Difference between revisions of "Erlangen-Ansbach"

Latest revision as of 16:39, 14 December 2006

Das Vereinigte Königreich Erlangen-Ansbach und Peru
United Kingdom of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru

National Emblems of Erlangen-Ansbach Motto: "Nec temere nec timide (Latin: Neither hidden nor fearfully)
File:ERAN-FINAL-MAP-181005.jpg Map of Erlangen-Ansbach
Official Languages	German, French, Spanish
Capital	Erlangen
ISO Nation Codes	EA / ERA
Population  - Total (September 2006)	Quite a lot
Nation Type	Constitutional Monarchy
Government Type	Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State	King RAIK III
Head of Government	Reichskanzler Alexander GIESHÜBLER
Foundation	1153 (Ascension of Duke Heinrich I)
National Animal	Lion
Currency	1 Goldmark (fe.) = 100 Pfennige
ISO Currency Code	EAG
Internet TLD	.ea .era

The United Kingdom of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru (German: Erlangen-Ansbach, officially Das Vereinigte Königreich Erlangen-Ansbach und Peru) is a country in the very heart of Central Europe. It's widely renown for its naval traditions that are continuously developed, its burgeoning middle class and its people's sense for social justice among their society.

Politically it is a constitutional monarchy governed through a parliamentary democracy. Domestically it is organised as a federal union with dominating unitarian traits.

The nation's nucleus was established in the middle ages, when the degenerated Germanic Duke of Erlangen was overthrown by its originally Norse vassal, the Countly Knytlings of Gründlach. From then on the realm was expanded step by step, be it domestically or overseas (e.g. the establishment of the colony of Eiffelland in the early 16th century).

In the wake of the 21st century the then Grand Duchy was able to acquire a huge patch of land by peacefully merging with its neighbour Brussels, nowadays incorporated as Grand Duchy of the Two Brussels.

Nowadays Erlangen-Ansbach plays an important role in co-guiding the central bloc as well as the Interlaken Treaty Organisation with the help of its faithful vassal of Nichtstein. Some even claim Nichtstein is the true head.

History

This section won't be filled too soon. Others have a higher priority.

Administrative Divisions

The United Kingdom consists of eight federal provinces called Duchies (German: Herzogtümer/Singular: Herzogtum), which enjoy a certain degree of domestic autonomy. Prior to 1915 the provinces of the Grand Duchy were administered strictly by the central government and the monarch.

Till the 1970's Erlangen-Ansbach was rather a unitarian state with a decentralized government than a federal union: Under Ministerpräsident Franz J. Vogel-Strauß' tenure the Herzogtümer demanded more and more autonomy and a government commission recommended a constitutional reform to render Erlangen-Ansbach in a proper federal state.

As stipulated by Erlangen-Ansbach constitution the people were called to the ballot to decide on a vast constitutional reorganisation, which ultimately introduced nowadays institutions.

The Reichsrat (=Federal Council) is the upper chamber of parliament. Depending on its population every provincial government sends a number of deputies, usually the head of government and the senior secretaries. Generally the chamber enjoys only a suspending veto, unless the bill is one of the few veto-laws as prescribed by the constitution.

The ten administrative divisions of Erlangen-Ansbach are as following (unless stated otherwise, the duchies share the name of their capitals)

• Erlangen
• Ansbach
• Roth
• Stadeln
• Großgründlach
• Bruxelles du Nord (cap. Charlesroi)
• Bruxelles du Sud (cap. Luxembourg
• Leutershausen
• Peru (cap. Fennbridge)
• Rostock

Economics

The ruling economic system of Erlangen-Ansbach are the principles of the Social Economy. The Central European version of the doctrine was first developed and implemented in Erlangen-Ansbach by Ludwig Erhard, Minister of Economy and later head of government of his own.

For a synopsis of Erlangen-Ansbach's most relevant companies, please refer to Important Companies of Erlangen-Ansbach

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Ludwig Erhard is seen as Supreme Patron of the Social Economy

The shape of the economy in general

The dominating industrial branches of Erlangen-Ansbach are automobile manufacturing, weaponry crafting and IT solutions (in a wider sense that also includes the production of espionage and telecommunication satellites). The most important heavy industry branch is shipbuilding, virtually ruled by state-owned VSU.

Though agriculture's total relevance for Erlangen-Ansbach's foreign trade is rather average, one branch of it is well known among gourmets: The red and white wines of Old Erlangen-Ansbach's and the Two Brussel's vineyards are widely demanded in Europe. The United Kingdom's vintners' youngest bestseller is fine wine from the Duchy of Peru (compare: Winegrowing in Erlangen-Ansbach)

One is special about Erlangen-Ansbach's corporate landscape: There are only a few large concerns, while there are a lot of healthy middle-class companies led and owned by a limited number of shareholders.

This is also mirrored on the national scale: Most of the large companies of the United Kingdom are partly privately owned, at least: Prominent examples are the Sendelbeck Konzern or the Roth-Winter Konzern.

Important trade partners

The United Kingdom's most important trade partners are five of its Central European neighbors: Liechtenistan, Nichstein, Albion, South Germany and Twente. Especially between Twente and Erlangen-Ansbach there's a busy flow of goods.

Other regionally important trade partners are the Republic of Kheion and Gunnlandia.

Minor trade partners are Malat, the Helvetic Confederation, Wazistan, Danmark, Serbovia, Friedrichsgabe, Aartrijke and the New Empire of the North.

Energy Market

The energy market of Erlangen-Ansbach is dominated by four large corporations: EON Energie AG(a take-over by SEB is rumoured though), FrankenGas AG (independent, publicly traded), Fränkische Nordöl GmbH (a subdivision of Roth-Winter Gruppe) and ErderEnergie KGaA (independent, publicly traded).

These four companies operate the vast majority of energy institutions (oil sources, gas sources, refineries, power plants) in Erlangen-Ansbach. However, some power plants are maintained by municipal energy suppliers.

The four companies gain most of their turnover in direct customer business from cooperation treaties with the municipal suppliers.

Politics

Politics of Erlangen-Ansbach are embedded in a framework of a federal parliamentary democracy hand in hand with the constitutional monarchy. Legislative power is vested with the Reichstag and the Reichsrat (lower and upper house of parliament).

The executive is known as the Crown of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru, i.e. the Monarch and His Majesty's Government.

The judiciary of the United Kingdom is independent, of course. Apart from the federalism issues the political system is based on the 1871 constitution of Erlangen-Ansbach (Reichsverfassung), whose core is visible up to now.

Legal System

For more information see Jurisdiction of Erlangen-Ansbach

Erlangen-Ansbach has a civil or statute law system based ultimately on Roman law with some references to Germanic law. Legislative power is divided between the Federation and the individual federated states. While criminal law and private law have seen codifications on the national level (in the Strafgesetzbuch and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch respectively), no such unifying codification exists in administrative law where a lot of the fundamental matters remain in the jurisdiction of the individual federated states. In 1979, with the Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (VwVfG), the main form of actions of administration was codified. Most federated states have followed this codification. There are a series of specialist supreme courts; for civil and criminal cases the highest court of appeal is the Oberste Krongerichtshof (Supreme Crown Court of Justice), located in Erlangen. The courtroom style is inquisitorial.

The Royal National Constitutional Court (Königlicher Landesverfassungsgerichtshof), also located in Erlangen, is the Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters. It acts as the highest legal authority and ensures that legislative and judicial practice conforms to the Constitution. It acts independently of the other state bodies, but cannot act on its own behalf.

Foreign Relations

For more information see Auswärtiges Amt

After a limited presence on the international stage throughout the 20th century, Erlangen-Ansbach slowly thawed and grew more interested in Europe again under Grand Duke Daniel IV's reign. Continuing both his father's much loved armed forces re-building program and international rapproachment with likeminded states, Erlangen-Ansbach became a respected if not somewhat feared nation in Europe.

