A favourite of women and the designer of modern Prussia: Karl August von Hardenberg was quite a character. His reforms changed the state. But his dream to give Prussia a constitution never came true. Hardenberg was the son of an established aristocratic family. He studied law in Göttingen and joined the civil service. But his liberal calls for change went too far for some of his contemporaries. Napoleon himself insisted on his dismissal as Prussia's foreign minister. But Hardenberg returned. Because he seemed the only one capable of rebuilding the economy. As chancellor in 1810 he implemented many reforms influenced by liberal ideas. He wanted to provide more personal freedom for the individual. In Prussia he implemented freedom of trade. To open a new business now all you needed was a good idea and some capital. Hardenberg facilitated trade and unified the custom borders. Thanks to his emancipation decree, Jews were recognized as almost equal citizens. Hardenberg’s goal was to modernize the Prussian state. He got very far with that.