Magdalena Keverich died 43 years old, after having born another seven children, of which only three survived infancy: Ludwig and two younger brothers.

Her husband is said to have been an alcoholic.

When Maria Magdalena was sick and dying, Beethoven was in Vienna and was on the point of studying with Mozart, but rushed home to see her.

By the time Beethoven got back to Vienna, Mozart had died, and the two composers never co-worked.

Beethoven apparently later described her mother in a letter: "She was such a kind, loving mother to me, and my best friend".

Some researchers believed that Beethoven showed signs of a autism throughout his life, see Michael Fitzgerald, of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin.

However, this is speculative and may be true, may not be.

What is true, however, is that late in his life, Beethoven lost his hearing, but still miraculously composed evergreen music, still worshipped and played all over the world today, almost 300 years later.

The photo shows Beethoven's ear trumpets.

(Sources Wikipedia and http://www.madaboutbeethoven.com/)