Baden in German means baths and there are more Badens on the European continent. The one Beethoven visited so often is distinguished by the name Baden bei Wien, meaning Baden near Vienna.
Today it is the capital of Baden District and located about 26 km south of Vienna. The area has 14 hot springs containing healthy minerals. Baden is surrounded by nature, laying at the foot of Calvarienberg (Mt. Calvary) with the highest point of 861 m. at Iron Gate.
In 1812 a fire had destroyed significant part of the city, more than hundred houses were lost. Beethoven was quick to help, and together with violin virtuoso Giovanni Battista Polledro, made a benefit concert where 1 000 florins were raised for the relief fund. Although financially the event was a success, Beethoven was not happy, calling the event as “a poor concert for the poor.” The rebuilding was carried out in Biedermeier style, later often referred to the city as Biedermeierstadt (Biedermeier city). In 2021 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as Great Spa Towns of Europe.
Beethoven in Baden
Between 1807 and 1825 Beethoven stayed in the town for more than a dozen times. Most of the buildings he occupied are still standing today.
Locations, where Beethoven stayed:
– Johannesbad, Johannesbadgasse 12. (1807)
– The Sauerhof, Weilburgstrasse 13. (1808, 1809, 1813) (This is still a hotel today with a bust of Beethoven in front of the building, made by the sculptor Sockel.)
– Castle Breiten, Breitnerstrasse 26. (1816)
– Kaiser Franz Ring 9,
– Magdalenenhof 87, now Frauengasse 10.
– Zum Goldenen Schwan (The Golden Swan), Antonsgasse 4. (1822)
– Rathausgasse 10., today a small museum dedicated to the Composer, who worked on his Ninth Symphony here.
For Beethoven these summer breaks never meant a full detachment from work. On the contrary, these were more focused times for composing.
Beethoven worked on these pieces during his stays in Baden:
-Piano Sonata in E flat major ‘Les Adieux’ op. 81
– ‘Wellington’s Victory or the Battle of Vittoria’ for orchestra op. 91
– ‘Elegiac Song’ cantata op. 118
– Mass in D major ‘Missa solemnis’ op. 123
– ‘The Consecration of the House’ Overture in C major, op. 124
– String Quartet No. 15 in A minor op. 132
– String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major op. 130
– Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 (known as the Appassionata)
– Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125.
Baden was the place of many happy and many sad events. This is the place where Ries sold his march as a new Beethoven piece, this is where one evening a mysterious lady visited him or the place where he was mistaken for a tramp and thrown into jail. It was here for the first time, where Ries witnessed firsthand Beethoven’s hearing loss.
Among the many funny and sorrowful stories connected to Baden there is one that stands out in Beethoven’s life. One August day his nephew, Karl, climbed the mountains overlooking Helenenthal, a wooded valley with ancient ruins, to shoot himself. He pulled the trigger, but the bullet did not penetrate the skull. He was knocked out and found barely conscious. He survived, but Beethoven was facing the reality, that he miserably failed as a stepfather and guardian.
