About us

The Beethoven-Haus Bonn association, founded in 1889, is the leading Beethoven centre. It strives to preserve Beethoven's work and heritage. The Beethoven-Haus houses the world's most significant Beethoven collection, a museum at Beethoven's birthplace that attracts over 100,000 visitors each year, a musicology research department with its own library and publishing house as well as a chamber music hall named after Hermann J. Abs where numerous events take place throughout the year. Thanks to the engagement and support from a good 900 friends, patrons and members of over 20 nationalities as well as from the German government, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Bonn, the association carries out various cultural tasks of national and international importance. 

Due to the promotion of science and research, art and culture, the association is exempt from corporate and commercial taxes (Bonn tax office, corporate tax notice from February 10, 2017 for tax no. 205/5783/2058 for last reported period until December 31, 2020 according to article 5, section 1, no. 9, German Corporate Tax Law, and article 3, no. 6, German Trade Tax Law).

The association founded in 1889 is the legal entity of the Beethoven-Haus. Over 700 members, numerous friends and patrons as well as the Chairman support it. The association's organs are the General Meeting, the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees. The Managing Director represents it and also carries out its everyday business. The Board of Directors determines the association's general orientation and basic governance questions and also supervises the director. A Scholarly Advisory Board and a Board of Trustees help the Board of Directors to reach the targets set by the Beethoven-Haus. The Board of Trustees consists of members of the Board of Directors as well as representatives from the German government, the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Bonn and the Rhineland Regional Council. The Cologne district government supervises the Beethoven-Haus association. 

Commercial activities, in particular the museum shop, are conducted by the Vertriebs- und Service GmbH of the Beethoven-Haus, a limited-liability company for sales and services. It is a 100% subsidiary of the association and currently has two executive managers.       

In 1999, the Beethoven-Haus Foundation was added as a non-profit foundation. Right from the beginning, its mission was to support the activities of the Beethoven-Haus in the long run with funds and ideas, thus helping to carry out projects that are not financed by the public sector. The executive members of the Foundation Board are the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary of the founder. A Board of Trustees serves as advisor. The foundation is supervised by the Cologne district government as a control body for foundations. 

The Beethoven-Haus is engaged with several associations, federations, forums and working groups.

Organigram

24 February 1889 
Foundation of the Beethoven-Haus Association by twelve well-esteemed citizens of Bonn 
Primary objective: to acquire and restore the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven as well as establish a memorial 
Honorary members: leading figures from politics, arts and science, amongst them Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, Giuseppe Verdi, Adolf Menzel 

Spring 1890 
The first chamber music festival under the direction of honorary president Joseph Joachim is an overwhelming success. 
Presentation of the most comprehensive Beethoven exhibition to date with loans from all over Europe; collection activities begin 

10 May 1893 
Inauguration of the museum on the occasion of the second chamber music festival 

1897 
Third chamber music festival; until 1956, 30 festivals of international significance were held; usually one every two years 

1910 
Acquisition of the original manuscript of the 6th symphony in F major, op. 68 (Pastoral symphony) 

26 March 1927 
Foundation of the Beethoven-Archiv on the centenary of Beethoven's death by Ludwig Schiedermair as a research and documentation institution 
Aim: Record and document with photographs all preserved Beethoven manuscripts as well as compile all printed editions and establish a complete Beethoven library to be used as a basis for various editing purposes 

1933 to 1945 
Under the direction of Ludwig Schiedermaier the Beethoven-Haus was co-ordinated according to the current government regulations. Führerprinzip (leader principle) and Aryan paragraph determine direction and treatment of the members as well as how the chamber music festivals were organised 

World War II  
Relocation of the collection to Homburg Castle (Bergisches Land region) and to an underground shelter close to the town of Siegen (planning and execution done by provincial curator and board member Theodor Wildemann); return of the exhibits begins on May 11, 1945 
Safeguarding of the Beethoven-Haus by Heinrich Hasselbach during the severe bombing on October 18, 1944 

26 March 1952 
Celebration of the 125th anniversary of Beethoven's death with Theodor Heuss (President of the Federal Republic of Germany) and Konrad Adenauer (German Chancellor) as guests 

28 May 1956 
Zurich collector Dr. Hans Conrad Bodmer dies and bequeaths his personal Beethoven collection of 750 documents and objects to the Beethoven-Haus 

1959 
Start of the historic complete edition of Beethoven's oeuvre; 1952: first volume of the sketch edition published; 1996: complete edition of Beethoven's written mail correspondence finalized (includes 2,292 letters) 

1981 
Deutsche Bank AG und the city of Bonn offer the famous Beethoven portrait from Joseph Karl Stiehler to the Beethoven-Haus as present on the 80th anniversary of chairman Hermann Josef Abs (chairman from 1960 to 1994) 

24 February 1989 
Opening of the chamber music hall named after Hermann J. Abs on the centenary of the Beethoven-Haus Association 

1994 
Donation campaign "Wer rettet mein Geburtshaus?" ("Who will save my birthplace?") with subsequent restoration and re-design of the permanent exhibition 

7 May 1998 
Transfer of the vast Beethoven collection of the Julius Wegeler family foundation as a permanent loan to the Beethoven-Haus on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Franz Gerhard Wegeler's (adolescence friend of Beethoven and husband of Eleonore Breuning) death  

1999 
"Europa nostra" cultural heritage prize  

December 2004 
Extension of "The Digital Beethoven-Haus" with two new museum areas "Studio for Digital Collections" and "Stage for Music Visualisation" as well as the associated Internet presentation including a Digital Archive  

2005 
Acquisition of the engraver's copy for the ‘Missa Solemnis’, a three-volume copy that Beethoven himself reviewed meticulously 

2006 
Start of the international Beethoven Master Classes Bonn initiated by chairman Kurt Masur (chairman from 2004 to 2013); three conducting courses under his direction; since 2010 annual Master Classes for chamber music, 2014 under the direction of chairwoman Tabea Zimmermann 

2009 
Acquisition of the original manuscript of the Diabellli variations, op. 120, following the fundraising campaign "Weltklassisch - eine Initiative für Beethoven" (Just world class–an initiative for Beethoven) 

2013 
Tabea Zimmermann follows after Kurt Masur as chairwoman 

2014 
The Beethoven-Haus celebrates its 125th anniversary 
The BTHVN WEEK was introduced as a chamber music festival 

2020 
Beethoven's 250th anniversary 
Daniel Hope becomes chairman 

2024
200th anniversary of the Ninth Symphony