When and why was zollverein formed?

The Zollverein was officially formed in 1834.

You see, back then, Germany was a patchwork of over 30 states. Each state had its own customs duties and currencies. This created a real nightmare for trade, with endless taxes and delays making goods expensive.

Prussia initiated the Zollverein to fix this. It was essentially a customs union. It abolished tariffs between member states, creating a single economic market. The main goal was to make trade easier and boost industrial growth.

But there was also a clever political motive. By uniting the states economically, Prussia was paving the way for a politically unified Germany under its leadership, neatly sidelining its main rival, Austria, from this economic bloc.