Introduction:

At the beginning of the 19th century, the politicians Karl Freiherr vom und zum Stein, August von Hardenberg, and Wilhelm von Humboldt, emerged as the so-called "Prussian reformers". Many publications have pointed out the special qualifications and activities of each of them, while others focused on the personal and political relations between them. In this respect, the diaries of the leading politicians are promising sources of comparative studies on the "driving forces" of Prussian reform policy at the time of the Congress of Vienna and thereafter. However, one aspect was left open by related available studies for further research, namely the interrelations between leading politicians and academic economists in Prussia during the Congress of Vienna and the subsequent decades.

This paper is focused on the conclusive research-problem: Did the "Prussian reformers" acknowledge research concepts of academic economists in Germany and Central Europe? In addition, the question is examined, whether the economic effects of the political decisions met by the Congress of Vienna were foreseen and considered by politicians and contemporary economists.