Ludwig van Beethoven, Brief an Nikolaus Zmeskall, Wien, 21. Januar 1816, Autograph

Beethoven is apparently referring to the edition of Aloys Weißenbach's book "Meine Reise zum Congreß. Wahrheit und Dichtung" which has just been published. The author has dedicated a separate chapter to Beethoven, portraying him as an artist and as a person in particularly glowing terms. Beethoven indignantly asks why his reputation should be improved by this book of all books, "in which many people who believe me to be black want me to have been washed white".

He says that he will visit Zmeskall together with his nephew Karl. He has been the latter's guardian for two days. Beethoven stresses that he will now try to prove to all his friends and enemies that he will make something better of this nephew than he himself is.