Hans Graf von Bülow

Ludwig Friedrich Victor Hans Graf von Bülow (14 July 1774, Essenrode, near Brunswick – 11 August 1825, Bad Landeck, Silesia) was a Westphalian and Prussian statesman.

Early life Hans Graf von Bülow was born to the noble von Bülow family in 1774 at his family's Essenrode Manor. His father, , was an Hanoverian land owner. His older brother, , was a lawyer and governor of the Prussian Province of Saxony. Hans was also the cousin of Prussian reformer and former Prime Minister Karl August von Hardenberg.

Hans attended Lüneburg's Knight academy from 1786 to 1790 and studied at the University of Göttingen in Göttingen between 1790 and 1794. Here he became acquainted with the teachings of English economist Adam Smith, which would have a significant influence on his career

Biography Early career After completing his studies in Göttingen, Bülow joined the Prussian service in 1794 with Hardenberg and in 1801 he became a counselor (Kriegs and Domänenrat) in the General Directorate in Berlin for the Magdeburg and Halberstadt department. Bülow was appointed president of the War and Domain Chamber of the Duchy of Magdeburg in 1805. One year later, in 1806, he was appointed head of armaments for the Prussian army. After Magdeburg was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, he returned to his position as president of the War and Domain Chamber, but this time for Westphalia.

Finance Minister of Westphalia Between 1808 and 1813, Bülow was the Finance Minister of the Kingdom of Westphalia. Through elaborate methods of keeping Westphalian finances in order, he became very successful and gained a great deal of respect in both Germany and abroad. His methods and successes were very unpopular with influential Germans and the ruling French.

Commerce Minister of Prussia After leaving the Finance Minister post, Bülow was given the newly created position of Minister of Commerce. He became a pioneer in the field of trade and commerce as he led the customs department.

Death and views Hans Graf von Bülow died on 11 August 1825 in Bad Landeck, Silesia, which is located in present date Poland. Bülow was known to take a conservative stance on constitutional policy. He supported the Carlsbad decrees and opposed a representative constitution. On the economy, he had combined his conservative stance with more liberal views, pushing for low tariffs and free trade. Many of Bulow's projects and ideas were actualized years after his death.