No composer was as closely associated with a city as Mozart was with Salzburg. Mozart hated Salzburg. Now, during the festival season, it is striking how provincial this little town is to this day, which was Bavarian for the longest time and has been Austrian since 1816. History shows that you can not only return conquered territories and cultural assets acquired cheaply, but also a bit of national pride, which is based on great musicians, for example. Some countries make demands that can easily be met. Other questions will remain, such as whether Handel was English and whether Mozart and Beethoven were German or Austrian. And what about Hitler, is often added at this point. The question is usually whether the place of birth decides these questions or the area of residence and activity. The latter can be both a foreign country under international law and a cultural homeland. For the sake of simplicity, the place of birth and its state classification at the time of the artist’s birth are usually what counts. According to this, Franz Liszt is Hungarian, although his birthplace is now in Austria.
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