ABSTRACT
The prosperous little town of Reutlingen2 lies in the shadow of the Achem between the River Neckar and the foothills of the Swabian Jura. A visitor is not long left in doubt as to the identity of the town's most famous son. A statue of Friedrich List stands in the square facing the railway station, while the house in which List was born is in the Wilhelmstrasse. A room is devoted to List in the local history museum, while the List archives are preserved in the town hall. The city fathers honour a man who, after representing Reutlingen in the Wiirttemberg Landtag, made a name for himself far beyond the ancient walls of his native town, as a patriot who championed the cause of German unity at a time when the country was divided into many states. List was a powerful advocate of a German customs union and of a unified German railway system. He proposed the establishment of a German mercantile marine and consular service and the extension of Germany's economic influence in Hungary, the Balkans, and Asia Minor. He challenged the doctrines of Adam Smith and his followers and insisted that the economic interests of the state should transcend those of private individuals.
