Introduction:

The objective of this paper is to characterize the prominent statesman and outstanding reform politician, Heinrich Friedrich Karl Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein (1757-1831), the First State Chancellor in the Prussian monarchy under King Friedrich Wilhelm III. (1770-1840), as a political pragmatist and to group him among the realistic utopians in a sense to be defined in the following section. The reforms planned, set in motion and realized by Stein were groundbreaking and had a long-lasting impact. His contributions as a Prussian reformer who took measures that opened Prussia the gate to the modern age, as a symbol for how to overcome deep crisis, as a politician who uniquely connected a distinctive ethos and fidelity to principles with practical politics, are undisputed among historians. For the 200th birthday of the Stein-Hardenbergreforms or Prussian reforms, which basically were carried out between the years 1807 and 1821 but mainly initiated during Stein’s period of office between 1804 and 1808, it will be shown that the criteria of a utopia derived in this paper can be applied to Stein or to his reforms. In a first part some criteria of what a utopia is are being developed. In parts II and III an attempt is made to demonstrate the character of utopias on the basis of the development of Stein’s personality and his ideas of the functioning of society. Finally a conclusion is presented.