In this letter to his friend Bernard Beethoven tells how he is displeased with Blöchlinger, the head of the school attended by Karl. He is disappointed that he has allowed the mother access to her child despite his instructions (Beethoven wanted to prevent contact between the child and his mother at all costs). He is planning to get an injunction preventing the mother from having any contact with the child.
At the beginning of the letter he asks to enquire whether Karl was regularly examined by a doctor while he was ill and whether the tailor Lind has already sent his jacket. At the end of the letter he writes bitterly of his disappointment because the child has rejected him.
In 1819 Beethoven had already battled for three years with his sister-in-law concerning the guardianship of his nephew Karl. Beethoven wanted to find a son in this child and to be a faithful father to him; he projected all his hopes onto Karl. These high expectations of love, affection and also gratitude, admiration and subordination obviously overtaxed Karl. To make things more difficult Karl loved his mother, from whom his uncle wanted to separate him at all costs.
