▁and ▁r ented ▁the ▁lands ▁that ▁were ▁de eded ▁to ▁the ▁old ▁own ers . ▁The ▁other ▁German ▁states ▁im itated ▁Pr uss ia ▁after ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁sharp ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁violence ▁that ▁character ized ▁land ▁reform ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution , ▁Germany ▁handled ▁it ▁peace fully . ▁In ▁Schles wig ▁the ▁pe as ants , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁En light en ment , ▁played ▁an ▁active ▁role ; ▁elsewhere ▁they ▁were ▁largely ▁pass ive . ▁Indeed , ▁for ▁most ▁pe as ants , ▁custom s ▁and ▁trad itions ▁continued ▁largely ▁un changed , ▁including ▁the ▁old ▁hab its ▁of ▁de ference ▁to ▁the ▁nobles ▁whose ▁legal ▁authority ▁remained ▁quite ▁strong ▁over ▁the ▁vill agers . ▁The ▁old ▁pat ernal istic ▁relationship ▁in ▁East ▁Pr uss ia ▁last ed ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁What ▁was ▁new ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁pe asant ▁could ▁now ▁sell ▁his ▁land , ▁en abling ▁him ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁city , ▁or ▁buy ▁up ▁the ▁land ▁of ▁his ▁neighb ors . ▁ ▁The ▁land ▁re forms ▁in ▁north western ▁Germany ▁were ▁driven ▁by ▁progress ive ▁govern ments ▁and ▁local ▁el ites . ▁They ▁abol ished ▁fe ud al ▁oblig ations ▁and ▁divided ▁collect ively ▁owned ▁common ▁land ▁into ▁private ▁parc els ▁and ▁thus ▁created ▁a ▁more ▁efficient ▁market - orient ed ▁rural ▁economy . ▁It ▁produced ▁increased ▁product ivity ▁and ▁population ▁growth . ▁It ▁strength ened ▁the ▁traditional ▁social ▁order ▁because ▁wealth y ▁pe as