Sankt Ludwigshafen
| Dritte Republik Sankt Ludwigshafen | |||
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| Motto: Lernet Gutes tun, trachtet nach Recht, helfet dem Unterdrückten, schaffet dem Waisen Recht und helfet der Witwen Sache! (Jesaja 1:17) | |||
| Anthem: Schafe können sicher weiden | |||
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| Map versions | 16.7.8 - 16.8.4, 17.0.8 - 17.6.0 | ||
| Capital | Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen | ||
| Largest city | Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen, Louisville, Oudorp | ||
| Official language(s) | Southern-Cibolan Saxon (official) Alexandrian, Cibolan-Diets (minority) | ||
| Official religion(s) | Ludwiggian Reformed Church | ||
| Demonym | Ludwigger | ||
| - Adjective | Ludwiggian | ||
| Government | Republic | ||
| - Statthalter(in) | Simon Schafenweide | ||
| - Vorsitzende(r) des Stadtparlaments | Heinrich von Ludwigsdorf | ||
| - Legislature | Stadtparlament | ||
| Establishment | 1680 | ||
| Area | |||
| Population | 97,385 (1690 census) | ||
| Currency | Ludwigspfennig Before 1690 reforms: Jingdaoese Kala and Craitish Cräite | ||
| Calendar | Norton calendar | ||
| Time zone(s) | CMT-10 | ||
| Mains electricity | 230/400 V - 50 Hz | ||
| Driving side | Right | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
| National website | staat.rsl | ||
| National forum | On the Bastion Union | ||
| National animal | Lanzerwaldesel | ||
| National food | Salted whitefish | ||
| National drink | Kräuterwasser | ||
| National tree | Juniper bush | ||
| Abbreviation | RSL | ||
This article deals with a defunct nation, it is partly written in a way that suggests that the nation is still active, but this is not the case. Or is it?
Sankt Ludwigshafen, Istvanistani: Saint Ludwig's Harbour, officially the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen is an independent country in southern Cibola, formerly bordering Craitland's dominion of Zandarijn in the south. The nation was also previously on the MCS map from version 16.7.8, published on 12/04/2020 till 16.8.4, published on 14/06/2020. Originally, the city was a safe haven for Siseranist Saxons who had fled Natopia after the fall of the Principality of Walstadt. The name Sankt Ludwigshafen was derived from Prince Ludwig of Walstadt, who was revered as a saint. Siseranism no longer has many followers, it has since been replaced by the Nazarene faith. While the nation was previously on the MCS map as part of Alrig, since map version 17.0.8, which was published on 02/11/2020, the nation is recognised as an independent nation. The republic is currently governed by Stadtholder Adam Rettich, its first stadtholder and founder was Siegfried von der Elfenbeinküste.
The two largest cities in Sankt Ludwigshafen are Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen and Louisville. With 29,634 inhabitants as of 1700 AN Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen is the most populous city, and also functions as the capital. Lousville has 19,912 inhabitants according to the 1700 AN census and is the cultural home of the Alexandrian speaking community of the republic. Oudorp, which was absorbed into the republic following the demise of Zandarijn is the third populous city of Sankt Ludwigshafen with 19,432 inhabitants in 1700 AN. Fourth populous city was Stadt Sankt Elonzo with, according to 1705 estimates, had 17,922 inhabitants. Stadt Sankt Elonzo was added to the republic following the Ludwiggian-Monovian War in 1705, and was until then known as the ruins of Monoviaville. During the Second Ludwiggian-Monovian War the city was destroyed by Siseranist extremists.
After the Second Ludwiggian-Monovian War in which Sankt Ludwigshafen achieved a pyrrhic victory, Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen was no longer to to dominate the Lanzerwald. The cities in which Zandt majorities ruled, invited Sankt Ludwigshafen into the newly founded Union of Oudorp, which established the Republic of the United Cities in the Lanzerwald, the formal successor to the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen.
