Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 3 July 1778
- Mozart's mother died in Paris, apparently quite suddenly, from unfounded disease. She found herself in Paris while accompanying her son Wolfgang, who was traveling around Europe in search of work at that time.
On this day in 1778, the mother of the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Paris.
Her name was Maria Anna Mozart, and she found herself in Paris because she was accompanying her son Wolfgang, who was travelling around Europe in search of work at that time.
She took this long journey reluctantly, complaining that she was too old (she was 57 years old). Anna Maria gave birth to Mozart when she was 35, so her son was only 22 at the time of his mother’s death.
Although Anna Maria spent most of her life in Salzburg, where little Wolfgang was born, she however was not born in that city. She was actually born in the village of St. Gilgen on the shores of the alpine lake Wolfgangsee. This picturesque place is about 25 kilometers away from Salzburg, to the east towards Bad Ischl.
Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart never managed to visit the place (it was his intention), his grandfather (also called Wolfgang) worked there and his sister moved there after marrying. Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl is reportedly known to reside in St. Gilgen during the summer.
In Paris, Mozart’s mother died, apparently quite suddenly, from unfounded disease. She was also buried in Paris, next to the Church of St Eustace (near today’s Les Halles precinct).
