Ludwig van Beethoven, the renowned German composer, passed away on a stormy Monday in March 1827, after a prolonged illness. He had been bedridden since Christmas and was struggling with jaundice, swollen limbs, and severe abdominal pains.
Beethoven’s associates found a will he wrote nearly 25 years earlier, which requested that his brothers reveal the details of his condition to the public. The composer suffered from progressive hearing loss, starting in his mid-20s, and eventually became functionally deaf by his mid-40s. However, the primary cause of this hearing loss remains unknown.
Researchers recently analyzed DNA samples from authentic locks of Beethoven’s hair and found that they did not match any known family members or individuals associated with him. The study revealed that lead poisoning was not responsible for his death, as previously suggested. Instead, it appears that Beethoven died due to a hepatitis B infection exacerbated by his drinking habits.
The investigation also uncovered an extramarital paternity event in Beethoven’s paternal line, suggesting that a younger man fathered one of his ancestors. This revelation highlights the complex and often taboo nature of genetic information.
This groundbreaking research sheds light on Beethoven’s previously unknown health struggles, providing new insights into his life and death. While the study did not answer all questions about the composer’s health issues, it has brought attention to the importance of understanding and addressing these conditions, particularly in musicians who are susceptible to hearing loss due to loud noise exposure.
The research was published in Current Biology and provides a unique perspective on one of music history’s most fascinating figures.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/dna-from-beethovens-hair-reveals-surprise-nearly-200-years-later