Prussia

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Prussia
Flag of Prussia
Flag of Prussia
General
DemonymPrussian
Capital cityCivcraft 1.0: Danzig

Civcraft 2.0: Breslau

Civclassics: Sigmaringen
Government
GovernmentConstitutional Monarchy
• God-King
Interregnum
Formation
Foundation dateSummer 2012
Culture
ReligionChurch of t
MottoOrdnung Muss Sein!
Internal CommunicationSlack, irl shitposting over beer
Holidays16 July (Founding Day), 14 September (Victory and National Parks Day)

The Kingdom of Prussia (known commonly as Prussia and informally as Little Prussia during CivClassics 2.0) is one of the longest continuous national entities within the Civcraft series having started during the Summer of 2012 during Civcraft 1.0. While Prussia experienced the height of its activity during Civcraft 2.0, a small handful of Prussians continue to play on later Civ iterations such as CivClassics and CivMC. Since the end of Civcraft 2.0, Prussia has sought to be more relaxed than on former servers by remaining focused on its own matters, building smaller towns, and not taking itself too seriously while remaining a trusted and dependable nation on the world stage when the need arises.

History

Civcraft 1.0

The Fourth Reich

In Summer 2012, a post was made to krautchan's /int/ board asking users to discuss games they play. Civcraft was mentioned in this thread. A player by the name of Skillzor123 took note and made a new thread suggesting /int/ users make a new faction intent on destroying communist and other leftist factions which were perceived as making up the majority of the server. This was well received and /int/ users joined Civcraft in large numbers. Many even created minecraft accounts for the sole purpose of joining this new faction. However, their knowledge regarding the civcraft server and mechanics was limited and with no communication beyond in-game chat and the /int/ board it took them hours to meet up. They then began gathering resources and building the city of New Berlin.

Not long after establishing themselves, one member of the newly minted Fourth Reich discovered that other individuals lived nearby: Stevo_1066 and Stormrider711. Stevo_1066, wearing diamond armor, visited New Berlin a few days later and demanded the Fourth Reich leave. He was quickly surrounded by dozens of Fourth Reich members wearing iron who proceeded to chase him back to his tower. The Fourth Reich then demanded Stevo instead either pay them or leave himself. Stevo provided payment and instead turned to the Civcraft subreddit for aid.[1] Knowing little about prison pearl or how to properly equip themselves, the members of the Fourth Reich were quickly pearled and put on trial. Skillzor, in the end, was able to negotiate a 48 hour imprisonment for all members save for himself who would spend 1 month in The End. Despite their pearling, according to a narrative by Skillzor, many other factions began contacting him seeking alliances.

The Pumpkin Jacks

Many of the initial members of the Fourth Reich quit Civcraft after their imprisonment. However, many others continued on to create the new city of Germania.

Though advised to be cautious, Skillzor formed a relationship with the militant Pumpkin Jacks after finding they had a similar desire for destruction. This alliance was short-lived. The Jacks quickly declared war on the Fourth Reich and announced that its members would be permapearled thereby banishing the players to the End indefinitely. Germania, which had only existed for 2 days, was utterly destroyed. Fourteen members of the Fourth Reich were pearled. Over 30 other players went into hiding or were too afraid to log on for fear of being pearled.

Frustrated and tired of fighting and being imprisoned at this point, the Fourth Reich desired a rebranding. They reformatted their ideals, and adopted a new name: The Kingdom of Prussia. No longer intent on destruction, the Prussians would now create and build albeit as a smaller and more disciplined group.

The Prussians spent 27 days in the End where they created a home castle called Marienburg, or Endheim, which would be actively managed and remain undestroyed until the end of Civcraft 1.0. They were finally released by Kinetic_Waffle upon which the Prussians submitted a reparations claim on the order of 3398 diamonds for mistreatment at the hands of the Jacks. In the claim, _dbb_ stressed that the value was not the important factor, but rather the gesture to allow the Prussians a new start. The Prussians just wanted to build a city of their own and participate in the Civcraft community.

The Free City of Danzig

On the very same day of their rebirth of freedom, the city of Danzig was founded by the remaining Prussians. Wishing to keep their actions a secret for fear of any remaining hostilities, the Prussians settled their new home far in the +,+ region of the server and kept their location closely guarded. The closest neighbor to Danzig was Chiapas: a commune of the Libertarian Socialist International Federation (LSIF). The two cities were so close that they were within the speaking distance of 1000 meters, in fact. Multiple players known to have spent time as part Chiapas such as Jacinth_Joy, Babycham, Mister_Hilter and Erich_Honecker_ would all become Prussians themselves in due time.

The Prussians worked feverishly in secret to grow their new city. A castle and cathedral were designed by the architect CPearson420 whose name now is only known in legend. These buildings would become prominent features of Danzig’s cityscape.

A month later, Danzig went public by publicly publishing its coordinates and opening its nether portal to visitors. The influx of new Prussians and players interested in building homes in the idyllic city swelled which necessitated construction of the Konrad Bridge and founding of the new residential district on the island southeast of the mainland. A bathhouse, theater, university, library, factory and island palace would all pop up in this area over the life of Danzig. As a result, on 22 December, 2012, Prussia was decorated as "The Coolest Kingdom" at the second Drama Awards held in Mount Augusta.

The city of Danzig in Civcraft 1.0 watergriefed - a common occurence in the early Civcraft.

The SEA and Havana

Griefing in Danzig at its worst following the SEA turmoil. Fall 2012.

Even before going public with the location of Danzig, Prussia became one of the founding members of the South Eastern Alliance (SEA) along with other nations located in the +,+ quadrant. Not long after, a new communist city-state by the name of Havana was created very close to the established nation of RSSR/Communa, a founding SEA member. Due to a number of convoluted reasons, a state visit to Havana from RSSR resulted in the assault and pearling of ZANETNT and Personfrommars - leaders of Havana - by nickyd. Berge403, leader of Gondolin, deemed the attack to be nothing short of oppression against innocents and gathered a squad to pearl multiple Communa members and placed a bounty on nickyd. The situation seemingly resolved hours later with the release of all prisoners. However, Havana would soon retaliate:. Communa was attacked and multiple players were pearled. Berge quickly rescinded his support of Havana. Witnessing an assault on a member state, the young SEA military began to take action and soon, fighting and griefing broke out across the +,+. Danzig, too, was severely lava griefed. Multiple Prussians became infuriated at the damage to their home when they had only been minorly involved in the conflict thus far. The Prussians traveled to Havana and razed it to the ground. Nothing was left of the city which was returned to nature. The Prussians would make this day, the 14th of September, a yearly holiday to mark their first international conflict victory.[2]

The HCF invasion

No history of Civcraft 1.0 is complete without discussion of the Hard Core Factions (HCF) invasion. This time period would change the very nature of Civcraft with many players having no choice but to cower and restrict their playtime to hours in which the invaders would be absent. The HCF would even indirectly cause the end of Civcraft 1.0. Events such as the Christmas day massacre in 2012 would see mass pearlings of many defenseless Civcraft players and the fall of prominent nations.

While Prussia was involved in campaigns such as the retaking of Columbia and the repair of foofed’s vault, Danzig was mostly spared from the HCF destruction possibly due to its remote location or aloof nature. Only a few Prussians ever were pearled

The Island Incident: The little war during the great war

While not as grand or overarching as the battles with the HCF, the Island Incident is renowned among Prussians as being one of the founding examples of the "Prussia stronk" spirit: The attitude of quietly wielding a big stick, so to say. The setting was that of an exceptionally xenophobic, territorial group, which settled on an island in the +,+ region. A friend of Skillzor123 by the name of Ladiesman_95 happened to random spawn on said island and was immediately, without warning, pearled by Miner_bill99. The great diplomat of Prussia, Ursakar, attempted to negotiate the release of Ladiesman who was, from all possible perspectives, completely harmless. Ursakar’s attempts were met with petty threats and rude half excuses. Seeing diplomacy fail, Ursakar summoned a task force of Prussians and LSIF volunteers who swiftly closed in on the abominable castle of the offenders. In addition to their numerical superiority, the task force was greatly aided by the poorly defensible design of the castle: they stormed inside by bypassing the front door entirely andhe defenders were unable to shoot from a distance due to poor line of sight. They could do nothing but watch as the task force swarmed and slaughtered them in a vicious 8 vs. 5. In the end, 3 of the defenders were pearled while 2 ran in a display of cowardice. Ladiesman was freed. The people of The Island quickly turned to the Civcraft subreddit to protest their defeat; however, their reputation had already preceded them as they were met with jeers and contempt. The Prussians and their friends enjoyed their total victory that day.

