Sopron Frontier Territory (1983: Doomsday)



The Sopron Frontier Territory is an autonomous survivor nation and protected region located to the east of Austria, based from the intact city of Sopron (German: Ödenburg). Officially, it covers the vicinity of the capital proper and other Alpine border territories along what was once Hungary, though informal claims have included the western half of the former country as well as Magyar-speaking area in neighboring Austrian Burgenland.

Its present status within the Alpine Confederation was only acknowledged in 2009, although this only served to officially validate a long-standing reality lasting over a generation. Although the Frontier as known today can trace its origins to as far back as 1984, most use the Austrian protection guarantee of 1987 as a landmark moment in its young history. Much more contested however are its claims of being a successor to the Hungarian Republic; although Partium in the eastern half of the former country is internationally recognized, there is nonetheless informal Alpine (mainly Austrian) support for the Frontier.

Post-Doomsday History
Despite the town's long-standing existence (its origins going back into Roman times), Doomsday ironically proved to be the turning point for its true rise to prominence. Although the "ever loyal town" (as it was also known since the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918) was not targeted when the bombs fell, the effects were felt almost immediately. Local Communist Party members and their Soviet minders attempted to establish a forward base as part of a campaign to invade Austria, though it became apparent that there was no real power base to work on. This proved to be a breaking point as both local citizens and soldiers rose up in a successful coup against their increasingly unpopular masters, a move supported by Austrian garrisons moving across the border. Yet Sopron's problems had only begun.

A Provisional Authority was proclaimed on February 1984, officially bringing an end to Communist rule in their corner of Hungary. Yet even the most fervent patriots at the time were uncertain as to whether there was still a "Hungary" to speak off. Stories came of mass upheaval, death and utter devastation from the refugees swarming into to the region. As fallout spread from ground zero, cases of radiation sickness rose tremendously. As the years passed, it became increasingly apparent that despite their hopes, the people of Sopron were on their own. Nonetheless, It quickly gained a reputation as a "beacon of light" in the wastes.

By 1987, Austrian garrisons increasingly became a common sight around Sopron, though the locals welcomed their presence. Over time, territory expanded to cover other Magyar-inhabited border regions as more and more land was secured. Trade and communication had also solidified with neighboring Burgenland as more German speakers flocked to the region seeking both charity work and new opportunities. The return of the surviving members of the formerly noble Esterházy in the early 1990s only served to increase the region's exposure.

But it was not until later that the Frontier came to the attention of the Linz authorities and to a degree the rest of what was to become the Alpine Confederation. While most Austrians were already in favor of the region, the Swiss and Liechtensteiners generally saw it at first as little more than a glorified refugee zone, which became for a time a contentious topic. Referendums were held several times from 1997 onwards (all generally in favor of staying as an autonomous entity), though wasn't until 2009 that through the Austrians Sopron's status was finally acknowledged in a special ceremony in Vaduz. Its ties to the rest of the Alpines improved not long after, which remains so to this day.

Language and Culture
Due to its historic background and connections, Sopron was historically both Hungary's most Austrian town and Austria's most Hungarian. Whether it was trade, culture or ideology, its people felt themselves at once one with and apart from their nationalities. The Dual Monarchy may be long gone, but that legacy lives on among the present inhabitants. In such an environment the region had since begun to develop its own identity through blending both elements, giving a distinct character from the rest of the Alpines.

The majority are of either Austrian or Hungarian descent, a significant proportion of the latter coming from refugees fleeing the chaos before and after the infamous border closures that followed Doomsday. It comes as little surprise therefore that German and Magyar are the two main languages, of which locals are increasingly becoming bilingual of. More recently, there have been attempts to promote pidgin languages combining the two disparate tongues with mixed results. Nonetheless, some believe that the Frontier is proof of an old line bearing fruit: Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter.

Politics and Government
Run by the locally elected Frontier Authority, it is directly answerable to the Austrian government in Linz. The region is largely left to govern itself, though benefits considerably from Alpine citizenship (despite not formally a full member) including aid, defense and services.

Increasingly, however, the popularity of the Esterházy line, as well as their ties to prominent neo-Hungarian nationalist circles has opened intriguing questions about its future within the Alpine Confederation. Much more contested however are its claims of being a successor to the Hungarian Republic; although Partium in the eastern half of the former country is internationally recognized, there is nonetheless informal Alpine (mainly Austrian) support for the Frontier.