The renowned German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven has long been the subject of theories that he had African heritage. The rumor has become a popular joke on Twitter, leading many academics to look into its origins, and whether there is any veracity to the claims.  

German history professor Kira Thurman tweeted:

Hi gang! I’m not on twitter much right now, but because several of you have asked for my take on the question, “Was Beethoven Black?”

Here’s my answer as a scholar who writes about black musicians in Europe for a living:

1/?

— Dr. Kira Thurman (@kira_thurman) June 18, 2020

Many academics have debated this question, and for more than a century various iterations of this claim have flourished. Dominique-René de Lerma reported that British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor may have speculated in 1907 about Beethoven having “coloured blood in his veins.” According to the 1990 academic article “Beethoven as a Black Composer” by de Lerma in the Black Music Research Journal, Coleridge-Taylor reportedly thought this because of “the great composer’s type of features and many little points in his character, as well as by his friendship for [George Bridgewater], the mulatto violinist.” However, de Lerma pointed out that Beethoven’s friendship could not be considered as evidence, even though it was known that he was darker complexioned. 

De Lerma emphasized that Beethoven’s ancestors were all known to be Flemish, though at some…