In April 1797, Beethoven wrote and published another pedestrian patriotic ditty: “Kriegslied der Öesterreicher” (“War Song of the Austrians”), set to a text by Josef Friedelberg, and intended to bolster Austrian resolve against the French army.
“Kriegslied der Öesterreicher” begins
We are one great German people, Powerful and just. You Frenchmen, you doubt this? You do not know us very well. For our prince is good, Our valour exalted! … And our women beautiful. How could things be better for us?
#Beethoven250 Day 91
“Kriegslied der Öesterreicher” (WoO 122), 1797
Only the central two of the four verses are sung in this recording.
Alas, Beethoven’s “Kriegslied der Öesterreicher” failed to turn the tide of war. In April 1797, the same month that the song was published, the Austrians were forced to accept peace terms that while not onerous, were emotionally bruising.
It’s likely that in the summer of 1797, Beethoven came down with typhus, but some scholars believe it was in 1796, or something other than typhus. Years later, it might have caused his hearing loss. Or maybe just contributed to it. Or maybe had nothing to do with it.