How did the October Edict change rules for buying and selling land in Prussia?

The October Edict of 1807, sponsored by Karl, Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein, fundamentally transformed land ownership in Prussia by removing long-standing legal barriers.

Prior to this reform, the Prussian state enforced strict social and economic divisions, including prohibitions that prevented nobles from selling their land to non-nobles. The October Edict abolished these restrictions, allowing land to be bought and sold freely regardless of the social status of the buyer or seller.1

This change was a critical component of Stein’s broader efforts to modernize the Prussian state, transition the country toward civil liberty, and establish equality before the law. By enabling the free exchange of landed property, the edict helped dismantle the rigid feudal structures that had previously dominated the Prussian economy and society.1