Ludwig van Beethoven, Billet an Joseph Karl Bernard, Wien, Ende Februar 1823, Autograph

Beethoven sends his friend Bernard a letter to a third party (no longer surviving), asking him to maintain absolute secrecy. Everything will be cleared up soon.

The note is in connection with an unfortunate event in which Beethoven's nephew Karl was unknowingly involved at the beginning of 1823. At this time Karl was still a pupil at Blöchlinger's school, where Johann Niederstätter was a teacher. Karl had apparently told the book censor Johann Baptist Rupprecht about his teacher Niederstätter (in one of Beethoven's conversation books he stresses that he had thought Rupprecht was to be trusted). On account of this information Rupprecht then went on to inform the Viennese police about Niederstätter, causing the latter difficulties. (Rumour had it that Rupprecht was a well-known police informer.) Unfortunately we do not know any further details, as the police files of the time no longer exist.