Helderbourgh Stadt

Helderbourgh Stadt
Nation:	Grand Duchy of Helderbourgh
Population:	935.619
Predominant language:	Batavian, Common Language
Main roads:	/
Major districts:	/
Current mayor:	Jean Metternich
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Helderbourgh Stadt (Dutch: Helderburg), also known as Helderbourgh City, is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Helderbourgh and the canton of the same name.

The city is located atop a plateau sitting at the edge of an escarpment running along the western flank of Helderberg Mountain.

In 1675 AN, the city had 935,619 inhabitants, making it the most densely populated city in the country.

History

Helderbourgh Stadt from the air

Prior to becoming a major city, Helderbourgh was a small village consisting of a few families of Treiso-Batavian descent. These original settlers hailed from Batavian Cibola, some two to three thousand years ago, when Batavia held colonies in what is presently Bretalyon. Over time these families intermarried with the Germanian population, and these families settled and named the Helderbergs.

Due to its reasonably sheltered location, the city became a refuge during the civil war within the United Principalities of Treisenberg. This made the city the largest city in the country. When the civil war ended, Helderbourgh became the capital and name giver of the new state. To distinguish the name of the new state, as well as the canton of the same name, "Stadt" was added to the name: Helderbourgh Stadt.

Since the appointment of Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy as Grand Duke in 1672 AN, the city has undergone major development. The previously provisional homes are increasingly being replaced by old-style residential blocks. The city expands and the suburbs are built like a landscape garden.

Geography

The upper and lower city

Helderbourgh Stadt lies on a plateau of the western flank of Helderberg Mountain, slightly east of the centre of Helderbourgh. The mountain closest to the city is Helderhorn with a height of 858 m (2,815 ft).

The center of the city is characterized by a division of the upper city and lower city. The upper town, with the market square and the Grand Ducal Palace, is 559 m (1,834 ft).

Steep cliffs surround the upper city that drop into the narrow valleys of the Alzig and Attert rivers, whose confluence is in Helderbourgh Stadt. The 70 m (230 ft) deep gorges cut by the rivers are spanned by many bridges and viaducts, including the Elisabeth Asara Bridge. Although Helderbourgh Stadt is not particularly large, its layout is complex, as the city is set on several levels, straddling hills and dropping into the two gorges.

Government

City Hall

Grand Ducal Palace

Elisabeth Asara Bridge

Local government

The City Council of Helderbourgh Stadt consists of 45 members. Currently, the Conservative Union is the largest political party in Helderbourgh Stadt and therefore supplies the mayor, Jean Metternich.

The composition of the city council is as follows:

Name		Abbr.	Leader	Ideology	Political position	AM's
	Conservative Union	CU	Jean Metternich (mayor)	Conservatism	Right wing	City Council: 24 / 45
	Labour Party	LP	Eloïse Margue	Socialism	Left	City Council: 16 / 45
	Liberal Democrats	LD	Maurice Delvaux	Liberalism	Centre	City Council: 4 / 45
	The Greens	GR	François Metz	Green politics	Left	City Council: 1 / 45

National government

Helderbourgh Stadt is the seat for the Helderbourgh Government. The grand duke and his family live in the Vinandy Palace, while the Grand Ducal Palace functions as a work residence.

The various ministries and the National Assembly (parliament) are based in the city.

Places of interest

Among the places of interest are:

• Colmar Palace, the residential residence of the Grand Duke, currently opened as a museum.
• Elisabeth Asara Bridge, named after Elisabeth Asara des Vinandy, daughter of Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy, Grand Duke of Helderbourgh.
• Grand Ducal Palace, the working residence of the grand duke in the center of the upper city.
• Grand Central Station, is the main railway station serving Helderbourgh Stadt, 80,000 passengers use this station every day. The station is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the upper city.
• Kilian Soccer Stadium, is a multi-use stadium with a capacity of 13,000.
• Statue of Kilian, erected in honour of Kilian Van Allen, the first Grand Duke of Helderbourgh.
• Vinandy Palace, the private residence of Arkadius Frederik Gustavus des Vinandy.