History
First republic
Until 1650 the area where Sankt Ludwigshafen is situated was claimed by the Empire of the Alexandrians. Very little reminds of that period as the Alexandrians did not have significant settlements in the area. The only archaeological sites where minimal remnants of the Alexandrian period are found is at the border with Zandarijn. Here some artefacts once belonging to border patrols have been recovered. The republic was established in 1680 as an independent nation. As the Ludwiggian perspective on Alexandria is heavily influenced by the hostility of the First Jingdaoese Empire, there is very little interest in the Alexandrian history. However, looting expeditions into the ruins of Lancôme, which used to be located north of Sankt Ludwig's location, brought back the Alexandrian Flu in 1682. While the disease was not more problematic in Sankt Ludwigshafen than a normal seasonal flu, in Alrig it led to the Alexandrian flu epidemic of 1682. Because of the death toll in Alrig, Alrig launched a punitive expedition to Sankt Ludwigshafen and annexed it in 1682. Within the Alriggian Republic it was known as the Cibolan Circle. Despite the annexation, governance of the republic had not fundamentally changed directly after the annexation as Alrig was a decentralised state where most policy decisions are made by the circles. This does not mean the republic had autonomy, as Alrig was a unitary state where the Council of Driftwood had the final say. The situation changed in 1684 when many Alriggians fleeing from the violence of the Jingdaoese-Alriggian War settled in the Cibolan Circle, outnumbering the native population. While attempts were made to reconcile religious differences, these attempts proved to be futile. The Alriggian refugees retreated into their newly founded city of Erazmhafen after they found themselves unwelcome in Sankt Ludwigshafen. After the founding of the Barbarian Republic, many Alriggians left Erazmhafen in 1685. On the 7th day of the 9th month of the year 1685, the Stadtparlement adopted a resolution reverting the annexation and declaring Sankt Ludwigshafen to be an independent nation again. A herald was sent to Erazmhafen with the declaration and an ultimatum. The ultimatum gave the inhabitants of Erazmhafen three days to convert to Siseranism or leave the city. When the ultimatum had passed, the Dragonerkorps Ludwigshafen was sent into the city, and inquired of everyone they encountered if they had repented and accepted Sisera as their Lady and Saviour. Twenty-three people claimed they hadn't and were burned in the city market. The execution of these people created unrest in the republic, both Ludwiggians and Alriggians took to the streets to protest, demanding that the dragoons would be defunded. Stattholder Siegfried von der Elfenbeinküste responded to the protests with force. Dragoons were ordered to repel protesters with rubber bullets, injuring a dozen. The use of force against peaceful protesters only escalated the situation and more and more citizens joined the protests. On the 20th day of the 9th month of 1685, Siegfried von der Elfenbeinküste recognised that he had lost the faith of the population and stepped down. Without his guidance, the republic collapsed on the 23rd day of the 9th month of 1685.
Second republic
In the 12th month of 1689 a group of Cibolan-Saxons who had fled the violence in the Barbarian Republic during its collapse arrived in Sankt Ludwigshafen. Ever since 1685 more and more Alriggians had left the region, which had become predominantly populated by Cibolan-Saxons again. To determine whether the refugees should be welcomed, a provisional Stadtparlement was called together. It was decided that the refugees would be welcome, as long as they spoke Saxon as their native tongue and were devout worshippers of Sisera. New elections were also announced, to be held on the first day of the first month of 1690. Claudia Weißdeich, who had been president (Vorsitzende) of the Stadtparlement in the previous parliamentary period, was named Statthalter for the period of the provisional Stadtparlement. Religious changes occurred in 1690 after a discovery about Saint Ludwig's adherence to the Nazarene faith and an expedition to the South Sea Islands, that follow the Nazarene faith. In that year most of the people of the republic repented from their Sisteranist ways and converted to the Nazarene faith, the Ludwiggian Reformed Church was founded on 7.IV.1690 and most citizens were baptised by it. On 2.VIII.1690 the republic incorporated the Lanzerwald into its territory, which included the ruins of Alexandrian Lancôme and Alriggian-Ludwiggian Erazmhafen.
In the 13th month of 1693 a famine and the loss of a fishing vessel brought distress to the Siseranist community. In an attempt to appease their Gods, Siseranist priestesses captured twenty-four children, with the intent of sacrificing them.The Stadtparlement condemned the abductions and the intended sacrifices, to which the Siseranists responded by appoint their own queen, who was named Elijahna. Following relatively light skirmishes in the Ludwigshafener Civil War, in XV.1693, Siseranists insurgents were able to bring a nuclear device into the Sankt Ludwigshafen national parliament, and they were also able to detonate it. The blast killed most citizens of the republic that were present in Sankt Ludwigshafen and wiped away the government structure. During the conflict, several thousand citizens were able to flee, especially Nazarene believers who had fled from the Siseranist regions where they lived previously. Many of them settled on Capolona, where Neu Ludwigshafen was founded, although the colony would perish in its first winter.
Third republic
In the 6th month of 1696 leaders from Ludwiggian and Louisian tribes gathered north of the ruins of Sankt Ludwigshafen to re-establish the republic and adopted the constitution of the third republic. Plans were made to decontaminate the radioactive former capital and re-establish it as national capital by the year 1700. The town of Hinterdünen was designated as a temporary capital and the Louisians were invited to establish their own settlements in the former territory of the second republic. Only Nazarene tribes participated in the consultation between the tribes, but envoys were sent to the Siseranists informing them of the plans. The Siseranists were told to repent of their evil ways, subscribe the Helicorean Creed and be baptised, or leave the territory. Most Siseranists gave up their former religion, but the third republic had to endure several violent uprisings. In these uprisings, an estimated 3,200 people lost their lives before the republic returned to peace. An expedition to the remains of Neu Ludwigshafen in the 5th month of 1697 brought Sankt Ludwigshafen two-hundred survivors and assets that made it possible to establish its own automobile industry. The Stadtparlement was determined to make sure that Sankt Ludwigshafen would develop itself into an industrial nation.
While many citizens supported the industrialisation of Sankt Ludwigshafen, they opposed the steps that the Stadtparlement wanted to take to get there. The construction of roads was for example seen as a danger to the social cohesion in towns, by promoting internal migration. There were also lingering concerns that the construction of new roads would make it easier to perform armoured assaults on the republic's cities, and before any wide roads were built, the republic started to build fortifications around its town, most notably Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen and Louisville. As the republic started to develop, it also become more self-conscious and began to participate in international relations. In 1697 a consul was sent to Oudorp to further Ludwigshafener interests in the Craitish seaport. To cater to the spiritual needs of the Ludwiggian people in Oudorp, the Ludwiggian Reformed Church also established a mission in that town. The church evangelised among the local population, at first without success, but as the political situation in Zandarijn worsened and Monovian militants threatened the dominion, more and more found comfort in the Nazarene teachings.
Incorporation of Oudorp
In late 1699 Zandarijn, which neighboured Sankt Ludwigshafen in the south, disintegrated following the Sack of Hamstadt. The Ludwiggian consul in Oudorp warned Stadtholder Rettich that the situation in the vitally important seaport had become very unstable and that Sankt Ludwigshafen risked losing its ability to trade with overseas nations on Micras. The Stadtparlement was called together and it resolved to inform the Craitish government in Cherry Trees that Sankt Ludwigshafen would assume government in Oudorp until Craitland would restore law and order in Zandarijn. At the same time the Dragonerkorps Ludwigshafen was deployed to the town, which did not resist the Ludwiggian incursion. Several thousand refugees from other parts of Zandarijn made their way to Oudorp as well and were redistributed among the various settlements throughout the republic in emergency housing facilities, while funds for construction of permanent housing were brought together. The Craitish government in Cherry Trees responded to the Stadtparlement resolution by recognising Ludwiggian rule over Oudorp a few days later.
Ludwiggian-Monovian War
Between II.1702 and III.1705, the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen fought a war with Monovian militants who were held responsible for the downfall of Zandarijn in 1699. The militants were led by King Elonzo XII who reigned from the ruins of Monoviaville in the western part of the Lanzerwald. The Stadtparlement created the Kriegskorps Ludwigshafen to fight the militants, with a strength of 5,100 men. Most of the war was characterised by limited skirmishes between Ludwiggian and Monovian troops, with the exception of the battle of Monoviaville that took place in III.1705 when Sankt Ludwigshafen assaulted King Elonzo XII's stronghold. The war resulted in the conquest of Monovian-held territories by Sankt Ludwigshafen, most of which were incorporated into the Lanzerwald nationally protected forest. The city of Monoviaville was renamed to Stadt Sankt Elonzo to honour Elonzo XII, after his death in VII.1705. Apart from the territorial gains through the war, it is notable because for the first time Sankt Ludwigshafen was able to develop an airplane. The J-1 Lärm, a powered wooden glider capable of carrying dumb bombs, was created to scout the dense forests for enemy entrenchments.
Fourth Republic
In X.1705 representatives from Louisville and Sankt Elonzo presented a petition to the Stadtparlement which stated that the city councils and the inhabitants of these cities felt that the constitutional arrangements of the Third Republic did not cater to the interests of citizens outside Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen. They demanded the Stadtparlement to be reformed into a truly national parliament. There was some opposition to the plan, primarily from politicians who felt that the Stadtparlement already functioned as a national parliament, and that the criticism only focused on the name. Nevertheless, a constitutional dialogue between representatives of all communities was held in XII.1705. The new constitution was formally adopted by the Stadtparlement in II.1706. Important changes were the establishment of a standing army, guarantees of social security and a new parliament, which was called the Nationalversammlung der Republik Sankt Ludwigshafen. Despite some calls for federalisation, the republic maintained strictly unitary.
XV.1706 saw the expansion of the Mondosphere towards the Ludwiggian border to the west of Sankt Elonzo, the first time since the fall of Zandarijn that the republic had a neighbour who was recognised by the MCS. The initial reaction from the Ludwiggians was of concern, both because of the rapid expansion and the hard to understand nature of Mondo Etzeterra himself, him being a lich. Emotions cooled down when a delegation from the Mondosphere together with a delegation from the Nationalversammlung inspected the new common borders and its boundary marks and found no issue. The Ludwiggians applauded the meticulous and orderly nature of their new neighbours and were pleased to be able to converse in South Cibolan Saxon with them.
Lanzerwaldian Period
Following the Second Ludwiggian-Monovian War the dominance of Sankt Ludwigshafen in the Lanzerwald waned and gave way to the rise of the cities that were formerly part of Zandarijn to take the leading role in the Lanzerwald. These Cibolan-Diets speaking cities signed the Union of Oudorp and invited the cities of the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen to participate as well. The Union of Oudorp led to the Republic of the United Cities in the Lanzerwald on 1.X.1709. Between 1709 and 1716 the nation of Lanzerwald persisted, first under the aforementioned name of the Republic of the United Cities in the Lanzerwald (1709-1715), to be replaced by the highly decentralised Realm of the Sovereign Lanzerwald (1715-1716) in 1715 after the 1715 Lanzerwaldian Mutiny, the final iteration of the Lanzerwald Republic was the Republic of the Sovereign Lanzerwald that existed briefly in 1716 and was a return to centralised government from Oudorp.
Restoration of Sankt Ludwigshafen
The Realm of the Sovereign Lanzerwald had outlawed all railways, electronic devices, motorised vehicles and plastics and even ordered for them to be destroyed. This angered Ludwig Schafenweide, owner of Osthügel Motorenwerke and he started building an alliance of like-minded Ludwiggian people who wanted Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen to once again become the centre of the republic, rather than the more rural cities, ruled by Cibolan-Diets speaking people of Zandarijn descent, where the Ludwiggian Reformed Church had promoted a Luddite agenda that had led to economic downfall and famines. During the bloody 1716 Ludwiggian Restoration the Army of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen destroyed the far-away lying rural cities and restored primacy of Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen in the Lanzerwald.
