Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven (4 September 1774 – 15 November 1815) was the only son born to Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven and Johanna van Beethoven (née Reiß: Reiss) and the sole nephew of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. He is mainly remembered for being at the center of a bitter custody battle between his mother and famous uncle after his father’s death—a drama that profoundly shaped both artistic…