Indirectly Erlangen-Ansbach also participated in leading the European Defence Federation, whose founder it was, in its various clashes with the ComIntern.

Nowadays the United Kingdom is part of the European Union, member of the well-acknowledged Interlaken Treaty Organisation and keen international broker, provided it benefits itself or its allies.

Notable friends of Erlangen-Ansbach include Wazistan, South Germany, Twente, Nichtstein, Malat, Adelyne and the New Empire of the North. An odd man among the friends of Erlangen-Ansbach is the Republic of Gunnlandia, whose reigning doctrine of Carsonism is 100% contrary to Erlangen-Ansbach's one. A common comment on this relationship is Politics make strange bedfellows. Especially among relatives. (That alludes to the royal house's Norse past.)

Armed Forces

Erlangen-Ansbachs's military, the Königlichen Streitkräfte (Royal Armed Forces), is a defense force with Königliches Heer (Royal Army), Königliche Marine (Royal Navy), Königliche Luftwaffe (Royal Air Force), Kommando Spezialkräfte (Special Forces Command), Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services) and Streitkräftebasis (Joint Service Support Command) branches. It employs some XY soldiers (including women in active fighting branches since 1980) and XY civilians. One third of the soldiers are 18-23-year-old men and women on national duty, currently for at least 9 months. In peacetime, the Bundeswehr is commanded by the Minister of Defence, currently Joachim Herrmann. If the United Kingdom goes to war, The King becomes active commander-in-chief of the Royal Armed Forces.

To learn more, refer to Königliche Streitkräfte.

Society

Religion

Erlangen-Ansbach is the second country to convert to the Reformation launched by Martin Luther in the early 16th century. Today, Protestants (particularly in Old Erlangen-Ansbach and Rostock) comprise about 43% of the population and Catholics (particularly in Peru and Zwei Brüssel) also 38%.

In total more than two third of the people officially belong to a Christian denomination. The third largest religious identity in Erlangen-Ansbach is that of non-religious people, who amount to a total of 13.5% of the population.

The rest are minor Muslim communities, Orthodox and Jewish parishes.

Most Protestants including the Royal Family are members of the Evangelical Church of Erlangen-Ansbach, while the Catholic are chiefly members of the orderly Catholic Church administered by the Conference of Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom.

The Lutherans of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru

See also Evangelical Lutheran Church of Erlangen-Ansbach

Since 1529 Erlangen-Ansbach has been chiefly Evangelical-Lutheran: Already in 1526 preachers and theologians began to disseminate the ideas of the Friedrichgaber Reformator Martin Luther. Luther's friend Philip Melanchton of Roth would convince Grand Duke Raik II of the advantages of promoting and adopting the Evangelical confession.

In 1529 the Grand Duke had the Edictum Ad Majorem Gloriam Dei promulgated. From then on Erlangen-Ansbach would become a monarchy with a Lutheran State Church. However, Catholicism was tolerated and not persecuted.

Till the early 19th century the Lutherans remained State Church at the Monarchy's whim: Under the great reformer Maximilian von Montgelas the Catholics were returned their full rights. Ultimately both confessions were given autonomous rights to administer their interior matters on their own.

Subsequently the Lutheran Church developed a parliamentary element (the provincial synods and the national synods) and its regional bishops were no longer picked by the Monarch.

Each duchy of Erlangen-Ansbach equals one Lutheran diocese under a bishop: Each bishop is supported by a varying number of deputy bishops, a central administration and supervised by a synod.

Upon inauguration Lutheran Bishops are obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to the King.

The Catholics of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru

The unification with the Two Brussels and the later takeover of Peru led to a near-equilibrium greatly increased the number of Catholic followers in Erlangen-Ansbach. Ecumenical measures are pursued only as far as the Twentish Catholic Church permits it. Inter-confessional marriages are tolerated, but the non-Catholic spouse may not partake in Holy Communion. On leadership level both churches go along very well.

