How did Karl von Hardenberg continue the reforms begun by Karl vom Stein?

Karl August von Hardenberg continued the reform process initiated by Karl vom Stein by launching the second stage of these efforts starting in 1810, when he became prime minister with full powers. While Stein’s reforms were rooted in a conservative liberalism and an ethicopolitical concern for civic participation, Hardenberg applied them in a spirit more closely aligned with the Enlightenment and the administrative reforms of the French Revolution.12

Hardenberg’s legislative program from 1810 to 1812 included several key measures:
* Economic Liberalization: He simplified and unified excise duties and introduced freedom of trade.1
* Tax Reform: He sought to impose property taxes on the nobility, who had previously been exempt, and introduced a profit tax.1
* Social Equality: He regulated the redemption of peasant holdings and established civic equality for the Jewish population.1
* Administrative Efficiency: He further empowered the executive in intermediary administrative spheres.1

Although Hardenberg attempted to foster public support by preparing a representative assembly with consultative powers, his plans were frequently hindered by the opposition of aristocratic landowners and the king’s reluctance to fully embrace constitutional change.1