The Tragic Death Of Four Of Beethoven's Siblings

When his father saw his child's talent, he hoped to mold him as a prodigy so he could find the same success and fortune that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart experienced as a young phenom, but Beethoven wouldn't become famous until much later.

Beethoven, the second of seven children, also saw many of his siblings die, according to My Heritage. Only he and two younger brothers — Kaspar Anton Karl and Nikolaus Johann — reached adulthood. His older brother, Ludwig Maria, lived less than a week. His sister, Anna Maria Francisca, died after a few months. Brother Franz Georg only lived until he was 2. Another sister, Maria Margarita Josepha died at 1 in 1786 — the same year, Beethoven's mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich died, probably of consumption.

While mortality rates were not great around that time, according to Our World in Data, with life expectancies of 40 considered high, the onslaught of so much familial death impacted Beethoven. When his brother Kaspar died of tuberculosis in 1815, he ended up caring for his nephew, Karl. He often addressed him as "My son" in letters and helped him financially throughout his life, according to CMUSE.

But, even, becoming a father figure for his brother's son had a toll. He quarreled with his widow, Johanna, and a seven-year custody battle ensued, according to Biography — just another difficult situation for Beethoven to navigate.