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| Capital (and largest city) |
Zweifalten (traditional), Riedlingen (de facto) | ||||
| Language | German | ||||
| Prince-Abbot | Magnus | ||||
| Chancellor | Marcus Hoppe | ||||
| Population | 54,260 | ||||
| Independence | 1530 | ||||
| Currency | WRG | ||||
The Abbey-Principality of Zweifalten, Zweifalten is a small ecclesiastical state in the Swabia region of central Europe. It is bordered by Hohenzollern, Austria, Ravensberg and Scheer. The abbey-palace complex , which also acts as the state's capital is enclaved entirely within the town of Zweifalten which is part of Scheer. The population is around 54,000.
The official language is German.
The Head of state is Prince-Abbot Magnus
The de facto currency is the Wurttemberg Gulden (WRG) though it is working with its neighbours to float a 'Swabian Mark'.
History[]
Founded in 1089 the abbey at Zweifalten was regarded at the Counts of Achalm's (then succeeded by the Counts of Wurttemberg) private monastery. With considerable donations from the counts the abbots of Zweifalten bought up a large amount of lands, mostly between Zweifalten town and Lake Konstanz. However the town of Zweifalten itself remained outside the abbots' control.
When the abbey was looted during the Peasants' War Emperor John I granted it status of Reichsabtei as compensation for its destroyed and missing treasures, dismissing the complaints of Wurttemberg. After this it was essentially independent and the abbots ruled as princes in their lands. When Scheer collected various small towns and lordships (including Zweifalten town) under its protection in the midst of the Fifty Years War Zweifalten Abbey refused to join. Hence the state would be ruled from the tiny enclaved Zweifalten abbey (not much more than the land enclosed in the abbey's walls).
Buoyed by steel and metalworking industries Zweifalten has quietly prospered. Moves to secularise the state, with a new provisional capital at Riedlingen are slowly progressing to fruition, as is the state's membership of the Swabian Federation which seeks to economically unify the smaller states of the region.
Government[]
Though more and more decisions are now taken by the elected government in Riedlingen executive power is still wielded by the Prince-Abbots in Zweifalten. Elections for the single-chambered diet are nominally held every seven years although most governments tend to only last 18 months at best before coalitions fall apart.
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