Franz Gerhard Wegeler, Brief an Ludwig van Beethoven in Wien, Koblenz, 28. Dezember 1825, Autograph

When a mutual acquaintance, Franz Joseph Ries, goes from Bonn to Vienna, Franz Gerhard Wegeler seizes the opportunity to renew his contact with Beethoven after many years have passed. He reminisces about their childhood together in Bonn and the old friendship that joined them.

As a young boy Wegeler was Beethoven's closest friend. As a friend and doctor the composer tells him early on about his beginning deafness, asking him to remain silent on the matter.

However, due to Beethoven's laziness in writing, the contact had all but broken off. To begin where they left off, Wegeler tells Beethoven of the most important events over the past 25 years in Bonn and his life: births, marriages and deaths, as well as interesting pieces of news concerning mutual friends.

Surprised Wegeler asks why Beethoven has never reacted to the claim made by Fayolle in Brockhaus' Conversations-Lexikon that he is the illegitimate son of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. He asks Beethoven to refute the claim and at the same time offers to do so on his behalf.

He then asks whether Beethoven does not want to visit his home again, (unknowingly placing his finger in the wound as Beethoven always dreamed of returning to Bonn), "Do you never want to allow your eyes to leave the Stephan's tower? Does travelling not have any attractions for you? Do you never want to see the Rhine again?"

Beethoven answered the letter very warmly almost a year later, see W 21, BGA 2236.