There is no place in Vienna where you can get closer to Ludwig van Beethoven than the Beethoven Museum. This is where he survived a tragic turning point in his life — when he moved, in an attempt to cure his progressive deafness, to the then spa town of Heiligenstadt.

His residence in Probusgasse (in today's 19th district) is wonderfully preserved and explains the life and works of the world-famous composer through documents, objects, and many musical examples.

Beethoven’s malady persisted and his healing ultimately failed. In utter despair, he wrote the so-called Heiligenstadt testament in 1802. From then on, he withdrew more and more from social life, focusing on his true calling: composition.

Some of Beethoven’s most important works were written in Heiligenstadt, including the first sketches of the Eroica and the famous Tempest sonata. In addition, the exhibition covers Beethoven's youth in Bonn, his complex social circles, and his musical legacy.