Switzerland now has a micronation that promises to quickly become one of the biggest. An entry in force which did not escape the European media.
Do you know Emperor-King Jonas I of the Empire of Lauwiner? If not, now is the time to take note. We present to you the micronational Monarch with the largest private territory in Europe. His Empire extends over several plots, an area of 65,000m2 (132,000 Square feet). How could he accumulate so much land in a country like Switzerland, one of the most expensive in the world? Here is his story.
He started acquiring his territory, plot by plot, from 2015, when his father gave him his first piece of land for his 20th birthday. Passionate about history and old European absolutist regimes, Jonas had the idea of looking for land without owners.
He started acquiring his territory, plot by plot, from 2015, when his father gave him his first piece of land for his 20th birthday. Passionate about history and old European absolutist regimes, Jonas had the idea of looking for land without owners.
A genius idea
Thanks to a law in certain Swiss cantons, Jonas begins to take an interest in the cadastres of several municipalities, in which he files so-called "occupation" requests. Yes, in Switzerland, this is possible, if you discover unclaimed land and if you are the first to claim it: Bingo! The plot is yours. There are only low registration and management fees. This is how the young man seized a multitude of land in the cantons of Bern and Valais. Lands that he calls his conquests.
Aged 27, Jonas I, Emperor of Lauwiner and King of Berthoud, is today the monarch of a micronation on the way to becoming one of the richest and most iconic in Europe and noone saw him coming. You won't find him on MicroWiki or any micronational social media groups. He worked tirelessly and down to the smallest detail on the rise of his Empire, which he now wants to make profitable. The time of conquest gives way to that of investment and creation.
" Being King or CEO of a company is exactly the same thing "
The Emperor-King sees his Empire as a business to which he ultimately wishes to devote himself entirely, living off agricultural production and tourist activity. Its goal today is to develop in order to increase its turnover. He minted coins and he even has a real cannon which of course is only there as a demonstration of power.
A Micronation-enterprise why not and this is nothing new. For example, micronations like Sealand have passed this milestone by selling their titles of nobility, which makes it possible to monetize the maintenance of their famous platform. Looking at Jonas, he compares his status of Sovereign to that of CEO of a company: " It's exactly the same thing " he says. His goal today is to develop in order to increase its turnover.
Little chance that his mercantilist visions are villainous, as we can only deplore with the example of Liberland. Jonas I is also a humanitarian before being a great micronational Monarch. He created his own humanitarian foundation in 2014, the "Lauwiner foundation" which has its own website, a Facebook page and an Instagram account. On the Facebook page, we can read that the main donors are the companies of the Empire.
Ambitious, daring and full of ideas, Jonas I has built one of the most successful micronations, with real prospects for development that we will not fail to follow. He did not need the micronational community on social networks to make a name for himself and build what is already an example from which many will draw inspiration.
