Franz Xaver Niemetschek
Illustration — Portrait of Niemetschek Franz Xaver Niemetschek (František Xaver Němeček; 24 July 1766 – 19 March 1849) was a Czech philosopher, teacher and music critic. He wrote the first full-length biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which has remained an important source of information about the composer.
Also recorded as František Xaver Němeček
Franz Xaver Niemetschek

Eva Maria Mandl · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1766. · Sadská.
- Died
- 1849. · Vienna.
- Nationality
- Austrian Empire.
- Occupation
- philosopher, music historian, biographer, composer, music journalist, teacher, literary critic and writer.
- Languages
- Czech.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Illustration — Portrait of Niemetschek Franz Xaver Niemetschek (František Xaver Němeček; 24 July 1766 – 19 March 1849) was a Czech philosopher, teacher and music critic. He wrote the first full-length biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which has remained an important source of information about the composer.
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wikidata · Q2472032 · wikipedia · Franz Xaver Niemetschek
In this article
Life
Life
Born in Sadská, Bohemia, Niemetschek came from a large, musical family. He received his schooling in Prague at the Gymnasium and read philosophy at the university. He taught poetry and Latin at the Gymnasiums in Plzeň and started a music publishing business. In 1800, he was awarded a doctorate and in 1802, he became professor at Prague University, lecturing on logic, ethics and pedagogy. The composer Jan Václav Voříšek was one of his pupils. He was made a freeman of Plzeň and Prague for his many valuable contributions to the arts, e.g. as director of the institute for the deaf and dumb. He wrote books on music history. He lived near the residence of Josepha Duschek in the Liechtenstein Palace in the Malá Strana quarter of Prague and was a frequent visitor at the musical gatherings in Bertramka. In 1820, he retired to Vienna after disagreements with the university authorities. • Illustration — Niemetschek's grave, Vienna Niemetschek was one of the first music critics in Prague. He saw the Singspiel as the principal factor in the decline of musical standards in the city. Niemetschek died in Vienna at the age of 82 and is buried in St. Marx Cemetery. Unfortunately, his estate, which contained many valuable documents, is now lost.
Mozart biography
Mozart biography
Mozart's widow Constanze made many documents available to him for his research. His book Leben des k.k. Kapellmeisters Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart was published in 1798. Later, in 1808, it was published in an altered form with the title Lebensbeschreibung des k.k. Kapellmeisters Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Niemetschek claimed to have had a long association with Mozart, but the lack of direct quotations or citings of personal conversations leads some scholars to doubt his claims. However, he welcomed Mozart's two surviving sons, Karl and Wolfgang Jr., into his home in the Lesser Quarter and became a foster father figure to them. As the biography makes clear, Niemetschek was very proud of his Czech nationality, and he strongly emphasizes the warm reception that Mozart received during his visits to Prague. Based on research by Austrian scholar Walther Brauneis, severe doubt has recently been cast on the veracity of Niemetschek's claim that he actually made Mozart's personal acquaintance.

Grab von Franz Xaver Niemetschek auf dem St. Marxer Friedhof in Wien
Waldteufel78
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1849
Franz Xaver Niemetschek died at Vienna.
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Sadská.
Birth place
Vienna.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2472032: Franz Xaver Niemetschek
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Franz Xaver Niemetschek”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mozart: An Introduction to the Music, the Man, and the Myths. Amadeus Press. 15. 2010. 978-1574671896.
- 2.Walter Brauneis. Franz Xaver Niemetschek : Sa relation avec Mozart - une légende ? . Internationaler Musikwissenschaftlicher Kongreß zum Mozartjahr 1991. ed. Ingrid Fuchs, (Hans Schneider, Tutzing 1993). 1991.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 2
- Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, édité par Stanley Sadie ; 1980 ; .
- Harold Salfellner. Mozart and Prague. Vitalis. 2003. 80-7253-069-0.
References
Citations
References
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authority file
VIAF cluster 2593018 for Franz Xaver Niemetschek, aggregating national library name authorities.OCLC
Partially resolvedreference work
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Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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