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Here is a broad and richly documented examination of a little studied social group—the German nobility outside Prussia. Gregory Pedlow considers the nobles of the small but representative state of Hesse-Kassel from the end of the ancien regime to the era of German unification. Although this period has been most often described in terms of the 鈥渢riumph of the bourgeoisie,鈥� the author shows that landholding Hessian nobles were able to preserve much of their political prestige and social and economic power during these years. By demonstrating a mixture of conservatism and flexibility instead of blind reaction, the Hessian nobility maintained its position as a landed elite.

The author focuses on four main areas: the noble family, with material showing changes in marriage patterns and family size and the impact of such demographic changes on inheritance practices; noble landownership, with documentation as to how noble landholdings and landed income survived the loss of traditional noble privileges and payments by peasants; noble occupations, with information (including collective biography) showing nobles鈥� education, career choices, and degree of success in obtaining positions in government service; and the nobility’s political response to the growing pressure for reform during the nineteenth century.

Originally published in 1988.

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