Carl August Freiherr von Malchus (1770-1840) - anonymes Gemälde aus dem Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts, Fotografie, Wiesbaden, um 1925?

Baron Karl August von Malchus belonged to Beethoven's circle of acquaintances in Bonn. Like the composer he was a frequent guest in the "Zehrgarten", the restaurant of the Koch widow on Bonn's marketplace. He was among the friends who signed the composer's register before Beethoven moved to Vienna.

The lines Malchus wrote as a greeting for Beethoven give evidence of the close friendship between the two young men. However, their contact soon ended. Even though Beethoven sent Malchus various letters from Vienna, their friendship was never revived. Later, Malchus became a financial expert and wrote a two volume handbook on his special subject matter.(S.B.)