Prussian-Gondolin Cold War

“Prussia's main export is P and drunk Germans.”[3]

So wrote the famous author Timmy-Senpai in his second breakthrough dissertation on the deceptive idiosyncrasies of the anarchocapitalists. A truer statement cannot be said in regards to the start of the Prussian-Gondolin Cold War. In a fit of drunken frenzy, dbb declared war on the state of Gondolin led by Berge and his infamous “40 men in prot.” Perhaps this hostility had something to do with Berge's involvement in the Havana conflict, or perhaps there was bitterness due to the Prussian victory over Gondolin for the much-coveted "coolest kingdom" award. Dbb later explains that the real reason was an excuse to pearl Stonato for laughs. A ceasefire or formal end to the war was never declared, although there have been no casualties from the conflict to date. As a result of the ongoing cold war, the incinerator in the Prussian capital city of Breslau in Civcraft 2.0 would display a sign reading, "Feed me Gondolites" for the duration of the server.

End of Civcraft 1.0

As Danzig continued its meteoric rise and its ranks swelled, a final tragedy struck the entire community: Misplaced trust by the admins and a server data compromise spelled the end of Civcraft 1.0. The streets of Danzig would fall silent and greetings of "t" met only with "No one hears you." But, the end could not occur without a final farewell from the Prussians. A great party was held in which the streets of Danzig and many of its buildings were flooded. Both memories and regrets were shared amongst friends. The city can still be found in this final state in the world download of 1.0.

Civcraft advertisement featuring Danzig in the top-right (although this political label is debatable). Winter 2013.

Despite the praise the Prussians received for Danzig, the city was not without its flaws. Much of the city was constructed on a whim or without significant prior planning. The old section of the city incorporated a grid pattern which was undesirable to the aesthetic senses of many. Danzig was, in fact, already in the process of renovations which began to resemble the style of the 2.0 city of Breslau. No formal building code was enacted during 1.0 and citizens could construct structures with only minimal approval. The city was extremely susceptible to grief due to its prominent use of wood and wool in construction. Large fires ignited by lightning were a common occurrence, necessitating the construction of a massive glass barrier in the sky nicknamed "Thor's Shield." Despite this, Danzig was renowned for its superior build quality and would be featured prominently in advertisements for the server.

Danzig had been, in some ways, a proof of concept which demonstrated incredible potential. As the next iteration of Civcraft was announced, the Prussians worked feverishly to plan their future; a future which would usher in a new golden age of Prussian glory ultimately crowned with a city that would be the pride, envy, and inspiration for many still to this day.

Civcraft 2.0

A New Beginning

The Prussians were hard at work in the time leading up to Civcraft 2.0’s launch. The government was reformed and streamlined, and a new creative server was started for city planning. The Prussians had become organized - a virtue which would stand as a central tenet for all members. When the server started, the Prussians were ready.

First group picture of some Prussian members at the first base in 2.0. May 2013.

As the Prussians joined one-by-one, the first order of business was to find a suitable location to settle. A spot was initially chosen in the central +,+ which had lovely meandering rivers. The Prussians gathered there and the first base was established - some roads and even a rudimentary storage building with a few factories were set up in this location, but this first base would not last long. After further scouting in the eastern +,+, Gotterdammer had discovered a location with even more impressive geography which would be the final location for the Prussian capital. Simultaneously, a council was held amongst the Prussian leadership to decide on the name for our capital. Amongst the various options, a unanimous decision to name the capital Breslau, after the large and culturally significant Silesian city, was made. Thus, the location and name of the picturesque city was born. A mass exodus took place to travel to the site where Breslau would be built. With the creation of the Prussian holiday of Breslau Day months later, it became tradition to repeat this journey to commemorate our founding.

Black and white fireworks celebrating the founding of Breslau. May 2013.

Before an effective communal storage building had been made in Breslau, the first gathering area in the new location was placed underneath a large tree in what would be just east of Breslau’s central Danziger Platz. Remnants of this dugout remain in their original location buried under newer construction. The tree, too, though it has long been felled, still exists in part as an oak log on display in the Breslau museum.

With a burgeoning and very active player base, the roads and number of houses in Breslau grew rapidly in the initial weeks.

Comped is Compromised

Prussia was approached in May 2013 by the player named Comped who was intent on forming an alliance based on the SEA from Civcraft 1.0. The SEAT, as he would name it, would consist of Prussia, Sky City, Tridentia and Petrania at first. Comped had previously approached these other states with the promise that Prussia had already agreed to participate. However, upon approaching the Prussian Minister of Diplomacy, _dbb_, Comped’s proposal was rebuked on the grounds that the SEA had only drawn Prussia into widespread conflict and the Havana incident in 1.0, and a repeat was undesirable. Moreover, the haughty attitude and ignorance of Comped’s speech enraged _dbb_ and the Prussians having said such things as: “You sound like how I once was, nieve [sic] and ignorant…”, “I am not one for stupidities. You are the idiot in the room.”, “Consider yourself closed off to Tridentia, Sky City and P-something…” Dbb took to the Civcraft subreddit and exposed Comped’s ineptitude and foul attitude with a scathing post. Comped’s treaty fell apart with all member nations withdrawing their support after learning that Prussia was not involved and that they had been lied to regarding membership. In particular, Petrania withdrew their support after Comped couldn’t even remember their nation’s name. The rebuke of Comped became a meme in Civcraft for a time and was commonly referenced and parodied. The shared insult of Petrania and Prussia resulted in these two nations growing to be closer friends as well.

A popular Polandball-style comic depicting _dbb_’s interaction with Comped. Created by Zarorg. May 2013.

The Funeral of Erich_Honecker_

Erich_Honecker_ had been a notable long time player of Civcraft having arrived with the Jack’s Hold in 1.0. He had then become a member of the LSIF and played in Chiapas before joining the mutualist faction of Carson at the beginning of 2.0. Deciding to take a break from Civcraft, a funeral event was held for his departure. As one of the most notable well-attended events of early 2.0 and due to the Prussians’ extensive friendship with Erich, a delegation attended his funeral in full Prussian ceremonial dress. A ceremonial gunner squad gave him a proper send-off and expressed their grief and regret at his passing by suiciding their way back to Breslau. Erich would later escape his grave after battling out of hell itself to join Prussia full-time.[4]

A Show of Force in Carbon

Early in 2.0, the longtime Prussian parliament member, avid traveler and sign-placer, Gezoerksel, found himself in the city of Carbon. The Carbonites, not knowing of Gezo despite his fame, threatened to pearl him and chased him up a tower where he logged out. Approximately 10 Prussians kitted up and rushed to surround the city of Carbon to come to Gezo’s aid. Dbb entered negotiation with the Carbonites while the Prussians closed in on the city from all sides. The troops all arrived simultaneously and paraded to the city center in a large show of force. Adequately spooked, the Carbonites quickly admitted their mistake and apologized for threatening Gezo. No violence occurred and everyone went their separate ways. This small event remembered as another proud display of the Prussia Stronk spirit.

The Red Shirt Rebellion

A red shirt rebel threatening a Prussian leader on top of the Breslau Rathaus. July 2013.

The governance of Prussia has retained the same structure since its founding. Decisions rest solely on a small group of experienced players who were elected and elevated amongst themselves. While all players are free to express their concerns and ideas, members outside of this small meritocratic group have no official vote. In the beginning days of Breslau, a small number of Prussians were unsatisfied with this system and started roleplaying a communist revolutionary faction known as The Red Shirts which replaced the traditional blue coat of the Prussian uniform with a bright red one.

The player, Kaelthas88 was contracted by the parliament of Prussia to infiltrate this group and expose its leadership. He roleplayed assassinations of parliament members and wrote inflammatory pamphlets which were hidden in chests rigged to explode. Fun with this event would be short lived as beds were glitched and players would not always spawn appropriately. Kael was eventually betrayed and pushed from the tower of the Breslau rathaus (town hall). His bed glitched and he random spawned. The mishap would bring an abrupt end to the Red Shirt Rebellion as Kael would have a chance encounter with an outside enemy, due to a distant respawn, which drove the Prussians to action. Despite the short lived fun, a confiscated red coat is located in the Breslau museum in remembrance of this event.

