| |||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Rottemburg | ||
| Language | German | ||
| Margravine Regent | Elizabeth | ||
| Population | 1,737,600 | ||
| Independence | 1263 | ||
| Currency | WRG | ||
Hohenberg, Margravate of Hohenberg, is a small constitutional monarchy in central Europe. It is divided into four non-contiguous parts spread over the Swabian region of the Holy Roman Empire: officially known as Rottemburg, Schramberg, Nellenburg and Schluchsee, but locally just known as Nord, Mitte, Ost and Westen. Collectively the parts border Württemberg, Hohenzollern, Austria, Breisgau, Rottweil, and the Swiss Confederation. The capital is Rottemburg and the population is around 320,000.
The Head of State is Margravine Elizabeth (regent for her infant son Johannes).
The official language is German.
The de-facto currency is the Württemberg Gulden (WRG), though the Austrian Mark (AUM) is widely used as well.
History[]
Once a part of the Duchy of Swabia, the county of Hohenberg asserted its independence as the Hohenstaufen lands disintegrated in the 13th century. Nellenburg was inherited in the 14th century and thereafter much of the Margraves' energies were focused on a interminable rivalry with the small Imperial Cities of Konstanz and Stockach, and republican Rottweil, a feud which fed into wars with the Swiss cantons to the south. Formally allied to Württemberg it formed part of the Swabian League against Swiss, Bavarian and Burgundian aggression.
It would fall out with Württemberg during the Reformation as it remained staunchly Catholic whilst Württemberg became Lutheran, and shifted its loyalties to Austria, the counts frequently serving the Hapsburg crown.
Alongside its neighbours Hohenberg was utterly devastated by the Fifty Years War. Emperor Rudolph II raised the counts to Margraves thanks to the sterling efforts of Count Frederick V in 1639, but that was little comfort to the impoverished population. By the Treaty of Copenhagen Stockach and Konstanz, and the Abbey of Reichnau, were formally ceded to Hohenberg, but the cities were virtually empty and did little revive the margravate's fortunes.
During the Austrian Civil War plans it was part of the Catholic League designed to return Vienna to Catholicism and local leaders in Further Austria formally asked to be annexed. Hohenberg troops would indeed occupy Schaffhausen but made little impression elsewhere.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries a string of poor Margraves ruined the state's finances with foolhardy building schemes and ill-thought out attempts at grabbing autocratic power, leading to deep political arguments between the disparate parts and the margravate's council. A succession crisis in 1945 led to the margrave title passing to the Bohemian Šternberkové family (Sternberg in German), who have tended to treat their German lands with a laissez-faire attitude but encouraging long-term development. Their hands-off approach calmed the political situation and gave the various competing polities space to work out their future together. Eventually in 1968 a federal model was adopted which has so far worked well. A customs union with Rottweil was agreed in 2007.
Government[]
As a result of the state's adoption of a federal model and each of Hohenburg's four parts is sovereign, electing its own Diet and writing its own laws. A small single-chambered 'Upper Diet' is elected which co-ordinates the policies of the four parts.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
