The mystery surrounding a skull believed to belong to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart remains unresolved despite extensive DNA analysis resembling a forensic investigation. In a documentary titled “Mozart: The Search for Evidence,” aired on Austrian state broadcaster ORF, lead researcher Dr. Walther Parson and his team revealed that the results from genetic testing on the skull’s teeth compared with DNA from skeletons in Mozart’s family grave did not definitively prove the skull’s identity.
The skull, missing its lower jaw, has been in the possession of the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg since 1902. Efforts to confirm its link to Mozart intensified ahead of the composer’s 250th birth anniversary. Parson’s team examined genetic material from teeth removed from the skull and compared it with DNA from skeletons assumed to be Mozart’s relatives. However, the analysis showed no familial connection among the skeletons, casting doubt on the skull’s authenticity.
The inability to conclusively link the skull to Mozart adds another layer to its mystique. Legend has it that Joseph Rothmayer, a gravedigger, took the skull from Mozart’s pauper’s grave in Vienna’s St. Mark’s Cemetery in 1801. Despite its missing lower jaw and uncertain origins, the skull has intrigued experts, including a French anthropologist who speculated in 1991 that Mozart may have died from a head injury rather than rheumatic fever, based on a fracture observed on the skull.
This year’s anniversary has prompted renewed interest in Mozart’s life and death, with new revelations emerging. Otto Biba, a researcher, claims in a book that Mozart may not have been as financially destitute as previously thought, suggesting he earned a substantial income at the peak of his career. These discoveries, alongside the ongoing fascination with the Mozart skull, highlight the enduring intrigue surrounding one of history’s most celebrated composers.
Despite advancements in forensic technology and extensive historical research, some mysteries, such as the true identity of the Mozart skull, continue to elude definitive answers, leaving room for speculation and continued investigation into the life and death of the musical genius.