Queen Elizabeth II is a cannibal, NASA is hiding the truth about a second sun from us, the Ice Bucket Challenge was a satanic ritual, and Finland doesn’t exist – it all sounds crazy, right? Just wait until you hear the next conspiracy theory that has recently taken the Internet by storm. Ludwig van Beethoven was actually black and European-Americans have deliberately concealed this fact.
The claim first emerged on the Internet in 2015, alleging that the composer was of African descent and that he wore white powder when he appeared in public or performed in order to hide his identity. In addition, the virtuoso pianist used body doubles when artists wanted to paint his portrait. Back then, netizens paid little attention to it, but following the recent protests against racial discrimination in the United States and across the world, the resurfaced claim is driving social media users crazy, with netizens accusing white historians of hiding the truth.
The same fate also befell another great classical composer.
Even French author Alexandre Dumas was brought up...
Others criticised the idea that Beethoven was black as well as those who blindly trust any information they see online.
Still others honed their meme skills and humour.
And joked about the origins of the claim.