Sonnenburg
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Sonnenburg Koninkrijk Sonnenburg (Lentian) Capital: Sonnenburg
Population: 445,546 (2024) Motto: Moge God op het schild staan (May God be on the shield) |
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Sonnenburg, officially known as Kingdom of Sonnenburg, is a country in Northwestern Uletha, bordering Utterland to the south, Atreisia to the east and having a maritime border with Lentia. The kingdom of Sonnenburg is a microstate, having only achieved its independence in XXXX, after XXXX.
History
 | |
|---|---|
| History of Sonnenburg | |
| Early History | before 425 A.P. |
| • Bronze Age | |
| • Iron Age | |
| • Triadine Conquest | |
| Middle Ages | 425-1700 |
| Post Medieval | after 1700 |
Early History
Bronze Age (Before 600BP)
The earliest human activity found in Sonnenburg dates back to 2200BP, mostly evidence of farming during the Neolithic period. It is theorized that the geographic barriers around the Leke valley combined with the general lack of larger caves were what caused relatively late archeological findings.
Most of the bronze age findings indicate that the earliest populations were mostly concentrated along the Leke river and the lower lakes. Though, information from this time is often scarce due to the low number of historical evidence and the perceived lack of significant settlements during this era. Many archaeologists believe that many of Sonnenburg's early groups were wiped out or lived in small numbers, explaining the lack of findings.
Iron Age (600 BP-100BP)
The first known group to have inhabited the Leke Valley were a subgroup of the Atreba Culture, the Flenns, whose legacy remains in the modern day in many place names, including the largest region of Sonnenburg, Flenningen. The Flenns settled along the fertile plains of the lower Leke, having fortified settlements centered around trading the agricultural goods produced in the populated areas. It is believed that in the late Iron Age, a few trade routes evolved into important trading paths which ended up being continously used to the modern day. Some evidence even suggests that they formed small clans which clashed with each other over control of the farms which became important during the frequent food shortages.
Triadine Conquest (~100BP-425AP)
The first Triadine contact with the Flenns happened in the early first century BP when a centurion named Marcus Arquetius led an expedition across the Hetzer straight after occupying southeastern Lentia, though, due to the relative isolation of the valley, the area wasn't occupied. Any further Triadine action wouldn't happen again until a legion attempted to cross the Aulps and set up a trading post in northern Atreisia, abandoning it in 44 BP. It wasn't until Gaius Claudius Primus crossed the aulps in 20BP that the Flenns were conquered, Seno-Dunon (modern day Sonnenburg) quickly turned into the largest Triadine settlement in Sonnenburg, due to the terrain being optimal for a fort in the region which was advantageous to defend against the constant Flenn raids.
The Flenns eventually assimilated into the empire after a couple decades resisting against the empire, some efforts were also made to dilute the local culture, which was often seen as the problem for the relative instability. Seno-Dunon was renamed to Sonedunium, and later the area was the first to be christicized in the northern provinces of the empire, around the late third century (AP).
Middle Ages
Triadine Collapse - 425AP
(non cannon yet) 425 AP marked the end of the Triadine control over the lands north of the Aulps, with Baldvinus I, praefectus of the Atresan Province declaring himself to be the king of a newly formed kingdom spanning all of northern Atreisia and most of Sonnenburg. The kingdom quickly fell after his death, around 443 AP, which made the area morph into an uncentralized collection of small princely or ecclesiastic states. Sonnenburg was split into two main duchies, the Duchy of Westmark and the Duchy of Arningen. The city of Sonnenburg, named Sonneðorn at the time, was not a part of either, being one of the smallest counties in the region.
Kalmic Empire - 700AP - 1627
During the expansion of the Kalmic Empire in the 8th century, most of Sonnenburg was vassalized, with the county of Sonnenburg (now named Sōnneburg) being directly annexed by Kalm due to its strategic position. In the early part of the century, the Duchy of Westmark had merged with the Duchy of Arningen through the marriage of [X] and [X], but due to the protection that Kalm gave to the newly formed vassal, many local elites saw no reason in remaining united, gradually breaking off from the main vassal. As a result, ecclesiastical states started controlling more and more land in Sonnenburg.
The church often had more influence than Kalm itself in the politics of the states around Sonnenburg, which led Kalm to invade and centralize the smaller states, annexing them into the Sonneburg province. This action not only marked the first significant divergence from the southern lands of the old Atresan province but it also meant that the ecclesiastical power in the two regions differed greatly, starting the split.
With the centralization of the region, trade routes in Sonnenburg started to gain importance due to the much lower amount of tolls compared to the neighboring regions, giving rise to Selgenthorn and Oosterhaven. During this time, central Sonnenburg was able to become an affluent province in the empire as a result of the increased trade. Southern Sonnenburg was heavily wooded at the time, being deforested as the nobles in the north sought more land with the population increase caused by the agricultural revolution.
Fourty Years' War (Veertigjarige Oorlog) - 1627
The Fourty Years' War, or Lentian Rebellion started when the eastern duchies of Lentia declared war on the Kalmic empire over more autonomy and freedoms. the province of Sonnenburg at this time already had part of the Kalmic army stationed in its land, which suppressed any uprisings and prevented the conflict from spreading across the straight. The province was used as a launchpad for offensives into the duchies which was mostly successful for the first 20 years of the war. Though, after the Kalmish defeat in Ziel, the Lentian forces pushed the empire south and westward, cutting off Sonnenburg from the rest of Kalm. The province was swiftly occuppied as a result of the divisions in the land having no support from the mainland.