The restoration of Sankt Ludwigshafen planted the seeds of its immolation, which germinated quickly. Already during the war, Sankt Ludwigshafen's only friendly neighbour, Mondo, with whom discussions about a military alliance had been in an advanced stage, joined the hostile Raspur Pact instead after Lanzerwaldian negotiators were neglectful in finishing up the talks and present a final treaty proposal. Xaiville Convention ally Hurmu performed a series of razzias against people affiliated with the republic, after Ludwiggians there were found to be active in illegal Siseranist congregations, and issued an order for the arrest of Sankt Ludwighafen's first Lady Charlene Schafenweide. The other Xaiville Convention member states refused to side with Sankt Ludwigshafen and it saw no other option than to leave the convention. The news of Sankt Ludwigshafen's complete isolation was a shock to the people in the republic, who realised that nothing would prevent the hostile neighbours from having their way with the republic. They abandoned their homes in the city, which they set alight and fled into the Lanzerwald forest. The republic seemed to sink into the Green on 24.XV.1716.
After the initial scare people returned to the city and started rebuilding it. The panic was replaced with a determination to restore the republic to its former glory, and even make it greater than before. As it turned out that Stadtholder Simon Schafenweide had passed away on 14.I.1717, new elections were announced and held on 1.II.1717.
Territorial changes
Sankt Ludwigshafen as part of Alrig in 1682
Sankt Ludwigshafen after the addition of the Lanzerwald in 1690
Sankt Ludwigshafen after the addition of Oudorp in 1699
Sankt Ludwigshafen in 1700
Sankt Ludwigshafen in 1705 following the absorption of Monovian territories during the Ludwiggian-Monovian War, not yet accepted by MCS
Politics
The Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen was a parliamentary republic governed by a Stadtparlement (city parliament), with 50 seats, which was presided by the Vorsitzende des Stadtparlements and elected by all citizens every three years. The fist act of a new Stadtparlement was to elect a Statthalterin (stadtholder), who led the executive branch of the state. Several parties participated in the elections, the most popular of which were the Traditional Party of 1680 and the Slight Reform Party of 1681, which advocated a more humane death penalty for heretics and pagans. The Progressive Alliance of 1683 participated in the 1683 elections, with an agenda of religious freedom and tolerance. In 1689 the Stadtparlement's composition was not the result of elections but a provisional Stadtparlement was agreed upon by delegations of the Traditional Party and the Slight Reform Party, which saw a need to re-establish law and order in Sankt Ludwigshafen, following the influx of refugees from Barbary. The Progressive Alliance was left out of negotiations and forcefully disbanded as part of the first session of the Stadtparlement.
Over the years the Traditional Party has been able to update its policies and was able to remain relevant. Around 1690 leading members of the Traditional Party were the first to recognize that the nation would become more and more a Nazarene nation, rather than the Siseranist nation it had been before. The Slight Reform Party did not anticipate this and kept pushing for a Siseranist agenda, leading to a landslide election victory for the Traditional Party in 1690. After the civil war Siseranism was no longer a tolerated religion within the republic and the Slight Reform Party was only barely able to remain part of the Stadtparlement, with one seat. In II.1697 the Tekeel Party of 1697 was founded, which represented citizens that felt that the Traditional Party had championed too far-reaching reforms, such as the 1696 law on infrastructure, that paved the way for electricity, paved roads and rail roads in the republic.
Election results
Stadtparlement elections 1680 - 1705
| Year | Traditional Party '80 | Slight Reform Party '81 | Progressive Alliance '83 | Tekeel Party '97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1680 | 50 | |||
| 1683 | 39 | 10 | 1 | |
| 1689* | 35 | 15 | ||
| 1690 | 47 | 3 | ||
| 1696 | 49 | 1 | ||
| 1699 | 43 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1702 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1705 | 42 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| * Pro forma, no actual votes cast | ||||
Nationalversammlung elections 1706
| Year | Traditional Party '80 | Slight Reform Party '81 | Progressive Alliance '83 | Tekeel Party '97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1706 | 93 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Stadtparlement elections 1707
| Year | Traditional Party '80 | Slight Reform Party '81 | Progressive Alliance '83 | Tekeel Party '97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1707 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Steden-Generaal elections in the Lanzerwald, 1709 - 1715
| Year | Traditional Party '80 | Slight Reform Party '81 | Progressive Alliance '83 | Tekeel Party '97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1709 | 95 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1712 | 96 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1715 | 97 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Stadtparlement elections 1717 - present
| Year | Traditional Party '80 | Slight Reform Party '81 | Progressive Alliance '83 | Tekeel Party '97 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1717 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Constitution
The 1696 Constitution of the Third Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen reflects the morals and values of the Ludwiggian Reformed Church. The constitution both recognises the fallen nature of the people, but also the prospect of redemption. The constitution forbids the death penalty, and life sentences without the possibility of parole. The constitution also confirms the Nazarene faith as the national faith of the Ludwiggian people, although it does not ban other religions explicitly. The Siseranist religion, and other religions that demand human sacrifices are banned in seperate legislation.
