Skull fragments believed to belong to Beethoven surface in California

By LISA LEFF
Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The great-great nephew of an Austrian doctor who acquired several fragments of what was thought to be Ludwig van Beethoven's skull in 1863 said Thursday that recently completed tests show a high likelihood that the bones he inherited 15 years ago belonged to the great composer.

Paul Kaufmann, a Danville, California businessman, made the announcement at the Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State University, which since 1999 has helped coordinate forensic testing to both authenticate the identity of the bone fragments and determine what killed Beethoven at age 56.

The Center for Beethoven Studies already owned a lock of the composer's hair, which showed that the composer suffered from lead poisoning among other ailments when he died. One of Kaufmann's fragments, submitted for heavy metals testing at Argonne National Laboratory, showed similarly high levels of lead as the hair, Kaufmann said.

Kaufmann, 68, said he only found out in 1986 during a visit with his aging uncle in France that some of Beethoven's remains had been passed down through his family for generations. At the time, he was skeptical.

"I never saw them, and frankly I didn't put much stock in that," he said.

The fragments two large pieces and 11 smaller ones passed on to him after his uncle's death in 1990. They were contained in a pear-shaped metal box etched with the name "Beethoven" on top. Kaufmann started working with the Center for Beethoven Studies after a writer researching a book on Beethoven tracked him down in Danville.

"Our major focus, frankly, was to validate that these were in fact Beethoven's skull fragments," he said.

The largest two skull fragments, both from the back of a skull, are on permanent loan to the scholarly center. Director William Meredith called the discovery a major event both for classical music lovers and scientists, since the cause of Beethoven's death has been under for speculation since he died in 1827.

"It puts you in the physical presence of Beethoven's body, and if Beethoven's music means a great deal to you, that is a very powerful thing and has a lot of meaning," Meredith said. "Whenever I see the bones, they make me mute. It's such a profound thing."

DNA tests on the hair and bone samples that could definitely determine that the fragments belonged to Beethoven is currently underway, Meredith said.

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On the Net:

Center for Beethoven Studies: http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven