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Free State of Bavaria
Freistaat Bayern
Freistoot Boarn

Timeline: 1983: Doomsday

OTL equivalent: Bavaria
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Location of Bavaria
Location of Bavaria
Motto
Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern
("God be with you, land of the Bavarians")
Anthem "Bayernhymne"
Capital Landshut
Largest city Regensburg
Other cities Ingolstadt, Straubing, Passau, Rosenheim, Ampfing, Burghausen
Language
  official
 
Standard German
  others Austro-Bavarian, Swabian German
Religion Roman Catholicism, Evangelical Lutheranism, Atheism
Demonym Bavarian
Government Parlimentary Republic
Staathalter
Area apx 17,000 km²
Population est. 750,000 
Independence May 27, 1999
Currency Alpine Franc, Bayernmark, Deutsche Mark, barter

The Free State of Bavaria (German: Freistaat Bayern, Austro-Bavarian: Freistoot Boarn) is the reconstituted successor to the former West German state of the same name. It was recently created from the merger of several survivor nations in the south-east of Bavaria. It joined the Alpine Confederation in November 2020, following long and extensive debate over the issue.

History[]

Pre-Doomsday[]

One of the oldest states of Europe, it was established as a duchy in the sixth century. In the 17th century, the Duke of Bavaria became a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. When the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, Bavaria became an independent kingdom. The Kingdom of Bavaria existed until Germany's defeat in the First World War in 1918, and Bavaria became a Free State (Republic).

By 1983, Bavaria was the largest state in West Germany in terms of area, and the second largest (after North Rhine-Westphalia) in population. It was one of the largest economies in Western Europe. Numerous corporations had its headquarters in Bavaria, including BMW, Siemens, Audi, PUMA AG, and Adidas AG.

Post-Doomsday[]

Although it was spared the absolute devastation that fell on most of West Germany, Southeast Bavaria did not go through Doomsday unscathed. Besides the destruction of its largest city (and unofficial beer capital of the world) of Munich, several NATO air bases were also hit. The destruction effectively cut off the south-east of Bavaria from the rest of the country, and the survivors had to deal with the radioactive fallout as well as a tide of refugees mostly from Munich's outer suburbs. The agricultural base spared the survivors from complete starvation, at least for the first few years. However, as food stocks and other essential supplies began to dwindle, many of the provisional governments that were set up collapsed. Until well into the 1990s, much of the region was in various degrees of anarchy.

Aftermath[]

In November of 1983, after the first wave of radiation deaths subsided, the surviving government officials gathered together remnants of the Bundeswehr (West German Army), Bayerische Polizei (Bavarian State Police), and GrePo (Border Police) to restore order and to conscript the remaining population into agricultural duties to prevent starvation. They were also given the grim responsibility of choosing who would receive the limited food and water supplies, and who would simply to be left to die. In many cases, people deemed unfit for work for taken outside the city and murdered. Although most considered the tactics harsh, even monstrous, most also agreed it was necessary for the community's survival.

By the year 1990, as deaths from the effects of Doomsday began to decrease and the population began to stabilize, thoughts were turning to exploring the world outside Landshut. In 1993, the Landshut government sent expeditions north and west of the city. The first significant group of survivors the expeditions found was in the town of Straubing. They found about 8,000 inhabitants in what the scouts had described as "appalling conditions". Upon seeing the armed expedition, the local thugs who ruled over Straubing instantly surrendered. Within a year, as the road between the two towns was secured, the towns of Landshut and Straubing were officially unified.

That Straubing was liberated without a single shot fired was a huge moral boost back in Landshut. More expeditions were planned, in the hopes that the rest of the region would be just as easily reclaimed.

Those hopes would soon be dashed.

The Regensburg War[]

In 1995, more expeditions were sent out in varying directions- two went south towards the Swiss border, one went east towards Austria, one headed west to Augsburg and one went north, towards Regensburg. This expedition would be the fateful one that would eventually spark a conflict. As they approached the town, the guards at the edge of town told them to halt and tell them why they were snooping around. Unfortunately, the team did not hear this, and it took a warning shot to get the expedition’s attention. The shot shocked the armed guards with the Bavarians and drew their guns, and the Regensburg guards promptly opened fire, killing an explorer.

Upon learning of the incident, the provisional government ordered a small army to go towards the town. Scouts and diplomats were to accompany the army. The diplomats were granted entry into the town, while the army waited, ready to fire if the guards did 'anything stupid'. The diplomats came back shocked-it was revealed that the town was being run by a 'maniacal' stray US Army unit from the Hohenfels Training Area and local police (really the 'police' were local lowlifes who had positions of power) and while order was being kept, the reigime was very much dictatorial.

The Bavarians kept a light army presence in the area until 1996. Then, a townsperson saw a unit of Bavarian troops patrolling the area. Upon learning of the hidden buildup of military units, the leaders of Regensburg decided to attack. Sporadic battles continued from April to June, when the Bavarians caught the town sleeping and invaded the Old Town, after occupying the western suburbs along the Regensburg-Prüfening station, Troops from the northern Reinhausen district occupied the Steinerne Brücke and crossed the Danube. After controlling the Regensburg Hbf, Bismarckplatz and the Ostentor, the Bavarians entered to the city, capturing the St Emmeram's Palace (residence of the leaders of the city) and the Neues Rathaus, the civilian and military HQ of the city. The ensuing battle decimated the Regensburg forces and injured or killed 30 civilians. The leaders were overthrown and the town was under Bavarian control. The Regensburg War was over, and the city was connected to the rest of the territory later

Die Restaurierung[]

More good news would come in late 1996- the expeditions to the south and east had been much more successful, and all the towns encountered (all west up to Augsburg, east to the old Austrian border, all north to Regensburg and all south to Austria) had accepted Bavarian rule. Scouts had also made contact with the Alpine Confedration, and had told them of the happenings of the world, including the total collapse of Germany, the survival of Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Schleswig-Holstein, the disbanding of the USA, whose government had fled to Australia, now in a confederation with New Zealand and the confederation of Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein, forming… well, you know.

The time was right to declare independence. And, the fledgling state did just that, in 1999. Now the Bavarian state was official.

Rebuilding and Die Alpenfrage[]

Throughout the 2000s, the Bavarian state began to open up to the world. Contact with Waldeck-Hesse, North Germany and Northeim was achieved by 2002, and then began the intercontinental contact. Survivor states in Portugal, Italy, France, the UK and Scandinavia were all made aware of Bavaria in the decade. Then began Reindustrialisierung, or Reindustrialisation, which was the rebuilding of Bavaria’s economy. First to reopen were the breweries: Löwenbräu was reopened in 2004, now in Ingolstadt. Then, manufacturing was restarted, mainly Bavaria’s famous car industry. The BMW plant in Regensburg was reopened in 2009 and began producing biodiesel cars in 2011. Audi’s Ingolstadt complex would take a bit longer, reopening only in 2015. Textiles and electronics were also a priority in Reindustrialisierung. Siemens AG was reopened in 2007 in Landshut, and soon Adidas and PUMA tracksuits and trainers were in clothes stores across the world thanks to their revitalisation.

But, as the 2000s became the 2010s, a question arose: should Bavaria join the Alpine Confederation? Many seemed supportive of the idea, including Statthalter Gabriele Bauer. In an interview, the former mayor of Rosenheim said:

Oh yes, it’s a great idea. Joining the [Alpine] Confederation would help the Bavarian state and its people in so many ways, largely giving us more connection to our European neighbours, and allowing for easier trade and travel between Bavaria and the rest of the world. It’s such a good idea, I’m stunned nobody came up with 20 years earlier!

Quoted from the Landshuter Zeitung, 16 October 2018

Eventually, in 2019, the government of the Freistaat introduced a bill that would mean Bavaria would enter the Alpine Confederation. The bill was put to referendum, in January 2020. The results were, as follows: 68% Ja (Yes), 29% Nein (No), 3% abstained.

Following months of negotiation, on the 20 October 2020, the Alpine flag was raised in front of the Landshut city hall, signifying that the country had entered a new era of union with the Alpine Confederation. The ceremony was witnessed by thousands in person and millions more worldwide. The Bavarian state had a bright future, and now it could only get brighter…

Territory[]

As of June 1, 2010, Freistaat Bayern controls most of pre-Doomsday southern Bavaria, specifically all of Upper and Lower Bavaria, as well as parts of Upper Palatinate. Along the northern, western, and eastern frontiers is a ten-km buffer zone patrolled by the Alpine Militia, to handle refugees and protect the interior from any remaining militants. The area around the destroyed city of Munich (25-km radius of the presumed DP) is off limits.

