HARDENBERG, Karl Au gust, PRINCE, Prussian diplomat and Chancel lor: b. Essenrode, Hanover, 31 May 1750; d. Genoa, Italy, 26 Nov. 1822. To his efforts with those of Baron Stein, Prussia owes her wide-spread plan of social and political reor ganization, the reform of the military system, the overthrow of so-called feudalistic rights, the uplift of the peasantry, the spread of edu cation and the opening of the civil service to all classes. He had studied at Leipzig and G8t tingen, acquired early knowledge of political government at Regensburg, Vienna and Berlin, and traveled in France, Holland and England. He married the Countess Reventlow; in 1778 became privy councillor; and went to England, where his wife's intrigue with the Prince of Wales marred his career, and caused his res ignation from the Hanoverian service. From 1782-87 he served the Duke of Brunswick, be coming president of the council of state; in 1790 was appointed to administer the margra vate of Ansbach and Bayreuth, and the fol lowing year when it was incorporated with Prussia, King Frederick II made him Minister of State and Cabinet member. During the Napoleonic wars he was prominent in the man agement of public affairs; in 1804 became first Prussian Minister, and incurred the displeasure of Napoleon who insisted on his dismissal in the Treaty of Tilsit. In 1810, however, after the resignation of Stein, he was appointed Prus sian Chancellor, and began that series of re forms with which his name is inseparably linked in Prussian history by the War of Liberation.
He was a signatory to the first peace of Paris, 30 May 1814, and received the title of prince, 3 June 1814. He visited England with the allied sovereigns and was the chief representative of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna 1814-15, where, however, he was not equal to the di plomacy of Metternich and, weakening to reac tionary measures, sank in public favor. In 1822 he went to Italy to attend the Congress of Verona and shortly after its close died suddenly at Genoa. Withheld for half a cen tury, his 'Memoirs, were edited by Ranke and published with a biographical intro duction. Consult Ranke, L. von, keiten des Fiirsten von (5 vols., Leipzig 1877) ; Klose,• 'Leben Karl Augusts, Fiirsten von Hardenberg) (Halle 1807) ; Meier, E., 'Die Reform der Verwaltungsorganisation unter Stein und Hardenberg) (Leipzig 1::1) ; Meyer C., 'Hardenberg and seine Verwaltung der Fiirstentilmer Ansbach und (Breslau 1892) ; Koser, Neuordnung des preussischen archivwesens durch die Staatskanz ler Fiirsten v. (Leipzig 1904) ; See ley, J. R., 'Life and Times of Stein) (London 1879).