Delegitimation through Corruption. Legal and Administrative Changes in Bavaria and Prussia during the Napoleonic Era (1800-1820)
Delegitimation through Corruption. Legal and Administrative Changes in Bavaria and Prussia during the Napoleonic Era (1800-1820)

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with corruption in Bavaria and Prussia around 1800. In accordance with recent research, the author assumes corruption as a socially constructed phenomenon that is subjected to a historical change. In this article, he tries to show how a new notion of corruption appeared in public, became a weapon in political conflicts and influenced the legal and administrative reforms in both German monarchies. The author concludes that corruption charges might be seen as a driving force behind the legal reforms: The reformers in both countries tried to delegitimise the old regime by corruption charges and, thus, cleared the way for bureaucratic reforms. This delegitimation can be observed in public debates, in internal discussions and in the new laws themselves.

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