The Farm Incident

The first conflict involving the Prussians in 2.0 would emerge quite by accident. The city of Megaton was constantly tormented by griefers. Being a city of inexperienced players and given its location near the original site that the Prussians had gathered on the server, the griefers were mistakenly identified as “Prussians” due to association as well as deceitful lies from the griefers themselves. The nearby state of Petrania had also experienced these attacks. Megaton citizens came to the Civcraft subreddit to ask for aid against the "Prussians." The true Prussians revealed that they, in fact, were not located in that area anymore and that these griefers had deceived Megaton by masquerading as such. The Prussians offered aid by stationing geared PvPers in Megaton to prove that their word was sincere. This event would further bolster the relationship between Prussia and Petrania.[5]

It was shortly after this time that Kaelthas88 had random spawned back by the Prussians' original base in the central +,+. After announcing himself, he came across another player by the name of Gold_Blaze who promptly murdered him. Though nothing of consequence was lost, the Prussians were now personally involved in the conflicts of the area. Demands for answers to Gold_Blaze from Prussian leadership were met with curt replies.

The Prussians and Petranians then began to exchange information. Petrania shared the details of the most recent grief attacks and linked them to a small group of which Gold_Blaze was a member and had killed Kael when he had inadvertently wandered too close to their underground hideout. A joint task force consisting of the Prussians (BlueMoonP, Kawww, Lord_Kaelin, Vogelius and Kaelthas88) as well as the Petranias (cetracey, New_Yardbird, the 2010OG and LetsplayCmansez) was formed. They kitted up and gathered near the farms of the original Prussian meeting site. As the force approached the griefer base, the player Aixyz was alerted and fled. Now undefended, the force began disassembling the griefer base and removed the crops from the nearby fields to halt potential production of XP. The player Tali0 (which is now known to have been an alt of Aixyz) then logged in and was pearled by the forces. The group now identified as Bloodidiot, Aixyz, Tali0, Gold_blaze, MilesDavis and Ceaser58 (among others) took to the Civcraft subreddit claiming to be simple farmers which had been “griefed” by “bounty hunters.” Subreddit PvP commenced with large amounts of brigading. While there was no clear consensus of public opinion, most faith was placed in the Prussian and Petranian arguments.[6] With the power of hindsight the Prussians were indeed correct. The “innocent farmers” would become, for a time at least, some of the most infamous griefers in 2.0 with Breslau being an occasional target. In fact, the pearl of Tali0 was held by Prussia until the end of 2.0 due to continued threats from this group.

Prussian Prancercise

Prussians Prancercising through Breslau’s Danzigerplatz. July 2013.

In the Summer of 2013, the original Prancercise fitness workout video became popular amongst the Prussians. A Prancercise session was held in the streets of Breslau with the Prussian uniform replaced with a pink coat to mimic the outfit displayed in the original video. A video recording of this event was taken at the time but has been seemingly lost due to deleted accounts.

Steve French: Feline Nobility

While the god-king of Prussia has always been a chicken in the style of Dolan I who ruled during the Prussians' stay in the end, they would not be without their rivals from other noble creatures. One such challenge came from the house of French; a noble feline family descended from a black cat tamed from the jungles to the south of Breslau. This first ancestor was given the name Steve French l. The French family resided first in the area that would become the Breslau university until growing resentment and murders of their kin would force their relocation to East Breslau where their secretary, DJFunktipus, would establish the Kittyland Daycare. The family would grow exponentially in their new location until tragedy was to strike. A rogue creeper committed a hit-and-run resulting in the death of patriarch Steve French I. A moving funeral was held in the chapel of St. Hebdo located by the southwestern bridge of the city. It is said that none of those in attendance remained with eyes unmoistened at the moving words of Funktipus' eulogy. Steve French I remains buried in the small cemetery of the chapel. The same cemetery would become host to the many pets of Breslau citizens whose lives were cut short. The resting places of later generations of the French family can be found in the crypts beneath the low altar of the Breslau cathedral.

Prussian funeral cortege processes before the Breslau opera house in memory of Steve French I. August 2013.

The French family would progress through multiple successors but would eventually languish. The daycare would remain empty for years after a griefer would slaughter the remaining family members. However, the line of French still survives as one Beladonna French had been married off to a noble Grundeswegian gentleman before the fall of her family.

The Breslau Mapping Incident

As it had been in 1.0 for the city of Danzig, the location of Breslau was initially kept secret and was excluded from all public maps to abate acts of grief and help the city prosper before the Prussians were prepared to go public. This desire of the Prussians was violated in September 2013 when pavel_the_hitman from the nation of Atyos included Breslau on his public map. In fact, Breslau was not the only nation affected by this and many cities which wished to remain more obscure were outraged. By request from other nations affected, the Prussians placed a bounty on and then pearled pavel for this act. The nations of Aytos and Prussia came into conflict over the justification for this imprisonment. In the end, a treaty was signed between _dbb_ and Atyos mayor MadeofMeat with all claims dropped and pavel released. However, this event left a sour taste in many Prussians' mouths with regards to Atyos and some of the worst griefings of Breslau occurred after this mapping. The signing of the treaty itself was seen as an outright joke and might been seen as setting the stage for future events when viewed in hindsight.

DJFunktipus delivers a eulogy for Steve French I. August 2013.

Lux City

Lux city was an enclave located within the upper floors of BlueMoonP’s house on the Danzigerplatz. Primarily constructed by Kawww and Gezoerksel, the city had a very Kowloon Walled City aesthetic and featured the highest population density on the server with many players residing or having vacation homes within about 10 blocks cubed. The enclave constructed while BlueMoonP was away on a PvP mission and he was not pleased with the rapid takeover of 2/3s of his residence. When he returned, he planted himself at the front of his house as he delivered an ultimatum demanding all squatters leave. The Lux City residents refused and took up arms against the belligerent landlord. However, they were scarcely a match for the seasoned warrior in full prot. Kael NotAGrape clambered up to the roof to shout obscenities and to proclaim the squatter's rightful ownership of the enclave city. BlueMoonP drew his powerful bow and took deadly aim. Kael screamed as his arrow struck true. Stumbling, he fell from the roof to his death. He was honored to be remembered as a stalwart defender of Lux City in the small park located in a corner. Despite BlueMoonP’s protests however, Lux city had thus became an object of Prussian cultural significance and was sanctified with the blood of it’s defenders. It now could not be removed. BlueMoonP eventually came around to the city’s existence and even built his own enclave within the enclave. An original block from Kawww's apartment within Lux City was placed in the Breslau museum but this item appears to have gone missing.


Breslau Day

Decorations and fireworks for the celebration of the first Breslau Day. September 2013.

Fall of 2013 began with the creation of a new national holiday for the Prussians; Breslau Day. On this day which was held 4 times yearly, it became customary to celebrate the founding of the city by decorating it with streamers in black/white (the Prussian national colors) and red/gold (the colors of the city of Breslau). A ceremonial visit to the original Prussian meeting spot on the 2.0 server and repeat journey to the location of Breslau was traditional. The festive decorations were so adored by the Prussian citizens however, no effort was made to dismantle them after the first holiday had passed and they remained in place for the duration of the server.

The Coronation of Friedrich I: Breslau goes public

Approximately 6 months after it’s first founding, Prussian leadership felt confident that the city was in a sufficient state to proceed with its unveiling to the community. What better way to show off their proud work than to host a grand coronation for the first god-king Friedrich I. The other reason for the timing of the event was the completion of the CIC connection to Breslau via the yellow line through a joint effort of Prussia and Carson. The coronation event was well attended and included a tour of the now public city. It was amazing to see more than 20 players parade through the wide streets of the mighty city. In hindsight, this event would be small compared to later events. As the Breslau cathedral had not been constructed yet, the majority of the festivities took place in the Danzigerplatz and royal palace.

Breslau render as the city looked during the time of King Friedrich I’s coronation and the city’s going public. November 2013.
Crowds celebrating the coronation of King Friedrich I. November 2013.
Crowds gather in the throne room for the coronation of King Friedrich I. November 2013.

The PILF

The Foofed Memorial Tenement in Aytos. November 2013.