The Freistat currently is divided into several administrative districts (Regierungsbezirk).

North Upper Bavaria (Nord-Oberbayern) - capital at Ingolstadt

South Upper Bavaria (Süd-Oberbayern) - capital at Rosenheim

Lower Bavaria (Niederbayern) - capital at Straubing

Three Rivers (Drei-Flüsse) - capital at Passau

Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) - capital at Regensburg

Government[]

Edcde26475

Hans Rampf, aStaathalter of Bavaria(1999-2010, 2011-16)

The Freistaat is currently governed by a Provisional Council consisting of fifteen persons, twelve chosen by the delegates of the Rosenheim Convention, and three appointed by the Alpine Confederation Council. These members of the Council represents a region of the Freistaat. Its main responsibility is to resolve disputes between communities and to represent their communities to the outside world (specifically the Alpine Confederation). Any resolution made by the Free State members of the Council can be overruled by two of the three Confederation members.

The Freistaat Verfassung (Free State Constitution) is largely based on the original Bavarian Constitution, with a few modifications. One of those was the creation of a head of state, a Statthalter. On May 15, 1999, the Provisional Council unanimously elected Hans Rampf (pictured left), former mayor of Landshut and hero of the Regensburg War, as Acting Staathalter.

Elections[]

On June 7, 2010, Acting Statthalter Hans Rampf set Sunday, September 5, 2010 for elections for a permanent Statthalter and a legislature (Landtag).

On Sunday, September 5, 2010, elections were held for a Statthalter and Landtag. Hans Rampf was elected for the position of Statthalter with nearly 90% of the vote. In the Landtag, the CSU (Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern) won 28 of a possible 40 seats, with the SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands) winning 10 seats, and the remaining two seats won by the Green Party (Die Grünen).

Gabriele Bauer, the former mayor of Rosenheim, was selected by the CSU to be Minister-President. Bauer would later be elected Statthalter in 2017.

Economy[]

Like most Post-Doomsday European societies, the economy is mainly devoted to agricultural production. Although some fuel is available for tractors and combines, most farms are still plowed by horses and other animals.

In 2008, the two nuclear power plants near Landshut, which were shut down on Doomsday, were restarted on a limited basis. The return of electricity to Bavaria’s largest community has led to a modest manufacturing boom. The old BMW plant in Regensburg was restored in 2009, and started producing biodiesel vehicles in 2011. The Audi complex in Ingolstadt was restored in 2015. Bavaria also has several factories producing automotive parts.

Bavaria also produces steel, electronics (Siemens), toys, proccesed food and texiles(PUMA, Adidas).

Bavaria's largest export, by far, is beer, with the famous Löwenbräu brand revived in 2004. Their current HQ is in Ingolstadt. More beer companies formerly based in Munich and now revived are Hacker-Pschorr and Hofbräu München (now named as a tribute to the destroyed city). In fact, there are so many breweries now in Ingolstadt that it has begun to be called Kleines-München, or Little Munich, as a tribute to the old Bavarian capital, now, very sadly, an irradiated crater.

Military[]

Bavaria has no formal standing army, only a volunteer millitia which assists the Alpine Militia in border security.

Sports[]

Association football (Fußball), or soccer, is by far the most popular team sport. In 2009, a semi-professional league, the Fußball-Bayernliga (FBL) was formed, with competition beginning in August 2011. The reformed clubs which make up the FBL are

  • FC Passau
  • SpVgg Landshut
  • FC Ingolstadt
  • TSV Straubing
  • SSV Jahn Regensburg
  • TSV 1860 Rosenheim
  • TSV Ampfing
  • SV Wacker Burghausen

Due to its proximity to the Alps, winter activities such as alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and ski jumping are performed.

Media[]

The main newspapers in Bavaria are the Landshuter Zeitung, the Bayerwald Echo (Regensburg), and Passauer Neue Presse. All these newspapers are published on Wednsdays and Sundays.

Freistaat Broadcasting (FSB) was founded in 2014. It runs radio stations in Landshut, Strabing, Ingolstadt, Passau and Regensburg.

Bavaria's first post-Doomsday TV station, FSBT1 opened in 2019 and a second, FSBT2 opened in July 2021.

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