Foreign relations
Sankt Ludwigshafen is not a member of any international organisations. The nation is not a member of military pacts. The republic has not formally adopted a policy of permanent neutrality but there is ongoing debate within Ludwiggian society whether this should be considered in the future. In XI.1702 representatives from Ludwigshafen met with representatives from Craitland to discuss a possible ascension of Sankt Ludwigshafen into the Xäiville Convention. On 23.IX.1703 Sankt Ludwigshafen was formally welcomed into the convention, but left it again on 21.XV.1716 following the arrests of Ludwiggian students who enjoyed the right to free travel in Hurmu, which was considered by Sankt Ludwigshafen to be a breach of the convention, but the other member states did not wish to speak up for Sankt Ludwigshafen.
The republic had friendly relations with Craitland, which bordered Sankt Ludwigshafen in the south with its province of Zandarijn. Using the Craitish seaport of Oudorp, Sankt Ludwigshafen was able to conduct commerce with nations all over Micras. Following the Sack of Hamstadt and the retreat of Craitland from Cibola, Sankt Ludwigshafen was allowed to gain control over Oudorp. Ties between Craitland and Sankt Ludwigshafen remained cordial in the following years, even more so after the ascension of Sankt Ludwigshafen into the aforementioned Xaïville Convention. Relations with Jingdao were friendly, due to cultural and, previously, religious ties. Relations between Jingdao and Sankt Ludwigshafen were never formalised and are not as strong in the early 1700s as they were before. In 1691 the republic signed the Treaty of Rherci with Calbion, which was a neighbour at the time, establishing friendly relations with that nation, and in 1703 the republic signed the Treaty between Sanama and Sankt Ludwigshafen with the Benacian power Sanama. The Ludwiggian ambassador to Sanama also functions as the republics representative to the other Benacian nations. Relations were very friendly, even if not formalised yet, with the Mondostate of Etzeland, but deteriorated after Sankt Ludwigshafen and Mondo to form an alliance were suspected to be done in bad faith by Mondo who joined the Raspur Pact instead.
Treaties
- 1691: Treaty of Rherci, Calbion
- 1703: Treaty between Sanama and Sankt Ludwigshafen, Sanama
- 1707: Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen and the Republic of Sint Barentsz
Former treaties
- 1703-1716: Xäiville Convention, with at the time Craitland, Hurmu, Mercury, Senya, South Sea Islands, Tellia
Military
Traditionally the republic only had a small standing army, the Dragonerkorps Ludwigshafen which is a mounted infantry corps. This was previously complemented by a conscription army that could be levied during times of war. In the 1699 military reform the conscription model was abandoned and replaced by a standing army of professional soldiers, complemented by a military reserve force of volunteers. From 1682 to 1685 500 regulars of the Alriggian presidential army were permanently stationed in Sankt Ludwigshafen.
The professional armed forces that were established in 1699 are called the Republikswehr. It consists of the Dragonerkorps Ludwigshafen, a mounted infantry corps, the Füsilierkorps Ludwigshafen, a naval infantry corps, and the Bunkerkorps which mans the casemates in Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen and Louisville. Both expeditionary branches of the Republikswehr have a manpower of 2,000 souls. The Bunkerkorps has a manpower of circa 300 souls, it is heavily dependant on the reservists of the Bezirkbürgerwehr in times of war. Like before the reform, the Ludwiggian armed forces do not have a focus on mechanization, without having armoured vehicles or large-hulled sea-faring vessels to its disposal.
All physically and mentally fit students of the Mittelschule are trained in basic markmanship and military skills. Until 1699 they would be added into the Bezirkbürgerwehr (district citizen’s militia) of the district where they resided, which was headed by a Hauptmann. The different militias fell under the command of one single Oberst, who had the authority to call for the mobilisation of conscripts in emergencies. Since 1699 the Bezirkbürgerwehr invites all young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 to continue their training, but this is no longer mandatory.
Throughout its history Sankt Ludwigshafen has had a military doctrine that is focused on defence and the republic has hardly ever spent resources on developing offensive capabilities. This policy was originally born out of necessity as the republic was simply too small to command an expeditionary army. In the late 1690's, casemates were constructed around Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen and Louisville to be able to defend these cities even when wider paved roads are built in the near future. In order to deter naval attacks on the port of Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen, plans have been drafted to build two concrete forts just off the coast, that will be armed with heavy cannons and radar and sonar installations.
Following the Sack of Hamstadt in 1699 by Monovian militants, the Dominion of Zandarijn, which belonged to Craitland started to fail and the Stadtparlement launched Operation Enduring Fellowship to prevent the republic losing access to the vitally important seaport of Oudorp. With permission and cooperation from Craitish authorities, the Dragonerkorps Ludwigshafen takes control of the city. During Operation Enduring Fellowship the Dragonerkorps fights the Monovian militants, who are being led by Elonzo XII, several times, resulting in the loss of life of 55 dragoons. Operation Enduring Fellowship is formally concluded in XV.1701. However, hostilities between Sankt Ludwigshafen and the Monovians do not end there, in XIV.1702 the Ludwiggian-Monovian War starts and the Stadtparlement creates the Kriegskorps Ludwigshafen out of several Bezirkbürgerwehrs, to combat the, unrecognised, Kingdom of Monovia. During the war the Kriegskorps develops the first warplane of the republic, the J-1 Lärm. The war is concluded in III.1705.