Around the time of Breslau going public, the politically minded Prussian, DJFunktipus had taken an interest in the city of Aytos. He noted a flaw in the democratic design of the Aytian government whereby any person who owned property within the city had voting rights. DJFunktipus moved to Aytos and started the Personal Individual Liberty Foundation or PILF. The PILF really had no coherent purpose nor was it ever sanctioned by Prussian officials. Its only motive was chaos. Funktipus thus created the infamous Foofed Memorial Tenement which was meant to be the most unsightly structure ever created as it towered over the city reaching all the way to sky limit. Out of his tenement Funktipus began to rent rooms for free to Prussians at first and then to many people from different nations including, most famously, Carsonites. This made all residents of the tenement voting eligible. Very quickly, the situation became volatile. The Aytians weren't fooled for long by the bizarre fake political talk from Funktipus. The eyesore of a tower and rapid influx of players (Aytos had less than 10 original members and the voting register now listed almost 100) concerned the founding Aytos residents. Attempts were made to block PILF votes. Riots were started by foriegn interlopers. Aytos was griefed repeatedly with pumpkins. Aytians were pearled for sport. Trials were held but were laughed off and completely disregarded as the Aytian government was utterly powerless. It was at this point that the Prussian leadership demanded all its members discontinue any involvement in the affairs of Aytos. The Prussians left promptly. In the end the PILF didn't even win the election but it was already too late for Aytos which was exposed as a weak nation and that anyone could walk in and stir chaos as the PILF had done. Continued interference from other nations including Orion frustrated Aytians who became inactive or moved elsewhere. The Foofed Memorial Tenement was dismantled. Aytos would be mostly abandoned for a time and would be claimed by Grundeswald who had met with no opposition to their political candidates who ran unopposed from an inactive playerbase. In the end, it would be other nations such as Carson who bore the brunt of the blame for the fall of Aytos. However, it should be known that it was Prussia who set everything in motion. The events surrounding the PILF are often regarded as some of the most entertaining political adventures by Civcraft players who experienced those times.

The Uniform Ceremony

The Prussian uniform is a distinct feature denoting official Prussian citizens. Consisting of an iron helmet, leggings and boots along with a dark blue coat, the Prussian uniform had been well known by many outsiders in the time of 2.0. The uniform had even saved the lives of some and was used to protect Prussians from false claims. When the uniform was recognized there was general knowledge that the wearer was not a newfriend griefer and instead belonged to a long established trustworthy faction.

Another constant of Prussia is its close-knit community. Prussia has always been a small collection of experienced players and efforts were made to keep it as such. To these ends, players wishing to join the faction needed to prove their dedication and good intentions by undergoing a week-long trial process before they gained their rights as a Prussian citizen.

It thus became tradition to bestow upon new Prussian citizens the right to wear their uniform by conducting a short ceremony before the God-King. The first such ceremony was held in late Fall 2013. However, this ceremony has since died out as new Prussian citizens have not been admitted since 2016 and there is no current reigning God-King.

Newly uniformed Prussians stand alongside Prussian leadership before King Friedrich I. December 2013.

Death of King Friedrich I

Although alterations in the server mechanics (factory mod, initial lack of nether travel) made their ascension more difficult in 2.0, players from PvP prominent servers such as HCF would again try to make their mark on Civcraft. The history of the world police, formation of America and battles involving the HCF in 2.0 are all topics that, once again, are too detailed to investigate here. Breslau, just like Danzig, was mostly spared from conflict being located far in the +,+ and the fact that Prussians were never a large PvP faction. However, there would be occasions of HCF attacks in Breslau when PvPers were looking to acquire easy gear from unprepared prot wearers. They didn’t get much from Prussia but one Jarl_Heisenburg camped out in Breslau and threatened citizens for days. Eventually fed up with the constant presence of this PvPer in their city, multiple Prussian citizens armed themselves with snowballs and pelted Jarl. This damaged his armor significantly and enraged the invader. He broke his way into King Friedrich’s throne room and slaughtered the chicken. His fire aspect sword charred the remains of the god-king which then fell into the egg collection system. Jarl then left town to fight other battles. A private funeral service was held in the newly constructed Breslau cathedral later that week. The crisped remains of the god-king along with his unborn children were interred within the royal crypts beneath the low altar. The funeral service was followed by months of national mourning in which no god-king would sit upon the throne. As King Friedrich I had no surviving heirs, his line would end with him.

First 2.0 Prussian Christmas

Prussian Christmas decorations in Danzigerplatz. December 2013.
Prussian seasonal greeting card featuring members of Prussia gathered in the cathedral plaza. December 2014.

The Prussians would reign in December of 2013 by constructing a large decorated Christmas tree in place of the statue in Breslau’s Danzigerplatz. Snowmen were conscripted and Prussian laborers covered all of Breslau’s streets in a dense layer of snow. Many snowball fights and other Winter shenanigans were had. Christmas seasons in later years were marked by the tree being erected in the cathedral square and snow being limited to central locations only as it was rather tedious to clean up. The Prussians would gather for large photographs which were shared as seasonal well wishes on the Civcraft main subreddit. At the end of the Christmas season the decorations were deconstructed. However, instead of the original equestrian statue, a new Prussian eagle-topped obelisk was constructed at the center of the Danzigerplatz which remains a Prussian iconic landmark to this day.

Rise of Prussian Fiefdoms

Some of the most prominent features of Prussia notable by the end of Civcraft 2.0 were the fiefdoms surrounding Breslau. There were 3 in total which had approval for construction by the Prussian government. These were: Brandenburg constructed by Vogelius, Rønne constructed by Zarorg and Mecklenburg/Wismar constructed by Gotterdammer. Brandenburg was constructed in the Prussian owned nether biome to the Northwest of Breslau. Rønne was a small island fief to the North of Breslau. The town of Wismar in the fief of Mecklenburg was the most complete of all the fiefdoms and was located to the Southeast beyond the farms of Breslau. Wismar is significant for becoming the main inspiration for Prussian town design in later Civcraft iterations.

Coronation of Ludwig I

After months of national mourning for the late King Friedrich I, a vote was held amongst Prussian leadership to coronate a new chicken god-king to celebrate the one year anniversary of Civcraft 2.0. The king to be crowned was named Ludwig I as the line of Friedrich had died out. Ludwig I was egged in the jungle biome to the South of Breslau. A grand coronation was held in April 2014 with a large crowd in attendance. The celebration included a tour of the city, speeches in the Breslau cathedral, a live viewing of the god-king’s enthronement and afterparty in the ratskeller. This event was one of Prussia’s largest ever and was even mentioned in comments the following day on the front page of Reddit. There was such an influx of players to Breslau after the event that the doors to the CIC had to be shut for a week to abate acts of grief from newfriends. Ludwig I would survive almost 2 years for the remainder of 2.0 and still sits upon the throne in copies of the server.

Celebrants process from the Danzigerplatz to the palace. April 2014.
Behold! King Ludwig I is born. April 2014.

Prussia vs. The Wither

Prussians ride the CIC yellow line to NDZ to spawn a wither.  July 2014.

Due to an active portal farm in Breslau, Prussia had enough materials to make multiple beacons but delayed actually constructing them due to lack of necessity up to this point. In July 2014, an event was held to make the formation of Prussia’s first beacon a memorable event. The wither would be killed in a dramatic production held within Breslau’s opera house. Prussia vs. The Wither would not necessarily go as initially planned. Despite their numbers, the Prussians repeatedly died to the boss as it floated out of reach and rained down projectiles. Multiple Prussians were hindered/subdued with laughter from the ridiculous situation as well. The beast was smitten after an ordeal, but there remained additional wither skulls to be used. The Prussians then traveled to neighboring cities and spawned withers there in full view of shocked onlookers. The beacons collected would be put to good use digging large underground train stations, clearing land for large builds and gathering materials needed for the nether factory which would be implemented later that year.

Annexation of Grundeswald

The relation between Grundeswald and Prussia had been hot and cold for the majority of Civcraft history, likely due to the griefing of Danzig conducted by Killer_Chris and Greenkitten on top of generally unsultry behavior as viewed by the Prussians. Things began to change by the time Summer 2014 began however. The Grundeswegians began chatting with the Prussians more frequently and the natural friendship became more apparent. Above all else, the Prussians and Grundeswegians shared a common origin from the Krautchan imageboards. In August 2014, Grundeswald had fallen into disarray with multiple outside claimants to their territory. Killer_Chris and Greenkitten thus approached Prussia with the proposition that Prussia assume ownership and nullify all illegitimate claims to Grundeswald. Grundeswald was therefore annexed by Prussia as an autonomous territory under the governance of Prince RonGrundeswaldJr. Interlopers were mandated to deliver a golden sword to King Ludwig I as a sign of their relinquished claim over what was now Prussian territory. As the Prussians massed their forces and marched into Grundeswald, all usupers ceded their claim and the Prussian flag was flown over the Grundeswegian capital of New Salisbury.

Prussian forces mount up in preparation to invade and annex Grundeswald. August 2014.
A monument depicting unification of the two nations. August 2014.