Since 1997 the archdioceses in Erlangen-Ansbach equal the respective political entity (duchy): Depending on its size, each archdiocese is divided into two to five dioceses.

Candidates for vacant sees are nominated by the Conference of Bishops. The Conference will submit a list of three candidates to the Patriarch's Nuntius in Erlangen, who'll forward the list to the Dirigente-Patriarch. After their inauguration bishops of the Catholic Church must pay and swear allegiance to the King.

Moreover, the Conference of Bishops of the Catholic Church of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru is responsible for coordinating the joint policies and affairs of all dioceses. Its current chairman is Friedrich Kardinal von Wetter, Archbishop of Ansbach.

Education

Erlangen-Ansbach has one of Europe's highest levels of education and many famous universities.

The most important foreign languages taught at school are English, French, Latin, Italian and Spanish. Some languages, such as Russian, Ancient Greek Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Polish and Arabic are taught less widely.

Since the end of the 1950's, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, but university attendance still lags behind many other European nations because of its very high standards.

Most Erlangen-Ansbach universities are state-owned and were free of charge, however a recently passed education reform calls for fees between 200 and 400 Goldmark per semester from each student, started in 2006 in the first state (Ansbach). However, all universities that charge fees are under close scrutiny by the respective Department of Education to guarantee the funds are used at the students' benefit.

Additionally university students are often supported by the so called AföG, a federal subsidy, running as high as 310 Goldmark per month as interest free credit plus 300 Goldmark as direct payment.

Culture

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Erlangen-Ansbach's Gebrüder Grimm collected the most important anthology of German fairytales

Erlangen-Ansbach's contributions to the world's cultural heritage are numerous, and the country is often known as das Land der Dichter und Denker (the country of poets and thinkers). Erlangen-Ansbacher literature can be traced back to the Middle Ages, in particular to such authors as Walther von der Vogelweide and Wolfram von Eschenbach, considered some of the most important poets of medieval Europe. The fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are world famous and the Nibelungenlied, whose author is not known, is also a major contribution to German literature. The most admired Erlangen-Ansbacher poets and authors are Lessing, Goethe, Schiller, Kleist and Hoffmann. Other poets include Friedrich Hölderlin, Heinrich Heine, Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Theodor Fontane, Rainer Maria Rilke and authors of the 20th century include Nobel Prize winners Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse and Heinrich Böll. Other famous authors are Brecht and Schmidt. Erlangen-Ansbach's influence on world philosophy was significant as well, as exemplified by Magnus, Leibniz, Kant, Herder, Mendelssohn, Novalis, Fichte, Hegel, Feuerbach, Schopenhauer, Schweitzer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Hartmann, Jaspers, Luxemburg, Heidegger, Arendt, Steiner, Gadamer and Habermas.

In the field of sociology influential Erlangen-Ansbacher thinkers were Tönnies, Simmel, Weber, Horkheimer, Adorno and Luhmann.

Many historical figures, though not citizens of Erlangen-Ansbach in the modern sense, were important and influential figures in the country's culture, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Martin Luther, Franz Kafka and Stefan Zweig.

National Anthem: Das Lied der Franken

Das Lied der Franken (The Franconians' Song) is the official anthem of the United Kingdom of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru.

Whereas the term "Franconians" formerly referred to Old Erlangen-Ansbach only, it has become a more generic name for the people of the United Kingdom as a whole. Thus a Peruvian feels as a "Franconian" when it comes to celebrating national unity despite his additional adherence to Peru's own regional anthem.

The melody of the song was written by Max Kunz in 1840. The text for the original first three stanzas was written by Michael Öchsner. Both men were members of the Bürger-Sänger-Zunft Erlangen (Citizen-Singers-Guild Erlangen), that first performed the song on December 15, 1860.