After the war, the Kriegskorps is meant to be dissolved but the newly gained city of Sankt Elonzo asks for a remnant of the Kriegskorps to be deployed there while it can establish its own Bezirkbürgerwehr. In the constitutional talks of XII.1705, that would ultimately lead to the Fourth Republic, it is determined that the Kriegskorps will not be dissolved, but will become the main fighting force of the republic and that it will be transformed into a professional standing army.
Economy
The economy of Sankt Ludwigshafen was based on the logging and fishing industry. Whaling was a traditional practice of the inhabitants of Sankt Ludwigshafen. It was not economically viable anymore due to the high costs associated with whaling in the waters surrounding Sankt Ludwigshafen and the lack of an export market. As of 1685, most products of the logging and fishing industry were exported as raw materials, with most of the profit being made overseas. In the months before the first republic's collapse, the Stadtparlement was trying to change this by offering subsidies and loans for the construction of factories in Sankt Ludwigshafen. This was not as successful as was hoped, within the republic there was not much expertise on the construction and management of large factories, and foreign investors expressed their doubt about the republic's aversion to infrastructure. Still, some smaller scale operations were set up, creating high quality wooden objects that are prized on the international market, such as casings for clocks and intricate carvings. There is a strong tradition of quilting in Sankt Ludwigshafen, which is usually done at home during the winter months by both men and women. Especially intricate quilts made by extremely talented people from the Lanzerwald region are highly sought after by collectors in the niche.
Until 1690, the national currency was the Jingdaoese Kala, but the Craitish Cräite was also commonly used. While the Ludwigspfennig was minted in Sankt Ludwigshafen, it was usually only used for everyday purchases such as groceries. This changed in 1690 when the Stadtparlement accepted a reform of the Ludwigspfennig, which made it a fiat money with lighter coins and banknotes, so that it would be more practical in daily use. The foreign currencies remained in use in international trade but were slowly phased out in the domestic market.
The republic bans an array of goods and materials that are in common use in most of the modern world. This includes most artificial plastics, electronics and clothing made out of different thread materials. Instead of artificial plastics products are made out of metal, wood or bone. The Ludwiggian ban on these products is often confusing for tourists and a hindrance to the tourism market.
Since the merger of Sankt Ludwigshafen and the territories previously associated with Zandarijn, agriculture has become a more important economic sector. Arable farming and horticulture, primarily floriculture, surpassed fishing and became the dominant sectors in the national economy. Measured both in weight and value, roughly half of the production of the arable land is wheat, in different varieties, including spelt, also known as dinkel wheat. While its production is not even close when measured in produced tons, the floriculture sector is extremely valuable to the economy of Sankt Ludwigshafen. Its primary exports are bulbs and dried flowers, with the constituent states of the Mondosphere being major export destinations for brightly coloured flower bulbs such as tulips and crocuses. Export of fresh cut flowers is difficult because the republic has an underdeveloped infrastructure for refrigerated goods, and no airfields to quickly export the flowers. Export of plants in pots is slowly taking off, especially since the accession of Sankt Ludwigshafen into the Raspur Pact opened the markets of Natopia and the Mondosphere.
Tourism
Following the ratification of the Treaty between Sanama and Sankt Ludwigshafen visitors from Sanama were among the first to visit Sankt Ludwigshafen purely for pleasure. Previous visitors like Earnest Godström had visited as students, but the Sanamans came purely to enjoy the snowy hills and experience some of the Ludwiggian culture. As these tourists first appeared no special accommodation had been prepared for them, but they were given a room at the local village hall, usually for free. In 1704 the first accommodations built purely for tourists had been built, small hotels that also offered skiing equipment and hot meals. Families with spare rooms also took tourists in, and would usually let them participate in the family life as if they were genuinely part of it. The Ludwiggian tourist industry remained small however, with no more than 12,000 people visiting the republic annually.
Infrastructure
Until late 1693, cars and other motorised vehicles were extremely uncommon in Sankt Ludwigshafen, if not explicitly banned. Ludwiggian roads outside the city were originally constructed a maximum of 88cm wide to make it more difficult for modern armies that depend on armour to attack the city. In the city, roads were usually suitable for cars and light trucks, but draught animals were usually preferred. Heavy transport usually took place over water, from the inland to Sankt Ludwigshafen over the river Karlsfluß in hulks. In the harbour the goods were placed on cogs that sail them to Oudorp in Zandarijn, Craitland from where they were distributed across Micras in modern container ships. In XI.1693 the Stadtparlement abandoned this policy as it was considered to be restraining economic growth in the republic too much. Construction of gravel roads to Molkhof, Hinterdünen and Craitmark were ordered. In IV.1694 an agreement was reached between Zandarijn and Sankt Ludwigshafen to construct a gravel road from Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen to Oudorp in Zandarijn, Craitland.
