In a remarkable turn of events, bone fragments believed to belong to the 18th-century composer Ludwig van Beethoven have been repatriated to Vienna after residing in a locked drawer of a home in Carmichael, California, for the past three decades.
The extraordinary journey of Paul Kaufmann, the possessor of these curious relics, began in 1990 following the passing of his mother, who had lived in a town in the south of France. As he went through her belongings, he stumbled upon a key that unlocked a safety deposit box, revealing another box filled with enigmatic contents. Inside this black tin container, marked with the name Beethoven, were fragments of a skull believed to be linked to one of the greatest composers in history.
Over the course of 30 years, Kaufmann delved into the mystery surrounding these bone fragments. He brought the skull back to the United States and commenced thorough research, seeking assistance from renowned scholars in San Francisco and San Jose. The investigators expressed great enthusiasm about the discovery.
Through his research, Kaufmann uncovered a connection to his great-great uncle, Dr. Franz Romeo Seligmann, a Viennese physician who was also a medical historian and anthropologist. It was revealed that Dr. Seligmann received the bone fragments in 1863 after Beethoven’s body was exhumed for research, particularly to understand the cause of the composer’s deafness in one ear. However, the limited technology of that era hindered significant progress in the research, and the findings went cold.
The fragments were handed down through generations and eventually came into Kaufmann’s possession as the sole surviving family member. In an act of generosity, Kaufmann recently traveled to the Medical University of Vienna to return the fragments as a donation, now known as the “Seligmann Fragments.”
Kaufmann expressed his exhilaration at the repatriation, feeling the joy of his mother and other relatives who had passed away and were now finally returning to Vienna, where they rightfully belonged.
A portion of the bone fragments will undergo further examination at a DNA lab, although researchers at the Medical University in Vienna already believe them to be authentic, further solidifying the significance of this extraordinary discovery.