Final answer:
The nobility in Prussia occupied an elevated social status and enjoyed significant legal privileges including exclusive access to political offices and exemption from certain obligations, ensuring their dominance over commoners in the feudal society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is D. The nobility had both elevated social status and significant legal privileges in Prussia. In Prussia, the nobility, known as Junkers, enjoyed a prominent social position as landowners, military leaders, and senior bureaucrats. They possessed considerable legal privileges, such as exclusive access to certain political offices and the officer corps of the army. With a society structured around feudalism, the nobility had an upper hand in various aspects, such as owning land, which was a significant source of wealth, and they were largely exempt from taxation and other obligations that commoners had to fulfill.
The social distinctions within Prussian society were explicit, and the feudal system ensured that the nobility maintained their status above commoners and exercised various rights and privileges that were not available to those below them in the social hierarchy. Over time, however, the traditional distinctions between the bourgeoisie and nobility became blurred, as some nobles entered economic fields traditionally associated with the bourgeoisie and adopted some of their social habits, although they still held onto their titles and authority.