2. Beethoven's Family: Settling in Bonn

Beethoven's earliest known ancestors stemmed from Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region in the north of modern-day Belgium. The name Beethoven is often thought to derive from "Beet" (beetroot) and "Hof" (garden). According to an alternative explanation, however, the name stems from a place called Betho near Tongeren in Belgium. The country seat at Tongeren was referred to as "Bethove" or "Bethoven" in a document from 1582. The "van" preceding the name indicates "from" (a given locality), unlike the German "von," which denotes nobility. In Vienna many people did not know the difference and assumed that Beethoven was of noble birth. The composer did not correct this misconception, and his non-aristocratic origins were only revealed many years later during a custody battle over his nephew.