How did municipal self-government help develop a politically active middle class in Prussia?

Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein believed that for a state to be healthy and efficient, citizens must be actively involved in its affairs. His Municipal Ordinance (Städteordnung) of 1808 was a key instrument in this effort, as it introduced self-government for urban communes.1

By enabling towns to manage their local affairs through their own citizenry—specifically by creating town councils and distinguishing them from salaried executive officials—Stein sought to foster civic-mindedness (Bürgersinn) and community spirit (Gemeingeist). This practice of self-government was intended to encourage the populace to adopt the state’s interests as their own, effectively making participation in public life a moral postulate. By inviting the cooperation of middle-class citizens in local governance, these reforms provided a foundation for a more politically active middle class, moving away from the rigid, centralized control that had previously suppressed municipal autonomy.12