The 236 surviving letters and 243 critically annotated letters published in this edition address various topics, including the reorganization of the Weimar theatre, the reconstruction of the ducal palace, the Ilmenau mining industry, the University of Jena, and the family's move to new quarters (the Haus am Frauenplan). During this period, Goethe began his study of optics and color theory; a collected edition of his works was also published.