Ludwig van Beethoven, Billet an Karl Holz, Wien, vermutlich Ende Februar 1826, Autograph

Beethoven sends a brief note to Karl Holz - the housekeeper he was expecting has not arrived and he asks whether she has been asked to come. He asks Holz to come over as he "is still in the hands of this good-for-nothing".

On account of his severe illnesses which caused terrible pain and colic, and most of all because of his deafness which meant that he could not communicate with the outside world, Beethoven became extremely mistrustful and despotic in his last years. His servants suffered especially because of this, as he continually feared that they would deceive him. Servants changed frequently, either because they themselves could not take anymore or because Beethoven fired them. Often in times of crisis he asked good friends whom he could trust for help, particularly if he felt that an employee had gone behind his back and he felt threatened. The presence of good friends gave him a feeling of security. Partly because he was then not alone and also because they could simply communicate with the outside world.