When and where did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart die?
Mozart died at his home in Vienna on the 5th of December 1791, at 12:55 in the morning. He was thirty-five years old.
Questions about Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the most likely cause of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's death?
A post-hoc epidemiological study found that deaths from edema, Mozart's principal symptom, were markedly elevated among younger Viennese men in the weeks surrounding his death. The researchers concluded the evidence pointed to a streptococcal infection leading to acute nephritic syndrome, known in 18th-century Austria as "Wassersucht." Other proposed causes include rheumatic fever, a chronic subdural hematoma, and trichinosis.
Was Mozart really buried in a pauper's grave?
No. Mozart was buried in a common grave, meaning a citizen's burial rather than an aristocratic one, at the St. Marx Cemetery on the 7th of December 1791. It was an individual grave, not a communal one, and the simple burial reflected both standard Viennese custom and Mozart's own stated disdain for elaborate funeral rites.
Did Antonio Salieri poison Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
No. The accusation that Salieri poisoned Mozart has been disproven; Mozart's symptoms were inconsistent with poisoning. The rumor nonetheless spread widely and contributed to nervous breakdowns in Salieri's later life.
What was Mozart doing in the hours before he died?
On the afternoon of the 4th of December 1791, Mozart participated in a rehearsal of his unfinished Requiem with his friend Benedikt Schack and two others. They reached the Lacrimosa when Mozart began to weep and set the score aside. He died eleven hours later, in the early morning of the 5th of December.
How did Constanze Mozart support herself after Mozart's death?
Constanze successfully petitioned the Emperor for a widow's pension on the 11th of December 1791, citing Mozart's service as a part-time chamber composer. She also organized benefit concerts of Mozart's music and arranged the publication of many of his works, building financial security over the years that followed.