Anton Schindler, Brief an Franz Gerhard Wegeler in Koblenz, Pest, 9. Januar 1828, Autograph

After Schindler has already received three letters with biographical notes concerning Beethoven and the copy of a Beethoven letter (W 17) from Wegeler, he sends him a long letter from Pest, his new place of activity. The Beethoven letter shall be published on the anniversary of Beethoven's death in a Vienna music magazine (see W 205). Because Leipzig music writer Friedrich Rochlitz declined to support the biography for health reasons, Schindler plans to start writing himself. Following the advice from Rochlitz and humouring Beethoven's wish, he will wait a little to not compromise anybody. Schindler has all documents from Beethoven to sort them. In the autumn of 1827 Aloys Schlosser published a deficient biography in Prague. Beethoven's trustee Jakob Hotschevar is also collecting material for a Vienna Beethoven biography. Schindler asks Wegeler not to send any material to Hotschevar, who already has transferred Breuning's share of documents to the Vienna biographer and is trying to force Schindler by law to hand over his Beethoven documents. As Schindler has no means of providing the copper engravings asked for by Wegeler from Hungary, he gave the order to Gerhard von Vering. The Beethoven portrait by Ferdinand Schimon owned by Schindler is to be copied by a Frankfurt painter as a special gift for Wegeler. Schindler's sister works as a singer at the Pest Opera. On a journey through Germany Schindler will visit Wegeler to talk about Beethoven. (FG)