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The Hiller lock

The Hiller lock, formerly thought to be Beethoven’s hair.
The Hiller lock, formerly thought to be Beethoven’s hair. Photo: Image credit: Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, San Jose State University. Photo by William Meredith

The researchers studied eight locks of hair associated with Ludwig van Beethoven. The Hiller lock (pictured above) turned out not to be a genuine lock of Beethoven’s hair; in fact, genetic analysis indicated it came from a woman.