Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky

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Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky



He was born in Vienna the eldest son of Count Johann Carl Gottlieb von Lichnowsky and his wife, Countess Carolina von Althann. Although Lichnowsky spent most of his time in Vienna, it was actually in Prussia that he held the title of prince, while his estates were located in Grätz, then in the Silesian province that Prussia had conquered from Austria earlier in the century. The location is today called Hradec nad Moravicí and is within the borders of the Czech Republic.[2]



He was a lodge brother of Mozart; see Mozart and Freemasonry.[5]

He died of a stroke in Vienna on 15 April 1814.[6]

Relation with Mozart[edit]



Relation with Beethoven[edit]



In 1800, Lichnowsky gave Beethoven an annual allowance of 600 florins until such time as he found a regular appointment as a musician (this never happened). The stipend continued until 1806, when a furious quarrel erupted between the two, terminating their friendship: Beethoven, staying at Lichnowsky's country estate, had refused to play for visiting French officers. Later, arriving home in Vienna, Beethoven smashed a bust of the Prince.[2]

In 1809, it is not Lichnowsky, still personally estranged from Beethoven, but Lobkowitz who joined with two other aristocrats (Archduke Rudolph and Prince Kinsky) in arranging a stipend for the composer. However, due to economic chaos (Napoleon had just occupied Vienna with his army), it was not possible to pay the stipend, and Beethoven later filed a lawsuit against Lichnowsky and Kinsky.[7]





  2. ^ a b Clive 2001, 205
  3. ^ a b c d Grove
  4. ^ a b Deutsch 1965, 339
  5. ^ Solomon 1995
  6. ^ Wiener Zeitung, 20 April 1814, p. 444
  7. ^ Source for this paragraph: Grove
  8. ^ Date from Nosow (1997)


  • Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, article "Lichnowsky". Online edition. Copyright 2007 by Oxford University Press. The article is by Elliott Forbes and William Meredith.

External links[edit]