When in 1807 Prussia's crisis brought the baron vom Stein and later the prince von Hardenberg into government, they introduced a comprehensive social and economic reform programme. It was strongly based on the ideas of Kant and Kraus. Important reformers were their followers, including many East Prussians such as von Schön and von Schrötter.
Old estate-based bonds were to be abolished and in their stead citizens' rights and responsibilities were to be strengthened. Serfdom was abolished with the Memel October Edict of 1807. This beginning of the agricultural reforms was followed by freedom of trade and municipal self-government, tax reforms, strict state administration and the emancipation edict for Jews.
The East Prussian nobility in particular resisted and the agricultural reforms were lessened again after 1815. Nevertheless, the reforms were the cornerstone of Prussia’s strength in the 19th century together with the education reform by Humboldt and that of the military by Gneisenau.
Illustrations:
1.) Theodor von Schön (1773-1856)
The son of a domain tenant in East Prussia von Schön wrote an expert report on hereditary subservience, which became the core of the 1807 October Edict by von Stein. On their domains the Prussian kings had already abolished serfdom in the 18th century. Von Schön was later the "Oberpräsident" (supreme representative of the Prussian Crown) of the Province of Prussia. Even in the pre-revolutionary period he was one of the liberal reformers until he left the civil service in 1842. In recognition of his comprehensive restoration of the Marienburg (today Malbork Castle), he was appointed the burgrave thereof.
2.) Friedrich Leopold von Schrötter (1743-1815), 1794
Von Schrötter was "Oberpräsident" (supreme representative of the Prussian Crown) in Königsberg from 1791. His ideas were deeply influenced by liberal Enlightenment figures like Immanuel Kant, Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel the Elder, Johann Georg Scheffner and Christian Jacob Kraus. He became famous due to the "Schroettersche Landaufnahme" (Schrötter land survey), a surveying project of both East and West Prussia.
Title quote: From the October Edict of 1807