Röckel, Elisabeth

OPERA SINGER (GERMANY)
BORN 15 Mar 1793, Neunburg vorm Wald, Bayern - DIED 3 Mar 1883, Weimar, Thüringen
GRAVE LOCATION Weimar, Thüringen: Historischer Friedhof, Poseckscher Garten (At the eastern wall)

Elisabeth Röckel (baptised as Maria Eva) was a younger sister of the opera singer Joseph August Röckel (1783-1870). In 1806 she went to Vienna, where she became friends with Anna Milder-Haputmann and often met Ludwig von Beethoven. It was suggested by Martin Kopitz in "Der Spiegel" in 2009 that Beethoven wrote his "Für Elise" with her in mind when she left Vienna for Bamberg in 1810 but there is no proof for this.

In Bamberg she debuted as Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni" by Mozart. She also befriended E.T.A. Hoffmann. In 1813 she married Johann Nepomuk Hummel. During the days before his death Beethoven was visited several times by Elisabeth and her husband. In 1934 it was discovered by Wilhelm Hummel in Florence that they had cut and taken a lock of Beethoven's hair. She also received Beethoven's last pen as a gift in 1827. Like the lock of hair she kept it until her death in 1883.

Family
• Husband: Hummel, Johann Nepomuk (1813-1837)

Related persons
• was a friend of Beethoven, Ludwig van
• was a friend of Hoffmann, Ernst Theodor Amadeus
• was a friend of Milder-Hauptmann, Anna

Images

The grave of Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Elisabeth Röckel at the Friedhof vor dem Frauenturm, Weimar.
Picture by Androom (05 Feb 2005)

 

Sources
Elisabeth Röckel - Wikipedia


Roda Roda, Alexander

Published: 19 Nov 2017
Last update: 03 Jan 2022