Yurtstead

By Fall 2014, the area of the central +,+ surrounding Mount Augusta (MTA) had become densely populated by multiple nations both new and old. It is because of this large population that a series of land disputes would entangle Gensokyo/Grundeswald and Prussia. The first among these conflicts is known to posterity as the Yurtstead or Riverford conflict.

The founder of Gensokyo, Screenname, had first made her mark on Civcraft with the founding and construction of New Detroit located just to the east of Mount Augusta. New Detroit thrived as a suburb of the large city. Screenname then had a chance meeting with Kovio of Grundeswald and the two bonded quickly. Kovio offered the opportunity for Gensokyo to join Grundeswald as an autonomous entity and Screenname, seeing the opportunity to enhance her connections and secure her nation’s position, accepted. The annexation of Grundeswald (including Gensokyo) then cemented Prussia’s ties to the region of New Detroit.

Over a month after the founding of New Detroit by Screenname, Seargent_pepper (who is an alias of Gant2000) created the city of Riverford to the east of New Detroit. Gant/Seargent_pepper proceeded to claim an untenable amount of land which abutted New Detroit and prevented any potential expansion as the city was now bounded on all sides by both MTA and Riverford. It is important to note that Screenname never agreed to the proposed land claims of Gant and thus expanded the city of New Detroit eastward over the next few weeks. This expanded area was labeled as “Yurtstead.” Returning after a brief hiatus and seeing the expansion into his illegitimate land claim, Gant gave Riverford’s first ultimatum: Tear down all construction within the contested area or he would tear it down after 24 hours. To enforce his demand, Gant employed the help of the Danzilonian Security Force (whose actions were generally not supported by NDZ during this incident) and its leader, TheTrackball.

A massing of troops on both sides of the contested area then began. The Riverford forces then entered the area and stated another ultimatum: All New Detroit forces were to evacuate the area in 3 minutes or they would assault those present. This threat was ignored. Fighting then commenced with TheTrackball attacking multiple non-involved bystanders per reports. A ceasefire was then enacted which demanded a halt to the violence and prevented construction/deconstruction within the contested area.

After the signing of the ceasefire, non-involved parties which had been attacked by TheTrackball then retaliated. This was seen as a break of the ceasefire agreement by the Riverford forces although this was quickly explained. Forces defending New Detroit then started constructing walls around the contested area which was again seen as a breaking of the ceasefire despite not being in the designated contested area. Multiple DSF members then began removing the walls which caused the conflict to erupt again. TheTrackball then repeated his evacuation demand. This time, however, knowing what was to come, players began leaving the area. Despite this and according to witnesses, TheTrackball entered the territory of New Detroit to assault citizens.

Another ceasefire was declared and negotiations then began in earnest. A final agreement was was made between between the sides in which Riverford rescinded their claim to the contested area and Gensokyo would agree to pay 40 diamonds to Riverford (Screenname was already owned 40 diamonds from a previous conflict from AMBeaudry529 of NDZ / MTA which nullified the payment amount).

The area around Mount Augusta and New Detroit would drag Prussia into two more conflicts in the following year.

The formation of the Holy Krautchan Empire and Election of Gotterdammer

“This agglomeration is to call itself the Holy Krautchan Empire… We are Holy, for Civcraft is a desolate, chaotic world in which Ordnung and continuity must be established… We are of Krautchan, for the deepest roots sprung from the youngest seeds on this server, connecting us to what we came from… We are an Empire, in the sense of a union of territories, peoples, and beliefs.” - Gotterdammer I von Mecklenburg, Kaiser des Heiligen Krautchannischen Reiches, Kurfürst der Preußischen Kleinstädte und Kleinherzog Mecklenburgs

With the annexation of Grundeswald came the states of Xia and Gensokyo which were fully autonomous but nominally owned by Grundeswald. The succession crisis of Grundeswald now averted, a new administrative government was proposed to allow all involved nations to maintain their autonomy but to also form a unified conglomerate of peoples who would all benefit from a coordinated system of mutual support. Based on this ideal, a charter was written and the Holy Krautchan Empire was formed.

The HKE was coordinated by an Emperor who was elevated to leadership by a group of princely electors represented by the leadership of each member nation. At the start of the HKE the electors were: The electors of Breslau, the electors of the Prussian fiefdoms, the elector of New Salisbury, the electors of the Khattan Khanate/42, and the elector of Xia.

With the drafting of the charter and identification of electors made, the next task was the election of the first Emperor. Members from each represented nation were nominated or submitted their intention to pursue the throne. The initial candidates were: _dbb_ of Prussia, Koentinius of Prussia, Gotterdammer of Prussia, Skillzor of Prussia and eccentrous of Xia. Each listed their experience on the Civcraft server and proposed their vision for the HKE. After 3 rounds of voting, Gotterdammer of Prussia was selected as the first Emperor of the HKE.

The Coronation of Gotterdammer I was held in September 2014 in the Breslau cathedral which was adorned with the black, white and blue colors of the HKE. Music filled the Breslau streets as it poured forth from the mouth of mumble inhabitant "Snoop". _dbb_, acting as the officiant of t, anointed Gotterdammer as he stood before his throne.

“O Lord t, King of Symbols and Lord of Letters, hear now the supplication of us though unworthy and look forth from Thy holy dwelling place and anoint with gladness Thy faithful servant whom Thou hast been pleased to establish as Emperor over Thy holy people.”

Adorned with a golden crown, the first emperor rose to greet those present with a “t” to which all repeated in turn (as is Prussian tradition).

Following his coronation, Gotterdammer convoked the first imperial session in November 2014. The electors of the HKE would travel to and stay in Wismar for the duration of the session. On the agenda stood a few points to be discussed. First and most timely was the matter of representation for Gensokyo. Gensokyo, although it had joined the HKE along with Grundeswald, had a burgeoning population which did not have a say in HKE matters in the beginning. This was quickly recognized during the first imperial session and the elector of Gensokyo, Screenname, was appointed. Also on the agenda was the creation of a city in which citizens of all HKE member nations could contribute and hold property. The city would also have a massive cathedral in which HKE coronations would be held. The imperial city of Gotterdam (as it would later be named after the first Emperor) was constructed to the east of Breslau at the foot of the snow mountains on the Prussian-Grundeswegian border. For the remainder of the session, other important but smaller topics such as rail line coordination and an alliance with New Leningrad were discussed.

Map showing the electorates of the HKE as they existed after the first imperial session. November 2014.
Breslau nether-side grand terminus. January 2015.

Nether Factories

In December 2014, after months of discussion on the Civcraft subreddit and preparation by players, nether factories were enabled on the server. These new additions to the factorymod made it possible to travel to the nether in a manner similar to 1.0. Nations who owned a nether factory could dominate map travel due to the compressed nature of nether travel. However, to make their construction more exclusive, only 1 nether factory could be created in a certain radius.

Prussia naturally, due to accumulated wealth over the life of 2.0, was one of the nations who was automatically assumed to be pursuing acquisition of a factory. Indeed, Prussia had enough resources to create said factory save for one product, end stone. In fact, by the time nether factories were announced, all of the end island had been mined out. Not a block of end stone remained.

To make up for this, ttk2 announced the end stone event where chunks of endstone would spawn in various nether biomes throughout the world. The event was a huge success for the well oiled Prussian machine who assumed control of the chunk which spawned near the fief of Brandenburg and had it completely mined out within a few hours. Prussia now had more than enough end stone thanks to the event and from our friends in Carson who we coordinated with ever since the first mention of the nether factory mechanic.

Prussians pose for a photo at the bottom of an expended chunk from the endstone event. December 2014.

On the day of the nether factory release, the Prussians were one of the first to construct it therefore securing Breslau as a major portal for the Eastern side of the map. Large train stations were constructed in the nether and overworld to accommodate more travelers. An intricate system of rails, horse tunnels and ice roads connecting Breslau to other nations was then constructed by the Royal Prussian Railway.

Kael NotAGrape bows his head before the Empress-Elect, Screenname, at her coronation. February 2015.

Election of Screenname

In February 2015, the first Emperor of the HKE, Gotterdammer, had reigned for about 4 months. His tenure saw the beginnings of a thriving empire. Two separate imperial sessions in Wismar and Yakumo had been held. The construction of a grand imperial city had commenced in the East. Numerous official documents had been created and Ordnung established. Alliances and friendships were formed which still continue to this day. But now the time had come for a change in leadership and Gotterdammer (as would become customary for Emperors) voluntarily stepped down.

