Dec. 16, 2020 – On Dec. 16, 1770, 250 years ago today, Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany. In 1889, his birthplace was acquired and restored as a memorial to the musical genius. Today the Beethoven-Haus Bonn Museum is celebrating his birthday virtually with “Beethoven Everywhere,” a new online exhibition curated with the Google Arts and Culture initiative.

According to the museum, the new exhibition allows virtual visitors to explore the many facets of Beethoven’s life, work and legacy. A virtual tour of the museum is a central component. Museum officials were planning on hosting guests at the museum for a celebration but COVID-19 altered their plans.

“Due to the pandemic, our newly designed museum is closed on Beethoven’s 250th birthday. This makes it all the more important to me that Beethoven friends and music lovers from all over the world can now virtually visit the exhibition thanks to the Google Street View tour and experience it with a lot of additional Beethoven content,” Malte Boecker, Beethoven-Haus director, said in a press release.

Among the 18 renowned cultural institutions from seven countries that have participated in “Beethoven Everywhere” are: 1) Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, 2) Carnegie Hall, 3) Deutsche Grammophon, 4) the Secession in Vienna, 5) the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, and 6) the Chineke! Orchestra from Great Britain.

A variety of stories, contributions and videos – created and curated by Beethoven experts – allow a global audience to learn more about Beethoven’s everyday life. Included is information on how he worked, what made his music so groundbreaking and where Beethoven’s presence can be felt in modern culture today.

Beethoven’s life is told through digitized personal objects and documents, which provide insights into his life with his increasing loss of hearing (deafness), his difficult private life, and information to illuminate his creative process.

The online celebration also includes the video series “Global Ode to Joy,” initiated by conductor Marin Alsop, in which people around the world participate to celebrate the composer.

Beethoven left Bonn in 1791 and moved to Vienna, Austria where he lived for the rest of his life. Tragically, he began losing his hearing. By 1814, he was almost totally deaf. On display at the museum are Beethoven’s “ear trumpets” to help him hear.

About the Beethoven-Haus Bonn
According to the museum, the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, a museum, houses the world’s most significant Beethoven collection. The museum attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year. It has a musicology research department with its own library, publishing house and chamber music hall.