From 1696 onwards, the Stadtparlement explored the possibility to pave some of the main roads of the republic, but high anticipated costs and local resistance prevented swift action. When in VII.1696 the Stadtparlement adopted a law detailing standards to be used in the road, rail and electric infrastructure. Among other things it was decided that future rail connections would be built using a 1,435 mm track gauge, cars would drive on the right side of paved roads, and 230V would be the standard for home and office delivery of electricity. At the moment when the law was adopted, the construction of relevant infrastructure had not yet commenced. The law became a point of contention in the Traditional Party, with many members opposing the introduction of these novities which they feared would erode the social structure of their communities. The law was only adopted when stadtholder Adam Rettich promised that none of the infrastructure described in the law would be built before the year 1700 and that nothing would be built without permission from the Stadtparlement after that date.
In 1700 the moratorium ended and the Stadtparlement ordered the construction of a road network, which would be known as the Kraftfahrstraßennetz Ludwigshafen. The first paved road to be constructed would lead from Louisville to Oudorp via Stadt Sankt Ludwigshafen.
Demographics
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1680 | 089,286 |
| 1685 | 093,745 |
| 1690 | 097,385 |
| 1695 | 094,229 |
| 1700 | 119,730 |
Ethnicity
The republic was initially founded to provide a safe haven for South Cibolan Saxons who still followed the old Siseranist religion that Prince Ludwig publicly confessed to during his lifetime. What constitutes a South Cibolan Saxon was a point of divergence between ethnonationalist hardliners and linguistic/religious nationalists who claimed that anybody who prays to Sisera in the South Cibolan Saxon language is welcome. In reality, the discussion was mostly academic in nature as very few people from outside felt attracted to the slightly anachronistic state. Most people who were naturalised into the republic joined through marriage with a native Saxon and conversion to Siseranism, effectively assimilating into Sankt Ludwighafen's society. After most people in the republic were baptised into the Nazarene faith from 1690 onwards, the requirement to adhere to Siseranism was naturally waived.
The fact that the Ludwiggian ethnicity was no longer related to Siseranism led to the idea that the citizens of the republic were not just Cibolan Saxons, they constituted the Ludwiggian people. Following the establishment of the third republic in 1696, the republic also welcomed the Alexandrian speaking Louisians.
In 1699 the Craitish dominion of Zandarijn was dissolved and the town of Oudorp was absorbed into the Republic of Sankt Ludwigshafen along with around 20,000 Zandarinians who have their own unique culture and who speak a language that is related to Batavian.
The population of Stadt Sankt Elonzo, which was added to Sankt Ludwigshafen after the Ludwiggian-Monovian War in 1705, is closely related to the Louisian people, but speaks a Saxon dialect close to Ludwiggian.
Religion
The national religion of Sankt Ludwigshafen was traditionally Ludwiggian Siseranism. Which was a particular branch of Siseranism, derived from the Siseranist periods of Walstadt. The crucifixion of Elijah Ayreon by Sisera was one of the key theological pillars of the religion. In contrast to Jingdaoese Siseranism, Siseranism in Sankt Ludwig saw both Sisera and Elijah Ayreon positively. This was due to the influence of Natopian Bovinism. Prince Ludwig of Walstadt was celebrated as a saint in Sankt Ludwig. The stories about how he gained control over the principality were legends with which all Ludwigians are familiar. The return to Walstadt in the late days of Micras was also a common theme in Ludwigian Siseranism.
A key teaching of the religion was that while individuality and personal expression are not inherently bad, in the end all people must be ready to be sacrificed for the stability of the state. This opened up the religion to cases of abuse, where elders would try to cover-up wrongdoings by claiming that exposure would hurt the community more and that the victim of an "incident" should not pursue persecution. After a series of incidents, involving cases of physical, mental and rare cases of sexual abuse, the Church of Sankt Ludwig showed remorse for its position and stressed the need for transparency and accountability.
In 1690 the personal diary of Ludwig of Walstadt was discovered, which shook the republic on its theological foundations. It became clear that Ludwig of Walstadt did not follow the theology of Sisera out of conviction, but because he felt allying with the strong Jingdaoese Empire was the only way to secure the future of his people. Later in his life Ludwig became to regret this choice and was even secretly baptised into the Nazarene faith. The discovery led to an increased interest in the Nazarene faith in Sankt Ludwigshafen, with some fishermen heading out to the South Sea Islands to learn more about the religion from the Protestantse Kerk in de Zuidzee-eilanden. The Ludwiggian Reformed Church was founded, which quickly became the largest religious denomination within the republic with 84,4% of the population of Sankt Ludwigshafen baptised into the new faith by the end of 1690, with only 15,6% still claiming to adhere to the old Siseranist faith. The Siseranist religion was completely outlawed in 1696 when the Third Republic was established, because of the gruesome deeds executed in the name of Siseranism during the civil war. However, a new small religious minority emerged as the Louisians joined Sankt Ludwigshafen, some of them are members of the Autocephalous Nazarene Church of Alexandria.
Religious life in Sankt Ludwigshafen is characterised by a free and open attitude. The clergy of the church stresses that it is not a source of divine knowledge and that interpretation of the Scripture is difficult even for experts, so that final answers cannot be given. Believers are encouraged to attend services at least monthly, to participate in the mystical supper.
