STEW, HEDMICH FlirEDRICII KARL, Baron von, one of the greatest statesmen that ever conducted Prussian affairs. belonged to an old Rhenish-Franconian family, and was born at Nassau, Oct. 26. 1757. He studied at GiAtingen from 1773 to 1777; entered the service of Prussia in 1778, and m 1784 had risen to be at the head of the depart ment of mines for Westphalia. In 1786 he visited England in company with his friends, the counts von Redern and Sehlahberndorf, and carefully studied the institu tions of that country, for which he conceived a high admiration, and sought to intro duce them at a later period into Prussia. After several minor preferments. he was appointed, in 1797, president of the Westphalian chambers. where lie displayed rare :Administrative talent. In Oct.,-1804, •he entered the Prussian ministry as chief of the department of indirect imposts, taxes, manufactures and commerce. In this capa city he effected important ameliorations, particularly by abolishing various restrictions on the internal trade of the nation; yet to his great grief and vexation lie found himself incapable of modifying the policy that resulted in the French invasion and conquest. Of a thoroughly conservative and religious disposition, full of pious reverence fqr the past, so far as it possessed vital energy, but strongly opposed to the bureaucracy and military despotism; recognizing in the self-governing powers of communities and prov inces the only practical guaranty of national liberty, yet, as a baron of the empire, hostile to the anarchic sovereignty of little states, he occupied a political stand point Which procured for him many adversaries and few friends. In 1807 he was dismissed from ortice by the king, and withdrew to his estate in Nassau; but the peace of Tilsit Opened the eyes of his sovereign to the wisdom of Stein's policy, and in less than seven months he was recalled, with the approbation of Napoleon, who had as yet no idea of the deep and earnest patriotism of the minister. Stein's industry was untiring. Seeing clearly that, in a military point of view, Prussia was powerless for the mono nt, he set about developing her internal resources by attempting a series of administrative and political reforms, known as Stein's System—the principal of which were the abolition of serfage, with indemnification to the territorial lords; the subjdel ion of the, nobles to mano rial imposts; equality of orders in the sight of the law; the universal P6ligalion of mili tary service; promotion in the state by merit alone, without distinction of caste; and the establishment of a municipal system analogous to that of England. Some of these
reforms were carried out by Stein, and others by his successor, Hardenhurg (q.v.). Meanwhile, he had beeoine suspected by Napoleon. Among other things, an inter cepted letter was brought to the French emperor, in which his policy was sharply criti cised. Stein was obliged to resign (Nov. ibOS), and rctired to Austria, where be became the center of a secret national society—the Tugenbund. Napoleon, who bitterly hated patriots that stood in his way, confiscated his property. In 1812 Stein was summoned to Russia by the emperor Alexander, and contributed by his comneils to prepare the coali tion against Napoleon. After the march of the allies into Saxony, he was appointed presi dent of the council of all the German slates; was a leader in all the military diplomacy of that stirring time up to the congresses of Vienna and A ix-la-Chr.pelle, in which, however, he took no part, owing to the intrigues of the Bavarian minister, acting for the lesser states of Germany, who knew well that he (lid not look with a favorable eye on their anarchic autonomy. The absolutists were also against him. Stein's :olive political career was now finished; henceforth lie enjoyed some honorable functiods, but no power, and died at Frileht, July 29, 1831.--L-See Pertz's Libel, des Preiherrn von Stein (1855); Professor Seeley's Life and limes of Stein (1879). His correspondence with Humboldt, Gneisenau, Eichhorn, Niebuhr, etc., is extremely valuable fur the political history of the period,