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.

Reinheit is more than what it translates as a word into the common tongue of Micras. It is our nation, our daily life -- all the way down to how we greet someone or our table manners. Purity, chastity, good manners, good will, the list truly goes on. When it comes to our nation it means, more often than not, keeping our noses out of the business of other nations. It means lavish dinners for friend OR foe should they grace my palace. It also means...I think...a passion for defending those concepts. A certain ferocity of the spirit. Reinheit is not Reinheit without the will to ensure we have it, by any means necessary.

—Nikolaus I, Interview on 1712, explaining Reinheit

Reinheit in Daily Life

Reinheit in daily life can be considered the embodiment of the collective demeanor of the average Ostlander. A quiet politeness, disguised shrewdness, a general sentiment of patriotism and a general need for the establishment of order and rules could be said to be a very basis summation of reinheit in daily life. It is, however, far more complex than what is considered the national mindset. Disapproval is often immediate but its severity is curtailed by a general politeness; however, repeated disapproval often invites a far more emotional response - especially if it is a grievous infraction against social norms. With foreign visitors, Ostlandic patience is somewhat extended for a brief period - rather than immediately scowling and declaring somewhat to be an unreineschwein, many will either simply ignore it or enjoy a good laugh.

Both the young and the old are cherished in Ostland as part of reinheit - the old being the teachers and keepers of reinheit, with the young being the new generation that will continue the traditions and work for the prosperity of the nation. Impoliteness towards the elders is considered an especially grievous social infraction, with many more conservative policemen taking it upon themselves to publicly chastise and deride youth who do not show proper manners to the elderly - a very loud and boisterous "Allo, schmutzigekind!" is the tell-tale sign of a patrolman about to deliver a particularly severe lecture to an impolite youth.