Royal finance and constitutional monarchy: the introduction of the Prussian pseudo-civil list, c. 1818

The Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the 19th century precipitated a series of political and financial crises in the central European states. These crises ultimately gave rise to the establishment of constitutional monarchies within a couple of years. The Prussian state collapsed after the military defeat of 1806, yet despite the sustained efforts of the Prussian reform movement, it was one of the last German states to receive a constitution in 1848. It is therefore intriguing to observe that the financing of the court and the royal dynasty underwent a radical transformation in the immediate aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. A new system of royal financing emerged that anticipated constitutional elements in Prussia for over two decades. In my talk, I will focus on the introduction of the Prussian pseudo-civil list and its relationship to the constitutional process, examining its rationale, structure, and implications for the monarchy’s self-perception.