DURING THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, JOHANN GOTTLIEB FICHTE BROKE WITH THE RETROSPECTIVE CLASSICAL IDEAL TO FORMULATE A VIEW OF THE CITY WHITH GOVERNED MUCH OF GERMAN THOUGHT IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. FICHTE ADOPTED AGENT PAR EXCELLENCE. BUT WHERE BOTH VOLTAIRE AND SMITH ATTRIBUTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY TO THE FREEDOM AND PROTECTION GRANTED IT BY THE PRINCE, FICHTE INTERPRETED THE GERMAN CITY AS A PURE CREATION OF THE VOLK. thinking with history.