1. Bonn: A Town on the Rhine

Bonn's history goes back more the 2,000 years to the early Roman Empire, but our history will begin in the late 17th century, when the town was nearly completely destroyed during the Nine Year's War, a conflict between King Louis XIV of France and a coalition representing the Holy Roman Empire. Strategically located along the Rhine and near both French and Dutch territories, it suffered other major invasions before the arrival of Louis van Beethoven, the famous composer's grandfather, in 1733. This part of the exhibit explores the town as it developed around the time the Beethovens settled there.