The electors were assembled and a new vote was held for the next leader of the HKE. The candidates this time stood at only 2 individuals: Greenkitten of Grundeswald and Screenname of Gensokyo. The vote was evenly split at first but Screenname achieved a lead in the tally with a unanimous vote from the Prussian fiefdoms. Screenname was thus elected as the second Empress of the HKE.

Screenname would bring together the electors for a third (New Salisbury), fourth and fifth imperial session. Chiefly among her goals for the empire was recruitment of new players. To attain this, an acquisition of the new state of Chanadia was proposed initially but this was refused by the electors due to poor behavior of the Chanadians at the coronation of Screenname. Even so, Chanadia later became an ally of the HKE. Advertising to join the Civcraft server was planned for posting on strategic sites but Prussia specifically saw little recruitment due to concurrent restructuring of the Prussian constitution and trial citizen system.

The reign of Screenname would have large periods of inactivity in the empire (which mirrored inactivity on the server in general) but would also be punctuated by rising hostility and intense conflict. Despite wanning activity, the capital city of Gotterdam continued to rise little-by-little.

Holy Tree and New Phoenix

The proposed land claims of revived Holy Tree as presented to the HKE by Callid. June 2015.

In early Summer 2015, Callid13 attempted to resurrect the long inactive state of Holy Tree. Holy Tree had been created near the start of 2.0 and was located in the area of MTA, NDZ and Western Gensokyo (which then comprised New Detroit and Goten). By June 2015 however, Holy Tree had been uninhabited for over a year and new nations had arisen in the area it once claimed. By attempting to return the city to its former state, Callid reignited the volatile issue of land claims that had been precariously settled in the Yurtstead/Riverford conflict.

Callid had been a Prussian citizen for a time, however he was ousted as a citizen as Prussian law forbids dual citizenship and his activity as effective leader of Holy Tree was deemed incompatible. Callid had shortly discussed his plans for Holy Tree with both Prussian leaders and with the HKE in general. He was swiftly rebuked and it was made clear to him that it was unreasonable to revive a long dead city in the middle of a previously contentious area. Callid ignored all refusals from HKE officials and continually refused to listen to stern answers of “no.” His perverse character was certainly another factor in his removal from Prussia.

When Callid began discussion with MTA, NDZ and Gensokyo, an inequity was quickly discovered. While the territory claimed by Holy Tree against MTA and NDZ was easily ceded without much care due to little development on the sites, the territory of Gensokyo that overlapped with Callid’s claims was immense. Callid again blamed Gensokyo for the failure of negotiations despite the true reasoning being his obstinate irreconcilability.

A intense standoff situation emerged on the claimed borders of Holy Tree. At one point, the Holy Tree player Folters placed a serious of snitches in contested territory for the sole purpose of provoking the opposing party. These were broken by the Prussian 8ofspades who was pearled. Another Prussian, Vogelius, was also pearled in the conflict. After intense subreddit PvP, public opinion came down upon Holy Tree but by then Screenname and Gensokyo had been significantly irked and a ceasefire was declared.

Even before the conflict erupted, the Prussians, also being generally annoyed by Callid, had a grand design for some amusement. The small (and genuinely insignificant save for promoting Holy Tree’s land claims) settlement of New Phoenix was located just to the west of Holy Tree. With great secrecy and efficiency, the Prussians assembled a team and overtook the city. The entirety of New Phoenix (which wasn’t much) was disassembled in a matter of minutes. In the style of Havana from 1.0, the land was naturalized to make it appear that nothing had ever existed on that spot. The Prussians then slipped away without any notice. The removal was not even discovered by Callid until after the ceasefire was declared. Callid then blamed Gensokyo (which was not our intention and admittedly was a slight backfire) who did not even know of the covert removal themselves and replied with genuine confusion.

Callid never did find out who removed New Phoenix and was even accused of removing the settlement himself as a false-flag operation. In the end, all parties exhausted from conflict, the Treaty of New Detroit was signed which settled the land claims (for a second time in this region) with a price of 1800 diamonds made payment to Gensokyo. The conflict ended but would not stay silent for long.

Goten Betrayal

“Pack it up!” - Anonymous

A few short months after the Holy Tree conflict, the district of New Detroit known as Goten declared its succession from Gensokyo quite suddenly and unexpectedly. Mount August and their newly elected mayor, Prof_TANSTAAFL then declared their support for Goten’s succession and swiftly annexed the territory shortly after. Utterly betrayed but not resigned to defeat, the Gensokyojin army moved in, set up a military defense zone and dismantled infrastructural components between Goten and New Detroit proper.

Gensokyo knew it was the dominant side at that point as they mustered the HKE and their allies. Before long, a coalition of HKE, Chanadian, Hjaltland and Tigercrew volunteers entered the military zone and prepared to retake Goten. At some point, a now unknown player shouted the phrase, “Pack it up” which became the rallying cry for the HKE coalition. The assault commenced and went to plan with all of Goten under the coalition's control. However, the coalition then became informed that Mount Augusta had acquired the support of seasoned PvPers from Nox in helping keep their newly annexed territory. The coalition forces then knew they were no match and they quickly became the side which packed it up. It was discovered that their mumble channel had been infiltrated and all their communications were leaked.

The withdrawal of the coalition forces was a costly defeat as New Detroit was then ransacked and was nearly annexed in its entirety by Mount Augusta. This would prove to be the end of the Western Gensokyo territories and conflicts in the Mount Augusta region for the HKE. Although with understandable hesitation from Screenname, HKE officials and other parties convinced the Empress to relinquish all control of New Detroit and Western Gensokyo and instead focus on the beautiful eastern half of the nation. New Detroit was fully ceded to Bryn in the end and the conflict was concluded.

There was another cost to the defeat, as well. The series of fights had thoroughly exhausted Screenname who then abdicated her position of Empress of the HKE.

However, not all produced from the Goten crisis was negative for the HKE. In protest of Mount Augusta's actions, DJFunktipus and his co-conspirators would resurrect the PILF in the haphazard city. Though nothing much came of their presence in Mount Augusta, a second Foofed Memorial Tenement (known as the Foofed Memorial Tenement Memorial Tenement) world be erected in the city and much fun was had among the players from many nations who visited.

Gensokyo would now focus on the, what many would argue, more beautiful Yakumo and eastern half of the nation ever endeavouring to add to its multitudes of charm.

The Goten crisis would also create new friendships which would be solidified with the election of the third and final Emperor of the HKE.

Election of Greenkitten

In October 2015 after the abdication of Empress Screenname, the electors were gathered once again to perform their duty. In the third and final election of the HKE, a tie was had between Koentinius of Prussia and Greenkitten of Grundeswald. Koentinius, in a gesture of faith and trust in our Grundeswegian allies, then withdrew his candidacy marking Greenkitten as the third Emperor of the HKE.

The reign of Emperor Greenkitten would be short lived but is remembered to history as a new birth of prosperity within the HKE. The member states of the HKE had left the volitile region of Mount Augusta behind and instead began to focus on their territories in the deep +,+. The capital of Gotterdam was also nearing its completion and anticipation hastened construction further.

Greenkitten would call together the empire for a sixth imperial session in December 2015. Chiefly among topics for discussion during this session was the incorporation of Hjaltland which had been a close ally and had supported Gensokyo and the HKE through the Goten crisis. With this friendship in mind, the electors unanimously voted to expand the HKE with Hjaltland’s addition.

Painted screenshot showing Kael NotAgrape administering the oath to Emperor-Elect, Greenkitten. October 2015.

End of Civcraft 2.0

Just as the great cathedral of Gotterdam was nearing full completion, the announcement that Civcraft 2.0 would end was made. As a result of item duping, the server had entered a state that was unacceptable to the Civcraft moderation team.

Server owner ttk2 held his "End of the World Speech" in game to commemorate the great success that had been 2.0. In an act that would solidify the city as a pinnacle achievement of the server, the Breslau Opera House was chosen as the final location for his speech.

With the end of the server and announcements for a new Civcraft iteration, Prussia shared their future plans:

“While we are deeply saddened to say so, the Kingdom of Prussia will not be returning as a major faction in Civcraft 3.0. Both Civcraft and Minecraft have drifted in a direction that no longer holds our collective attention, and we have decided that it is best to move on. While some may return, it is highly unlikely that a city such as Danzig or Breslau will be a feature in the future.”

The time of Breslau had truly been a golden age of Prussia. The Prussians had acquired great wealth and were even in possession of the ender dragon egg, although it is unknown if this was a duped item. It is theorized that Breslau was spared from much grief compared to other cities due to the impact it made on players as they were struck by its majesty. Images of Breslau still circulate the internet and have even been used as advertisement for various Minecraft products.