It wasn't until the war ended, in 1667, after the Treaty of Lichtenbosch that the occupation would end. Because Sonnenburg didn't participate in the war as a co-belligerent against Kalm, the province was initially going to be left as an exclave of the Kalmic Empire, though, because the empire was no longer willing to maintain such an isolated exclave and the newly formed Kingdom of Lentia did not want an outpost owned by the nation they had just fought fourty years against, Sonnenburg was turned into a Lentian Protectorate.
Duchy of Sonnenburg
The Sonnenburgish Civil War- 1667
Only 10 years after the creation of the Duchy of Sonnenburg, the old Kalmish nobility had mostly stopped supporting the new Duke Willem I as a result of their insatisfaction with him being of Lentian origin and supporting the lentianization of Sonnenburg, making Lentian the official court language. As the nobility started to gather their lords to topple the duke, though, the serfs quickly turned against them as the multiple crackdowns during the Kalmish rule throughout the war created a massive feeling of resentment. Since the Kalmish elite was the last relic of the empire, the peasants revolted as soon as the lords left the feuds.
When the nobles arrived at Sonnenburg, Willem I had already fled to Kerkenburg, making them stay at the capital and destroying the royal residence. The army remained busy long enough for the revolts to become widespred across the duchy. Other than Sonnenburg which was occupied at the time, merchants and other urban groups in the other large settlements formed the League of the Burghs, a pro Lentian confederation which aimed at restoring Willem I as the duke of Sonnenburg. With Lentian support, the league was able to raise an army larger and more modernized than the feudal army which started the siege of the city of Sonnenburg, which fell after 8 months holding off.
On the 16th of february of 1688, the revolutionaries notoriously executed all of the old nobility in the middle of Burghplaats [Koning Phillipplaats should be renamed to this], which later became known as the De Kronenophanging (Crowns' Massacre). Because of the role of the new merchant class in the revolt, several reforms were enacted, most notably the creation of the Parliament, which allowed the large merchants to have influence over national decisions whom filled in the power vacuum of a large part of the nobility which was hanged. The Fourty Years' War also had a strong impact over the reforms, enabling rights such as freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
Another consequence was the end of feudalism in many parts of the duchy, after the civil war, a large portion of the serfs moved to the Burghs, leading to the end of feudalism in many areas across the duchy. When Cantons were created to better govern areas further away from the capital like Bergen, Westmark, which was the Canton with the largest Burgher population, enacted local laws to merchantilize land which collapsed feudalism and started urbanizing.
Industrialization - 1811
Industrialization in Sonnenburg only became widespread in the 1840s, with the Swelm valley and Sonnenburg being the only regions industrializing early, fueled by the coal deposits along the mountains. The first textile industries quickly spread to the capital using the abundant urban population, attracting more former serfs to move away from the remaining feuds in Flenningen. By 1850, feudalism had effectively collapsed across the entire country as industries were present across every major settlement. Arnhaven, a city which lost large part of its importance after the collapse of the duchy of Arningen was able to develop many glassworks factories, which led to its explosive growth in wealth and influence.
Multiple union strikes from factory workers with inhumane working conditions led to the creation of new parties in the Parliament and later broader voting rights. As a result, many rights were gradually achieved by the working classes throughout the 19th century, greatly increasing standards of living after a sharp decline in the start of the century.
At the end of the century, Sonnenburg joined the Hetzer Union, swiftly becoming its political center as a compromise between the other larger powers. Many railways were built interconnecting the country with its neighbors, gradually diversifying the city of Sonnenburg's economy, from an industrial focused city towards an administrative and transportation hub.
Later in the 20th century, with the decline of the industry in the country, there was a swift attempt at converting the economy from an industry primacy towards a service focused economy. In 1968, the capital, Sonnenburg, was where nearly two thirds of the wealth of the entire country resided, while only having one sixth of the population. After bringing in foreign finance agents with friendly fiscal policies and a stable political scenario, the economy grew rapidly during the end of the century, turning into one of the richest countries in the world.
Culture
Language
Sonnenburgish dialect
As of 2024, 93% of the population of Sonnenburg (country) speaks the Sonnenburgish dialect of Lentian, which split from standard lentian after decades of Valonian domination and overall historic political separation from Lentia. The dialect is spoken in the central regions of Sonnenburg, with the only region with a significant different dialect spoken being the extreme south of the country, near the border with Utterland and Atreisia.
Administrative divisions
Administrative boundaries
| Admin level | NL name | EN name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Staat | Country | A single country boundary. The country name is used when writing an international address. |
| 6 | Kanton | Canton | Text |
| 7 | District | District | Districts mostly combine one city or bigger town with all surrounding municipalities, usually named after the largest town. |
| 8 | Gemeente | Municipality | text |
| Stad | City | ||
| 9 | Deelgemeente | Part-municipality | text |
Geography
Politics
 | |
|---|---|
| Government of Sonnenburg | |
| Federate ceremonial constitutional monarchy | |
| Capital | Sonnenburg (city) |
| Head of state | |
| • King | Koning Willem III |
| • Minister-President | Anna van Westmark (DCV) |
| Legislature | |
| • Upper house | Staten Generaal or Parliament |
 | |
| Judiciary | X |
Major political parties | |
DCV Links Sonnenburg Groene DUV VV Nieuw Links | |
| Hetzer Union (member) | |
Parties
| Party | Nieuw Links | Links | Groene | Democratische Unie Volkspartij (DUV) | Democratische Christelijke Volkspartij (DCV) | Vrijheid Volkspartij (VV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coalition | De Linkse | De Linkse | CU (Centristische Unie) | CU (Centristische Unie) | CU (Centristische Unie) | Ø |
| Seats in Lower House | 5 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 3 |
| Seats in Upper House | ||||||
| Orientation | Left Wing | Left | Green Politics | Fiscal Conservatism | Center Right | Right Wing |