Beethoven-Haus

The Beethoven House stands in Gneixendorf, a village near Krems an der Donau in Lower Austria. The building, known as the Trautingerhof, has a 16th-century core and a mansard roof added in the late 18th century. Its ground floor shows groin vaults from the same period. The house once belonged to Berchtesgaden Abbey before passing to the Jesuits in 1630. By 1820 it was owned by Johann van Beethoven, the composer’s brother. The house is worth visiting because Beethoven stayed here in 1826 while caring for his nephew, who had attempted suicide. During this time he composed the new final movement of his String Quartet No. 13. The neoclassical furnishings and trompe-l’oeil wallpapers date from around 1800. The building remains part of Austria’s cultural heritage. Inside, visitors find four chambers, a large hallway and an adjoining piano room on the second floor. These rooms display mementoes, a hearth and lamps from Beethoven’s lifetime. The garden holds a copper portrait of the composer set into a large rock. The museum offers guided tours by appointment.