Nassau memorandum
The Nassau memorandum (full title: " On the Appropriate Formation of the Supreme and Provincial, Finance and Police Authorities in the Prussian Monarchy ") is the draft of a comprehensive reform of the state for the Prussian monarchy, written by Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein in 1807 Country. It formed one of the conceptual bases for the Prussian reforms .
backgrounds
Stein wrote the memorandum after his temporary release from the Prussian cabinet. It was created at the baron's castle in Nassau as a reaction to the catastrophic defeat of Prussia in the battle of Jena and Auerstedt . Stein saw the underlying causes in the state and administrative structure of Prussia, which was outdated compared to the modern French organization. Stein was particularly critical of the cabinet system , in which the specialist ministers had no direct access to the monarch.
content
The author followed up on an earlier memorandum of April 1806 in which he had called for a Council of State to be established. The focus is on ideas for reforming the state administration at all levels. According to Stein, the highest state authority, the General Directorate, should replace the juxtaposition of provincial and material ministries with clearly delimited departments according to factual issues.
At the lower levels of the state, citizens should be involved in provincial and local government. This participation should, however, be limited to the "established owners". The non-owning layers were thus excluded. He sketched a new urban order. Starting with the self-governing municipality, district assemblies and provincial parishes should follow as further levels of citizen participation. Overall, state bureaucracy and self-administration should be dovetailed.
Although the main focus of the memorandum was the reform of the administration from the top to the local authorities, Stein's real goal was the general modernization of Prussia. However, Stein did not only fall back on Western models in state and constitutional theory, but also older class structures played a role.
As the central reform goal he formulated: " Invigoration of the community spirit and the civic spirit, the use of dormant and misguided forces and scattered knowledge, the harmony between the spirit of the nation, its views and needs and those of the state authorities, the revival of feelings for Fatherland, independence and national honor. "
literature
- Elisabeth Fehrenbach : From the Ancien Regime to the Congress of Vienna. 4th revised edition. Oldenbourg (= Oldenbourg floor plan of the story 12), Munich 2001, ISBN 3-486-49754-5 , p. 111f.