With this letter Beethoven sends the monthly payment for Blöchlinger's school, which his nephew Karl attended. In addition he also encloses an extra 10 florins for unforeseen expenses, the remainder of which he asks to be deducted from the payment for the coming month.
Beethoven lists the people who are permitted to visit Karl. He will inform him of any others in advance in writing. His nephew is also only permitted to leave the school if he has written in advance.
Beethoven stresses that his instructions must be followed to the letter and that no unauthorized decisions are to be made any more. Blöchlinger should inform Beethoven of his nephew's wishes in writing; correspondence is to be sent to him via the publisher Steiner.
These orders are mainly intended to keep Johanna van Beethoven, the mother of the child, away from her son. Beethoven had taken Johanna to court regarding Karl's guardianship (this explains the emphasis "sole guardian of my nephew" added to the signature). Beethoven greatly disapproved of his sister-in-law Johanna, he thought she was awful. As the mother did not allow herself to be kept from visiting her son or from having contact with him, the composer tried to prevent the mother and son meeting at all costs.
