Interesting Fact About Beethovan

Interesting Facts about Beethoven

By: Carlita Sims-Williams

Submitted to: Professor Jordan

Humanities 112

Strayer University

Submitted: August 27, 2013

Though out this course there have been many things that came to mind for choosing a topic to write on for this paper. However, the most interesting thing that came to mind was Beethoven and his musically life and background. There have been many stories on Beethoven and his music which still plays today. Beethoven had wonderful, unique music that was a direct reflections of his life’s journey, his joys and his pains, as well as shifts from the formal emphases of classical music. (Sayre, 2011).

However, after going thru all the information in the book pertaining to Beethoven there was nothing about his ethnicity. After further research it showed that Beethoven was a black man. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 -1827) was born in Bonn, Germany, but his family originated in Belgium, which was then called Flanders. Interestingly, his family name, as noble and grand as it sounds, is a Flemish one quaintly and literally meaning “beet garden.” For over 200 years, Belgium/Flanders had been occupied by Spain. One need only look at a map to see how close in proximity Southern Spain is to Northern Africa, separated by the Strait of Gibraltar, which, from a geological standpoint, appears to have forged its way through an erstwhile connection between the two terrains.

Africans had easy access to Spain, the zenith being the 700 year reign of the Moors in that country. (“Moor” comes from Greek/Latin root words meaning “Black” or “dark-skinned.”) The protracted Black presence in Spain apparently protracted its presence in Belgium/Flanders along with the Spanish. Thus, Beethoven inherited this Black Spanish strain. (Moseley, 2013).

And here are a few pictures of Beethoven that have been done by various artist. As you may see some are lighter than others and others darker than others. Many different picture of...