Reinheit (Ostland)

Reinheit - literally translated as purity - is a broad cultural concept in Ostland. The concept of reinheit permeates every social strata of the nation, encompassing everything from the national mindset to daily activities of the subjects of the Kingdom.

As a National Mindset

Reinheit as a national mindset has been documented as a straightforward affair. Many foreigners have summed it up in the common idiom of "what is good for the goose is good for the gander, and that gander of geese is Ostland". Foreign affairs, military spending and welfare are all geared towards the betterment of the nation as a whole, often called the Reinenation or Pure Nation. This can be seen in a relatively staunch attitude towards neutrality and an unwillingness to engage in broader international affairs that have been deemed a threat to the aforementioned Reinenation.

There is also the common attitude that "Ostland is for Ostlanders", of which many foreign visitors have often seen as mildly offensive and intolerant - until they realize the true meaning behind it. Many ethnic Ostlander Norse welcome people of all ethnicities, but it is the generally accepted attitude that if one wishes to live and remain in Ostland, one must accept that Ostlandic is the national and common language, there are established social norms and that deviation from social norms does not produce a cohesive and productive society. Seeing a need for this, Ferdinand I of Ostland - also the founder of the Arbeitskorps - implemented programs to ease new foreign residents into living in Ostland with language programs, housing placement and of course placement in the Arbeitskorps after a one-year acclimation period.