Ludwig van Beethoven's deafness revisited - An overview of his 250th birthday

2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday. The composer's hearing impairment is probably the most well-known disorder of a musician. For more than 200 years, the underlying cause of his deafness has been studied, but still not fully understood. In this context, the question arises as to how far the currently available measures of hearing rehabilitation would made it possible for the musician to receive satisfactory treatment.

On the basis of primary sources, such as letters from the composer, written documents from his contemporaries and, in particular, Beethoven's detailed autopsy report and subsequent clinical examinations of his skull, the development of his hearing impairment is examined, the most likely causes are evaluated and classified in the context of further illnesses.

In the differential diagnosis, syphilis, chronic lead intoxication, osteodystrophia deformans, otosclerosis, and autoimmune inflammation of the inner ear are discussed as possible causes of hearing impairment of the musician.

In the course of the discussion, the existing studies on the individual differential diagnoses are presented and critically classified in terms of their justifiability and relevance. In addition, the potential benefit of a cochlear implantation is estimated for the composer.

Poster-PDF A-2005.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020