The inauguration ceremonies on August 12, 1845

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Color illustration of the inauguration ceremonies for Hähnel's monument of Beethoven in Bonn on August 12, 1845

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Exhibited: The Beethovens on the Rhine (2020). Exhibition text: The festival to inaugurate the Beethoven statue opened on Sunday, August 10, with a concert of Beethoven’s music attended by 1,800 people, according to a report by Sir George Smart. The actual unveiling of the statue took place two days later; Hector Berlioz reported that the mob required him to “make persistent use of [his] fists” in order to penetrate the barriers around the statue. All was on hold, however, until Queen Victoria and Price Albert took their places on a high balcony in a private home on the square; then, more anxious waiting ensued while Dr. Breidenstein gave a speech that Berlioz likened to “Sophocles reading his tragedies at the Olympic Games.” Finally the cover came off, and the response was deafening: “applause, cheers, trumpet fanfares, drum rolls, the fire of rifle squads, volleys of cannons and bells, the whole admiring fracas, which is the voice of glory for civilized nations, burst forth anew and saluted the image of the great composers.” Queen Victoria was not amused, however, to discover that from her vantage point she could only see the Beethoven statue’s backside.

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This work may not be in the public domain and may be protected by copyright laws of the country of the copyright holder. The digital images attached to this record may be used for teaching or research purposes under the provisions of the fair-use statute of the copyright law of the United States. For further information see the Beethoven Center's website at https://www.sjsu.edu/beethoven/collection/library-materials/index.php

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