Gottfried van Swieten

Gottfried Freiherr van Swieten
Born
Godefridus Bernardus "Godfried" van Swieten

(1733-10-29)October 29, 1733
DiedMarch 29, 1803(1803-03-29) (aged 69)
EducationTheresianum, a Jesuit school in Vienna
Occupation(s)diplomat, librarian, official
FatherGerard van Swieten

Gottfried Freiherr van Swieten (29 October 1733 – 29 March 1803)[1] was a Dutch-born Austrian diplomat, librarian, and government official who served the Holy Roman Empire during the 18th century. He was an enthusiastic amateur musician and is best remembered today as the patron of several great composers of the Classical era, including Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.