Map of Prussia and surrrounding territories. Created by Gotterdammer. May 2015.
Render of of the partially constructed Gotterdam and its great cathedral. January 2016.










Final render of  Breslau. January 2016.

Interserverum, Civcraft 3.0 and the Teutonic Order

The Prussian community thinned out and lost members after the end of 2.0, but the core group remained friends via their Slack and other means of communication. A handful of small servers were made, including vanilla survival, creative, and FeedTheBeast (FTB), for nostalgic purposes. Interest in Civcraft-style servers, such as Devoted, was low and only individual members, commonly under alts, joined for short periods of time.

Prussia formally declared it would not seek to play in 3.0. However, a handful of Prussians settled in 3.0 under the name of "The Teutonic Order" in order to build a small monastery in the cold mountains of Isolde, but lost interest in the server once its strange approach to the Civcraft goal became apparent.

This group has no connection to any CivClassic groups by the same name or the city of Königsberg.

CivClassics

Player Gobblin visits a work-in-progress Sigmaringen. Featured left-center under glass is the "Block of Historic Importance - Do not break" which was unfortunately broken at a later date.

Surges in interest to play on CivClassics came and went from time to time. The first surge resulted in a handful of Prussians starting a small project in Appomattox lands with their blessings. However, that project quickly fizzled out and was soon forgotten.

The second attempt by Prussians to join CivClassics came in Spring 2019 when they came into close contact with their old friends from Gensokyo again. Knowing they wouldn't be a prominent nation on the world stage, the Prussians sought to join as an extention of an established group, and thus joined under friendly terms on Gensokyo lands. The Prussians were granted a small peninsula within Gensokyo's borders in the +,- quadrant.

Settling Sigmaringen

An overview of Sigmaringen from the work-in-progress castle rooftop.

After little discussion and planning, work began on the a town with no name in the southern half of the little peninsula. The name "Sigmaringen", named after the real Prussian city, would be chosen a few days later due to, among other reasons, its ease of pronunciation for non-German speakers. The real city was also a small Prussian exclave for several years, befitting the small CivClassic settlement. The name is commonly abbreviated to "Sig".

Several Prussians logged on and met on their new lands and joined in the gathering of resources. Most of the initial construction work, most notably the storage building and symmetrically-built harbor toward the east shore, were completed by one member, Koentinius ("Koen"). However, these initial structures appeared more grand and fine than some other members, most vocally Gotterdammer ("Gotter"), had wanted Sigmaringen to be: a smaller, quaint town. The quaint "faction" ultimately "prevailed" and Sigmaringen was built in a more loose, semi-rural fashion.The eastern beach was dug up, polders were built atop it, free-standing houses were built, the peninsula was covered in a proper forest, and a natural tub created by some hills was filled with stone upon which a castle is being built. Another point of contention would then arise: the town church. One proposed design featured a more Italian baroque design while the other a more hanseatic brick design. Tensions grew in town until the hanseatic design was ultimately built.

Settling Koenigsburg

An overview of Koenigsburg from the south.

Koentinius would go on to found a second Prussian city after Sigmaringen to build upon his ideas of a grand, orderly town on a small scale. He founded what he originally called Königsberg along the river east of the peninsula, across from Verda. However, it was quickly noted that the name "Königsberg" was already being used by a prominent group, so the name was changed to reflect its founder, Koen. Though some Prussians contributed designs, it was primarily designed and built by him, including the baroque church design that wasn't built in Sigmaringen. It features a train station, the church, a town hall, houses, and a palace.

Expansion and the Mapping Incident

As progress in Sigmaringen and Koenigsburg continued, so did the ambitions of the active Prussians grow. Plans were drawn up to annex large swaths of the then-defunct Verda and, due to a severe miscommunication, to incorporate lands into Prussia that Gensokyo intended to use. A map was drawn of the new claims and posted, which was then seen by the Gensokyo leadership. A discussion between the two groups followed. Both sides realized improper communication had taken place, that no harm was intended, and a compromise was reached as it turned out that Koenigsburg was founded on lands not granted to Prussia, unbeknownst to Gensokyo. The ambitious plan to include parts of the lands to the south and east of Prussia were dropped in the following weeks mainly due to inactivity in Prussia as most of what the players had set out to build had been built, and because the Prussians realized they did not want to dedicate the amount of time to CivClassics as would be needed to use the lands.

Quiet Activity

After the first few months of playing, activity in Prussia dropped. Players would occasionally log on to check snitches, repair buildings and fields from petty damages (as Prussia is located in or near the spawn zone), and explore the world. Work on Sigmaringen continues slowly, or not at all as was the case with the castle for many months between 2019-2020, and Koen continues to work regularly on Koenigsburg and in Pacem. The largest structures built in this period were the Sigmaringen-Taozi overland railway as well as various international subterranian connections via Koenigsburg. As the Prussians never sought to be a power group in CivClassics, the current state of activity fits closely to their original goals.

Gotter began playing again sporadically in late 2019 in order to avoid projects and studying. Sigmaringen received extensive bastion fortifications in this time and many empty lots were filled.

On 13 Jan, 2021, Maximus_Ant logged in near Sigmaringen. Gotter and Ant had a nice conversation and shared a potion of unknown effect; it turned out to give only fire restiance, which was kind of lame. Gotter promised to record this eventful event.

Geography

Civcraft 1.0

The Prussian capital of Danzig in Civcraft 1.0 was founded deep in the +,+ on a plains island which was surrounded by a vast ocean which made overworld travel cumbersom. Most travel to and from Danzig would take place via nether transport; a notable feature of Civcraft 1.0 (and later 2.0). This plains island would become known as the old district after it was connected to a jungle island to the east by the prominent Konrad Bridge. The jungle island would become known as the new district and would house many of the newer citizens of Prussia during the mass immigration seen at the end of 1.0. The southern end of the new district would house a massive factory. Further beyond to the south could be found untamed wilderness and desert. A regal palace was constructed further east of the new district. For neighbors, the LSIF city of Chiapas could be found about 1000 blocks west from the southern tip of the new district.

Civcraft 2.0

Like its counterpart from civcraft 1.0, the Prussian capital of Breslau in Civcraft 2.0 would be founded deep in the +,+ on a favorable site of meandering rivers and an inland sea. The majority of the city would be constructed on a elongated island in a north-south direction. The further bulk of construction could be found on the tip of the Klein-Schlesien peninsula to the west of the central island. Multiple bridges were constructed over the river Oder to connect the surrounding island to the east and peninsula to the west. To the south of central Breslau lied the Odersee which separated the city from more rural farming communities. From there, Prussian territory stretched out into wide plains to the south and east. In the east, these plains ended in steep mountains and cliffs at the base of which was constructed the HKE capital city of Gotterdam. The town of Wismar in the provence of Mecklenburg was located southeast of Breslau boardering the Ostsee and river Memel. Prussians constructed further fiefdoms and farms in the nether lands of Brandenburg, taiga of Eisland, jungle of Togoland, and island of Rønne.

Civclassics

Biomes and Geographic Features

An overview of the Prussian lands in Civclassics as of late April 2021.

Prussia was founded on a small peninsula in the shallow +,- quadrant, which would later be dubbed Sigmaringen Peninsula. The Prussians settled the southern half of the L-shaped land, which was surrounded by a narrow bay to the east, south, and west. To the north, the peninsula connected to the Gensokyo mainland. The entire peninsula is composed of a forest biome, some beaches, and the oceans surrounding it.

The peninsula features several shallow sandy banks along its coasts, making for easy polderbuilding. The eastern sandy bank was turned into a sizable farming and flower polder in the first week in order to gain more land and resources for further construction. The peninsula also featured numerous pointy outcroppings made of dirt and stone, which were termed "Hinkelsteine". The outcroppings were not large enough to build upon but were a slight nuisance during the ongoing construction of Sigmaringen. One solution to the problem was to use the major ring of outcroppings in the center of the peninsula as a "tub", flood the space between them with water, which was in turn turned to stone by dumping lava on it, layer by layer. This turned the tub of outcroppings into a single, monolithic plateau upon which Castle Sigmaringen is being constructed. Several original outcroppings still remain on the peninsula and are under the strict protection of the "Freunde der preußischen Landschaft und vorpreußischen Bauten e.V." (FdpLuvBeV), or, the ''Fellows of the Prussian Landscape and Pre-Prussian Constructs, Registered Organisation''. The organization also protects the last known naturally-generated small pine tree on the peninsula.

