High levels of lead discovered in confirmed locks of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair indicate that the composer might have had lead poisoning, potentially contributing to his lifelong health issues, including deafness, according to recent research.
Apart from his hearing loss, Beethoven suffered from recurrent gastrointestinal problems, endured two bouts of jaundice, and battled severe liver disease throughout his life. Although Beethoven’s death at age 56 is attributed to liver and kidney disease, unraveling the reasons behind his numerous health problems has been a complex puzzle, one that even Beethoven himself hoped doctors would solve.
Expressing his desire for his ailments to be studied and shared, Beethoven said, “As far as possible, at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.”
Nearly a decade ago, an international team of researchers embarked on a mission to partially fulfill Beethoven’s wish by studying his hair. Through DNA analysis, the team distinguished between authentic locks and fraudulent ones, sequencing Beethoven’s genome from the verified samples.
Unveiling Beethoven’s genetic predispositions
The results, published in a March 2023 report, indicated that Beethoven had significant genetic predispositions for liver disease and a hepatitis B infection before his death. However, the findings did not shed light on the root causes of his deafness, which began in his 20s, or his gastrointestinal issues. Beethoven’s publicly available genome has encouraged researchers worldwide to delve into lingering questions about his health.
Meanwhile, scientists are meticulously examining Beethoven’s authenticated hairlocks for insights. Recent findings, published in the journal Clinical Chemistry, reveal high concentrations of lead, as well as traces of arsenic and mercury, suggesting exposure to these elements even nearly 200 years after his death. These discoveries could offer new perspectives not only on Beethoven’s chronic health problems but also on the complexities of his life as a composer.
Christian Reiter, a retired deputy director of the Center of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna, previously studied the Hiller Lock, a hair sample believed to be Beethoven’s. In a 2007 paper, he identified high lead levels in the hair and proposed that lead might have contributed to Beethoven’s deafness and possibly his death. Interestingly, the 2023 genomic sequencing study revealed that the Hiller Lock did not belong to Beethoven but was instead from a woman.
Did Beethoven suffer from lead poisoning?
Another research team used two different methods to analyze two confirmed locks of Beethoven’s hair: the Bermann lock, cut between late 1820 and March 1827, and the Halm-Thayer lock, handed by Beethoven to pianist Anton Halm in April 1826. During Beethoven’s era, it was common for people to collect and preserve locks of hair from loved ones or famous individuals, noted William Meredith, a Beethoven scholar and coauthor of the 2023 genomic analysis and the recent study.