The anthem's text

A brief history of the anthem

In 1862 it was the wish of Anja I., Grand Duchess of Erlangen-Ansbach that a "patriotic" orginal-Franconian anthem should be created, written by a "patriotic" poet and composed by a "patriotic" musician. Yet without success for a while; the first submitted blueprints did not satisfy the grand duke's demands and ideas.

In a competition created one year later several poets and composers tried their luck. Lunz, who found the text of Ochsner in a school book Ochsner had published some time ago and deemed Ochsner's poem worthy to be turned into a song, submitted his composition to the competition. It was the Kunz-Ochsner song which won the hearts of the jury and finally the grand duchess. Thus it was proclaimed and declared the "Official Anthem of the Grand Duchy [note - now United Kingdom] of Erlangen-Ansbach and Peru" in 1864 by Grand Duchess Anja I.

It was only edited in 2003 when Erlangen-Ansbach was ascended to kingdomship. Although it is the national anthem, there is another anthem for the Grand Duchy of the Two Brussels, where His Majesty is mentioned in his capacity as the Grand Duke of the Two Brussels. It is played at all official occasions in the Two Brussels.

National landmarks of Erlangen-Ansbach

In the course of its proud past Erlangen-Ansbach has gathered several impressive, touching or picturesque national landmarks. For tourists and interested natives there's something for every taste: Early Industrial Age factories, large castles, tall statues and appealing churches and cathedrals.

The Walhalla, the Graf Knud Denkmal, Schloß Sankt Emmeram, St. Bonifacius Cathedral of Luxembourg and the modern seat of Peru's legislative assembly are among the most famous ones.

Die Walhalla: the hall of fame and the famous

Die Walhalla (Valhalla) near Roth above the river Pegnitz

The Walhalla, Hall of Fame and Honor is a hall of fame located on the Regnitz River 10 km from Roth, RO, Erlangen-Ansbach.

It was the idea of Crown Prince Daniel of Erlangen-Ansbach in 1807, at a time when Erlangen-Ansbach was struggling for consolidating power in Central Europe and coping with the independance movement in Eiffelland.

Even though the Valhalla of Norse mythology is the home for those slain gloriously in battle, the Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics, and expressedly for females also.

'German' was taken in the sense of Germanic, since Adelynian, Twentish, Liechten, Helvetic, Brusselian, Friedrichsgaber and related figures are included, as well as persons which gained their fame mainly in other countries or for non-German governments.

For the coronation of Grand Duke Daniel II in 1820, already 60 busts were finished. In 1826 he commissioned the temple above the Regnitz, modelled after the Parthenon. On the Walhalla's inauguration on 18 October 1842, there were 96 busts, plus 64 plaques for those persons or events of which no portrait was available to model a sculpture after. As of German tongue was the main criterion for the 160 persons representing 1800 years, the Grand Duke included persons from modern-day Adelyne, Nichtstein, Eiffelland, Friedrichsgabe, Liechtenistan, Brüssel and some Nordic States in his selection.

Only persons who are dead for at least 20 years are eligible. Proposals can be made by anybody; a commission headed by The King decides on additions. Only 31 busts were added since on an irregular basis, for a total of 191 of which 12 are female.

Commemorating a Norseman in Central Europe

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The memorial for Knud Knýtling shows the Norse warrior in a Romantic 19th century style

Situated in the Duchy of Großgründlach the Graf Knud Denkmal or Count Knud Memorial commemorates a very peculiar person in the past history of Erlangen-Ansbach: It hails the prime ancestor of the Grand Dukes and Kings of Erlangen-Ansbach, Norse Prince Knud Knýtling, junior son to notorious Warrior King Gunnar the Conqueror of Gunnlandia.

As historians gradually undug more and more of Erlangen-Ansbach's earliest history, the memorial was commissioned by Grand Duke Daniel II in 1838 to "hail a great soldier and proud pater patriae" and finished in 1845. Responsible architect and creator was Jakob Ernst von Mandel.

See also

All other relevant articles directly relating to Erlangen-Ansbach can be found by clicking on the category tag below.