Culture
The culture in Sankt Ludwigshafen is egalitarian but also traditional. Ostentatious display of wealth is considered a 'faux pas' by Ludwiggers. Ludwiggian society values the written, spoken or sung word above visual images. Highly valued cultural works are first and foremost religious hymns and poems, but also poetry that deals with the everyday secular life of the Ludwiggian people. The people in Sankt Ludwigshafen are slow to adapt new technologies, and view technological progress with distrust. Where other nations adapt these technologies to make life more pleasant or easy, Ludwiggians believe that hard work should not be substituted. This is in part inspired by their understanding of the Nazarene faith, and especially Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
Sankt Ludwigshafen participated in the Microvision Song Contest in 2020 and 2021. Entries in the Microvision Song Contest tend to be more underground musical genres which are not well known to the general public with lyrics or instrumentals that are more vulgar or louder than is usually acceptable in Ludwiggian society. Entries are selected by the Ludwiggian Microvisional Society.
Cuisine
The cuisine of Sankt Ludwigshafen is based on the products that are locally available through the farming and fishing industry. Very little food products are imported from overseas. Traditional staples are wheat, from which bread and pasta are made, apples and pears, root vegetables, cabbages and fish. Spices and herbs that are used in the Ludwiggian cuisine are dill, juniper berries, savory and chervil, all of which are produced locally and often in the own home garden. Refined sugars are not used in the Ludwiggian cuisine, as they are considered an unnecessary 'worldly' product.
Crêpes are a local speciality in Louisville, while apple crumble is a local speciality of Oudorp.
Feminism and LGBT rights
During the ancient Siseranist era, the state did not formally recognise differences between man and woman. However, the prominence of the Siseranist religion had led to some differences in the acceptance of behaviour in men and women. For example, ruthless and tyrannical behaviour was more often accepted in women than in men. Many leading positions were taken by women. An exception was the fishing fleet, which was and is dominated by men. This was however a dangerous industry which mourned many casualties each year, including captains of ships lost-at-sea. Starting in 1690, the Siseranist viewpoint eroded in Sankt Ludwigshafen following the adoption of the Nazarene faith by a majority of the population, which in the short-term resulted in a more equal society, but over time resulted in a more patriarchal society, as the Nazarene faith did not allow women to have leading positions in the church. The rise of the Restored Church, which has influences from both Bovinism and Siseranism, and both women and men in leading position made society rather equal.
LGBT rights have always been recognised in the republic. Homosexuality was not prevalent more or less in Sankt Ludwig society compared to other states on Micras, but has never been an issue of debate within secular society. Marriage is open to all people over the age of 20 and all marriage ceremonies are performed by the state, after which a religious ceremony to bless the marriage is customary. Under the old Siseranist religion, the story of the transgender Mrs Donder, who was one of the helpers of Sisera in the Hurmu Genocide was the basis for a doctrine of tolerance towards trans people. The state does not record the sex or gender of citizens or travellers in passports, visa or other official documentation. Gender affirmation surgeries are not performed in the hospitals of Sankt Ludwigshafen as the state hospitals do not have enough patients to warrant this. Referral to foreign clinics is possible, but was not usually paid for by the state's medical insurance organisation prior to the ascension of the republic into the Raspur Pact. Since Sankt Ludwigshafen became part of the Raspur Pact, the state's medical insurance organisation has made arrangements with Natopian hospitals to deliver this care to Ludwiggian citizens. Hans Schafenweide was the first transgender stadtholder in the history of the republic, a fact that mostly went unnoticed in the republic as his gender identity was considered to be a private issue.
The Ludwiggian Reformed Church sees the presence of homosexuality on Micras as a result of the Fall of Man. Despite this view, it initially did not see homosexuality as something that could be changed by the individual and encouraged homosexual believers to find comfort in a monogamous relationship with a partner of the same sex, including marriage. Whether the Ludwiggian Reformed Church should continue to bless homosexual marriages was debated throughout the early 1690's, with some local churches refusing the blessing. These churches remain a small minority among the republic's many churches. Overall, the churches of the republic are open and welcoming to all members of the LGBT community. However, because the church still sees homosexuality as a sin, despite its sugar-coating, many of its members who deal with homosexual thoughts suffer from anxiety and guilt as a result of the teachings of the church.
The Restored Church on the other hand encourages its members to accept themselves and does not associate sexual attractions with morality, unless they negatively impact other people. This is based on both the Bovine story of the Vices of Mount Vice and the teachings of Sisera towards Mrs Donder. In the tradition of the Restored Church, Bous is often associated with masculinity while Sisera is associated with femininity. It is not uncommon for believers to present as another gender than the one they were assigned at birth in religious services, to reflect the one of the god they are worshipping at that moment. This does not mean the believer identifies with that gender, but it makes it easier for members that question the gender that they were assigned at birth to experiment with their identity, making the church especially appealing to non-binary and transgender people.
Since 1717, the education system of Sankt Ludwigshafen teaches students of all ages about sexuality and gender identity in a way that is suitable to the age of the students. Important topics include the equal worth of people regardless of sex or gender, the importance of consent in sexual relations, different ways to express sexuality and different ways to express gender identity, such as the possibility to be cis-gendered, trans-gendered or non-binary. The Ludwiggian Reformed Church has warned against sex education of younger individuals, but its hysterical claims about what the children were taught have only further alienated the church in Ludwiggian society.
