Please nobody mention that Voltaire quote.
This came up in a pub quiz which we lost by many many points.... but regardless the quiz master said Germany. But theres this lingering feeling like... was Germany the actually right answer if it was confederated some decades later.
We are happy enough to say Beethoven was German. But was he actually 'born in Germany?'
Yes, it is not incorrect to say that Beethoven was born in Germany. In 1770, when the composer was born, Bonn, his birthplace was a capital of the Cologne Electorate (ger. Kurfürstentum Köln) or Cologne Archbishopric, a constituent state of Holy Roman Empire that, in turn, has been formed around the territorial core of German Kingdom (ger. Königreich Deutschland). After 962, the HRE and German Kingdom were basically synonymous as the two entities shared almost all political institutions. Since the times of Maximillian I (reigned as Emperor in 1508-1519), each German king was automatically gaining the title of Emperor. Because of this, the Holy Roman Empire gradually became the only official name used in practice, although the Emperors were still using both titles. Of note is also the official name of the state, i.e. 'Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation' (ger. Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation), first used in mid 1470s and officially introduced after the Diet of Cologne in 1512. Although not used too often, this name gives a rationale to identify subjects of German Emperor and Imperial Electors as 'Germans'. Kingdom officially ceased to exist only in 1806, when Francis II was forced by Napoleon Bonaparte to abdicate as a German King and Holy Roman Emperor, effectively disbanding the Holy Roman Empire.