Despite being mostly a forest biome, vegetation was sparse upon settlement. An artificial forest was planted, covering most of the unfarmed and unused land along the peninsula. The expansion of the forest to the mainland is being considered.

The Great Beach Theft

The great beach theft.

Some time, during the activity lull of winter 2019-2020, the great beach at the center of the Prussian lands was stolen. While the loss is not incalculable, the responsible Minister simply hasn't done the calculation yet, it does greatly affect the morale of the nation. Nearly all sand was stolen. To hide the frightful sight, the former beach was covered in grass and the surrounding area slightly terraformed to fit the new terrain. No snitches were nearby and no clues were left by the perpetrators.

Neighbors

Formally, Prussia is within the lands of Gensokyo, where the bulk of its territory lies north and northwest of Prussia. Gensokyo's capital city of Taozi is approximately two kilometers northwest of Prussia, most easily accessible by rail. Directly south of Sigmaringen, across the bay, is the country of Verda with its towns of Sovia, Craiggrad, Heinlau, and Crowsroost, all of which are easily accessible by road or boat. Nyasaland lies a ways east of Prussia and the territory of Panem a ways west over the bay.

Public Infrastructure

Prussia currently only maintains a handful of roads, of which the north-south road, from Verda through Sigmaringen to the northern farms, is the most prominent one. Other roads take scenic routes around Sigmaringen's fields and through the dense forest. Future roads will connect the greater Prussian region.

Sigmaringen and Koenigsburg are both connected to the international rail system via the underground network as well as to Taozi via the Sigmaringen-Taozi overland rail. The overland portions of the railways feature scenic routes, details, and bridges.

Politics and Government

Civcraft 1.0 and 2.0

Prussia's governmental structure was established after the fall of the Fourth Reich in Summer 2012. While formally an absolute theocratic monarchy, Prussia functions as a meritocratic collective. The nations laws and systems for Civcraft 1.0 and 2.0 were codified by the Prussian Constitution.

The Monarchy

Formally, the Kingdom of Prussia is an absolute theocratic monarchy. All power resides with the God-King. His rule is all-reaching, none shall question His swift decisiveness, and His words are absolute.

However, the God-King is a chicken and cannot speak nor can he be understood. The first God-King was known as Uncle Dolan I and ruled as Duke of the Prussian End city of Endheim/Marienburg. The line of Uncle Dolan would include 8 descendents and would end with Uncle Dolan IX. Further royal lines during Civcraft 1.0 include Gustav and Wilhelm.

Two God-Kings held court during Civcraft 2.0. The first was Friedrich I who was coronated in November 2013 and would be killed in December 2013 by Jarl_Heisenburg as revenge for damage sustained to his prot armor. The death of the God-King was stated to the public as a result of a skiing accident, however. The second was Ludwig I who was enthroned in April 2014 and would rule until the end of Civcraft 2.0 in January 2016.

There have been no God-Kings of Prussia since the end of Civcraft 2.0. Plans for the elevation of the first God-Queen were developed during late Civclassics but these were never realized due to the end of the server.

The Prussian Parliament

Due to the inability of the God-King to communicate with humankind, a meritocratic government was established to help interpret the will of the God-King and to make decisions in his stead to help forward the ideals of the Prussian nation. This governing body was known as the Prussian Parliament. At the founding of Prussia and its government, the Prussian Parliament was elected by a majority vote by all Prussian Citizens. After this initial election, the Prussian Parliament operated as a meritocratic oligarchy in which current parliament members would elect their successors should they be removed from their position. Parliament members were the only individuals within Prussia which had any say with any/all decisions. All laws, major building projects, international decisions, among other things were decided on by a vote in which only parliament members could participate. Despite its authoritarian nature, this system worked with great efficacy due to the small population of Prussia and the willingness of parliament to heed the advice/concerns of all Prussians. The parliament consisted of ministerial and non-ministerial positions. Ministerial positions had specific tasks and expertise within Prussia's day-to-day activities. The formally established ministries were:

  • Minister of Resources - gives access to the community chests, coordinates the storage systems, manages prisoner compensation work, coordinates citizen work to acquire needed resources, maintains the factories as needed, and buying, selling, and trading national resources.
  • Minister of Ordnung - in charge of keeping data about players, factions, locations and other data neat and orderly documented. He is also in charge of the Prussian Player Registry.
  • Minister of Diplomacy - has the duty to establish positive relations with other Civcraft nations. He is in charge of in-game and subreddit propaganda.
  • Minister of Construction - responsible for the Coordination of Buildings and the homogeneity of the houses in Prussian territories. He coordinates the building of streets and railways in and between territories, as well as the distribution of Plots to citizens.
  • Minister of Justice - in charge of creating a punishment catalog, which enables homogeneous and fair punishment executed by judges he convenes. A judge has to a member of the parliament. The minister is the highest of all judges. Every entry in the catalog has to be approved by the parliament. The Minister has the duty to maintain the Prussian collection of statutes.
  • Minister of Defense - the general of the Prussian troops and has the duty to coordinate equipment and training of Citizens in a way that there are always fully geared troops available. The Ministry is vacant during times of peace. In times of need a Minister will be chosen by the parliament.

Other non-ministerial positions were known as Senators. These individuals had the right to vote on decisions as part of Prussian Parliament but had no specific area of expertise nor specific duty.

The Prussian Parliament was dissolved with the end of Civcraft 2.0. A timeline of Prussian leadership can be found here.

CivClassics

The Constitutional Body

The Consitutitional Body of the Kingdom of Prussia derives its authority over the state from the Code of Prussia. The governing documents of Prussia have gone through many variations, with the Code being newly-written for CivClassic. The Code was ratified by common agreement among the old Prussians and the five most active Prussians on the server on 1 May 2019. These five most active players also form the governing constitutional body of the Kingdom of Prussia.

The goal of the Code was to create a simple framework with as little gibberish as possible through which the constitutional body can govern matters within the Kingdom. Trust among the Prussians is high and their goals are generally the same. It has mostly served as a tie-breaker in stalemates regarding construction and architectural matters.

Culture

Prussianisms

Prussian culture encompases a vast array of manners, styles, and memes. Prussian culture was far-reaching and recognizable in the old Civcrafts, but its influence remains noticeable in CivClassics.

"t"

The most prominent and noticeable mannerism - if you are in or near Prussia - is "t-ing." Upon logging into the server, a good Prussian will notify their surroundings of their graced presence with a swift t into the chat. All nearby Prussians of proper hearing will swiftly respond with a t into the chat. Everyone is, of course, more than welcome to join and t themselves. The initial t may also be written when a player wishes to find out who is nearby via the t responses.

The Prussian city of Breslau at the end of 2.0

Architecture

For all of Civcraft history, Prussia has been known for its unrivalled architectural style and achievements. In 1.0, the city of Danzig was considered the jewel of the southeast despite having been founded by what was essentially a griefer group. Its most notable constructs included the castle, the university, harbor, and factory, as well as numerous splendid houses, each designed by the Prussian living in it. In 2.0, the Prussians chose to build upon the praise and built the magnificient and giant Breslau. Breslau's most notable constructs included the more organic roads it was built upon, the rathaus (town hall), opera house, cathedral, harbor, numerous ships, university, palace, and palace gardens.

In the present day, Prussian architecture continues to be admired and exported. Members are always glad to help design or contribute to any other group. Koen has contributed a number of designs to the far away city of Pacem.

International Relations

Prussians have always enjoyed an upstanding reputation in the Civcraft series since their reform from being a raider group. Prussians, most notably _dbb_, have served as mediators and negotiators in numerous international incidents. Combined with not interfering in international matters, their attractive cities and welcoming spirit, the good name of Prussia rings far.

Gezo

Gezoerksel, known most commonly as "Gezo," is a true national treasure. He leaves his famous "Gezo was here !!!" signs everywhere he goes. Gezo has been everywhere.

Despite never having spoken publicly, it is believed that Gezo has the smoothest, most velvety voice known to mankind.

In a secret operation in late 2018, Prussians ordered 1000 real Gezo was here !!! stickers without him knowning. They then spent one year placing stickers in public, famous locations. These include most of Germany, mostly concentrated in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Dresden; throughout the UK; and the Netherlands. One year later, the plot was revealed to Gezo. Many of these stickers should still exist.

Church of t

See "t" above.

See Church of t main article page.

The Church of t is the national church and religion of Prussia. It has no single date of foundation, but rather developed naturally throughout the Civcraft series. There is no central body or written text, but its spirit lives on vibrantly. Every Prussian church or holy building is a Church of t.

References