On the first of December in 2014 we announced that the new micronation of Lorenzburg had established its borders around the city section of Lorensberg in the Swedish city of Karlstad. Since that day, six years ago, we have strived to contribute to a more playful, magical and colorful world.
The lore of how Lorenzburg came into existence is well-known. A fortunate mishap – a freudian typo – rendered the name of the city section Lorensberg as Lorenzburg. In a grants application the artist Frei von Fräähsen wanted to stress how important growing up in the area had been in shaping him as a person and creator. However the fingers stumbled on the keyboard and in accidentally re-naming the city section he discovered the seed to a project that has kept going for six years.
Since it’s origin the micronation has entered an international arena with collaborations and exchanges with other micronations from all over the world. We have carried through multiple projects, both locally and in a wider geographical context. Below is a summary of some basic facts, statistics and some of the more important events.
Basic facts and numbers
Geographic location: Lorenzburg’s borders coincide with those of the city sections of Lorensberg and Kroppkärr in the Swedish city of Karlstad.
Flag: The flag is called l’Oriflamme, or the Flame of Lorenzburg. It features a crowned golden pea from the story of the Princess on the Pea – a fairy tale symbol that reminds us that even small things can achieve greatness.
Greater National Coat of Arms:
Lesser National Coat of Arms:
National day: the spring equinox, usually around the 21st of March every year.
Governing: Constitutional Monarchy.
Head of state: The artist Prince Frei von Fräähsen.
Number of active citizens: 150, but all residents in the city sections of Kroppkärr and Lorensberg are welcome to participate in our activities. There is a total number of around 3700 residents in the area within the borders of Lorenzburgs.
Number of nobles granted titles in recognition of service to the nation: 23 (22 to baronal dignity and 1 to “Earl of the Jest”). Every noble is granted a unique coat of arms. Read more.
Number of universities and academies: 8. Lorenzburg as a nation strives to support innovation and excellence within the arts, culture and science. The various institutions serves as hubs for future projects and collaborations to make the area more fun and interesting. Read more.
Number of diplomatic relations: 11. Since 2014 Lorenzburg has entered diplomatic relations with 11 other micronation that we find interesting. We only establish such relations with micronations with a serious agenda and/ or work for causes we believe in. Read more.
a summary of events
2020
- “Camp it up!” – Lorenzburg’s fifth annual pilgrimage.
- His Serene Highness Prince Frei performs a ceremony in an art gallery in Gothenburg. The purpose of the ceremony is to establish the new artistic-academic field of “Royal Performative Arts” – a field for research into the working conditions of monarchs:
- Lorenzburg’s Institute for Speculative Ethnology called for participants to re-enact a speculative folkloric tradition. The woodland excursion that followed resulted in a short movie:
- The Principality of Lorenzburg incorporates the city section of Kroppkär and becomes the Grand Principality of Lorenzburg. Read more.
- Lorenzburg calls for contributions to a collection of short stories. The project’s purpose is to offer distraction during times of crisis. The contributions were collected into a free pdf that can be downloaded (in Swedish) from the webpage.
- H.S.H. Prince Frei and Aide-de-Camp Paulina Palm opens the Gothenburg performance festival “13festivalen”:
2019
- Lorenzburg’s fourth annual pilgrimage in collaboration with the international dance festival ABUNDANCE.
- A public celebration of St. Arnulf – patron saint of beer. The celebration took place in the hotel Gustaf Fröding in Lorenzburg:
- H.S.H. Prince Frei and Baroness Anna Frew Heartsanvil presents parts of the Lorenzburg project in a conference in Vilnius – Lithuania:
2018
- “Ja till Klivet” – Lorenzburg’s third annual pilgrimage.
- H.S.H. Prince Frei presents parts of the Lorenzburg project in a conference on artistic research in Riga – Latvia:
- 2017
- “En stilla Karneval för alla färger” – Lorenzburg’s third annual pilgrimage. Read more.
- A new artistic collaboration with artists and researchers Anna Frew and Betty Lamborn.
- a meditation “safari” in Cowberry Forest. Read more.
- Diplomatic relations with the Principality of Hélianthis.
- Lorenzburg arranges a vote to name the two forests in the area. Read more.
2016
- Lorenzburg arranges a seminar on “creating fantastical worlds” in collaboration with fantasy author Erik Granström. (in Swedish):
- Lorenzburg’s first annual pilgrimage in collaboration with Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt och Hans Kvarnström. Read more.
- Lorenzburg arranges a seminar on Live roleplaying with Kenny Lee Iker (in Swedish):
- Lorenzburg’s highest order insignia arrives. Read more.
- Lorenzburg creates an information brochure to distribute to all the households in the area. Article in Swedish
- Lorenzburg is granted an artistic stipend of €10 000 from the Värmland Rrgion.
- Diplomatic relations with the principality of Pontinha.
- Diplomatic relations with the kingdom of Ruthenia.
- We commence the work to translate the webpage into English.
- Lorenzburg signs the Alcatraz-treaty.
2015
- Lorenzburg is granted an artistic stipend of €4 000 from the municipality of Karlstad.
- Lorenzburg enters diplomatic relations with the principality of Aigues-Mortes.
- Lorenzburg’s flag Oriflamme version 1.0. Article in Swedish
- Lorenzburg starts the process to commission a national coat of arms in collaboration with heraldic artist Davor Zovko. Article 1 in Swedish. Article 2 in Swedish.
- Lorenzburg starts the process to designa a flag. Article in Swedish.
- Lorenzburg opens a consulate in the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
- Commencing the work to build the present webpage, with the help of a kickstarter campaign and the web design company Hidden Hur Media.
2014
- December first – Lorenzburg’s first little wordpressblogg is created and a fresh micronation enters the inter-micronational scene.
