Antonius’ House of Worldbuilding

Antonius Kaizuniviel

Archmæster of Obscure Topics
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TNP Nation
Mintoria
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To all of those who may read this,
This house (or thread) is where I will be doing my worldbuilding on Mintoria from this time forward. Anything that I’ve worldbuilt off-forum up to this point will go here, and anything done in the Scraps of Worldbuilding thread will go here as well. This is where everything about Mintoria will be from general information to anything that about a specific topic. If there are any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact me on Discord.

Dated the fourteenth of November, in the year two-thousand nineteen.



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Motion picture and video game ratings system


The following is the rating system used to classify content of films and games being sold or produced in Mintoria. This is done by an official government body known as the Entertainment Classification Board (Unterhaltungsklassifikationstafe).



“A” (Allgemeines/General) — Contains material suitable and available for general viewing.

“EA” (Ethrlicher Anleitung/Parental guidance) — Not recommended for viewing or playing by younger people without guidance from parents or guardians.
Contains material that young viewers may find confusing or upsetting. The content is mild in impact.

“13” (Nicht empfohlen für Personen unter 13 Jahren/Not recommended for persons under 13 years) — Contains material that is considered unsuitable for exhibition by persons under the age of 12. People under 12 may legally purchase, rent, exhibit or view such content only under the supervision or accompany of an adult guardian. A person may be asked to show proof of age before hiring or purchasing an film or game with this rating. The content is strong in impact.

“18” (Nicht empfohlen für Personen unter 18 Jahren/Not recommended for persons under 18 years) — Contains material that is considered unsuitable for exhibition by persons under the age of 18. People under 18 may not legally buy, rent, exhibit or view such classified content without the supervision of a parent or adult guardian. A person may be asked for proof of their age before purchasing, hiring or viewing an "18" rated film or game at a retail store or cinema. Some material with this rating may be offensive to sections of the adult community. The content is high in impact.

“B” (Beschränkt auf Personen unter 18 Jahren/Restricted to persons under 19 years) — Contains only material that is pornographic in nature. People under 18 may not legally buy, rent, possess, exhibit or view these films. The exhibition or sale of these films to people under the age of 19 years is a criminal offence carrying a maximum fine of 5,000 RM (IBU 4,347.83). Films classified as "B” are banned from being sold or rented in all constituent countries.

“KV” (Klassifizierung verweigert/Classification denied) — Contains material that, while being, in most cases, legal to possess, is considered offensive to the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by a 'reasonable adult' to the extent that it should not be classified. Classification is mandatory, and films that are refused classification are legally banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of 250,000 RM (IBU 217,391.30) and/or 10 years’ imprisonment if an individual is found to be in breach of this. It is, however, legal to possess and view "KV" films and games for people over 18, unless they contain illegal content. The content is exceedingly high in impact.

“Ü” (Überprüfen Sie für eine Klassifizierung/Check for a classification) — The content has been assessed and approved for advertising unclassified films and games. "This film has advertising approval. Check the classification closer to the released date" is usually written on the marking. Any advertising of unclassified films and games must display the “Ü” message on posters, trailers, on the internet, and any other types of advertising. Once the content is classified, the classification marking replaces the Ü marking on all advertising material.
 
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Prisons in Mintoria


Generally, prisons in the Mintorian Realm are administered and safeguarded by the Imperial Judicial Guard (Aleman: Kaiserliche Justizwache), an agency of the Ministry of Justice (Aleman: Reichsministerium für Justiz) which is also responsible for the safeguarding of prisoners, and the security of courts in Mintoria. Privately run prisons are strictly prohibited. All persons sentenced to imprisonment will be placed under the custody of the Judicial Guard to serve out their sentence. All prisons are inspected by the Imperial Inspectorate for Prisons (Aleman: Reichsinspektorat für Vollzugsanstalten).

Imperial Correctional Centres (Aleman: Reichsvollzugsanstalten) are where adult prisoners (18 years or older) are incarcerated in. Prisoners are placed into different security categories which depend on the crimes they have been convicted of, their likelihood of attempting to escape, and the risk they pose to the public.


Level A — For prisoners whose escape would be highly dangerous to the public or national security, and therefore needs to be made exceptionally difficult, if not impossible. Typically for example those convicted of offences such as murder, manslaughter, acts of terrorism, rape, grievous bodily harm, robbery, serious firearm and explosives offences, offences against the state, offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act 1984, or the Anti-Racketeering Act 1996, or any attempts of those offences.

Level B — For prisoners who do not require maximum security, but for whom escape still needs to be made very difficult. Typically for those convicted of the same types of offences as Level A prisoners, but who are not judged to be as high risk or those who have served a long time as a Level A prisoner with good behavior/rehabilitation.

Level C — For prisoners who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape. Typically for those convicted of minor offences and who are serving shorter sentences no more than a few years in length. Level B prisoners coming to the end of their sentence are sometimes downgraded to Level C to prepare them for release.

Level D — For prisoners who can be reasonably trusted not to try to escape, and are given the privilege to be able to move freely around the prison without risk. Level C prisoners coming to the end of their sentence are sometimes downgraded to Level D to prepare them for release.

Level A prisoners or prisoners who have made active attempts to escape from custody are are required to wear distinctive, yellow-coloured prison jumpsuits when being moved both inside and outside of the prison and are shackled. They are placed in single cells for 23 hours a day, and are closely monitored. In addition they are required to change cells frequently and to have their clothes and some of their personal property removed from their cell before being locked in for the night. These prisoners get little to no human contact, as they can only see their families once every 18 months. Letters that go in and out of the prison are checked by the guards, and phone calls are severely limited.

Female prisoners are subject to the same security categorization system as male prisoners. However, Level A security measures are rarely used for women due to the fairly low numbers of women convicted for serious crimes.


Additionally, where as adult prisoners are incarcerated in dedicated prisons, young people and children convicted for any offences are held in one of three types of establishments that are run by the Judicial Guard.

Imperial Youth Detention Centres (Aleman: Reichsjugendstrafanstalten) are generally more prison-like, and are less focused on meeting the health and educational needs of those that are detained. They are identical to correctional centres apart from the fact that they only accommodate those aged 12 to 18 who have been convicted or remanded for any offence.

Imperial Youth Training Centres (Aleman: Reichsjugendausbildungszentren) focus more on meeting the physical, mental, emotional and behavioural needs of vulnerable detained boys & girls aged between 10-18. Not all children held in these facilities have necessarily been convicted of crime, some are detained due to reasons such as their high risk of vulnerability to abuse, drugs and prostitution, the danger they pose to themselves or others, or because of their history of absconding from less secure accommodations.

Secure Children’s Homes (Aleman: Sichern Kinderheimen), which are run mostly by local authority children’s services, operate in a similar manner to youth training centres and accommodate "at risk" males and females aged 10–18 and all young children aged 10–12 convicted of serious offences until they can be placed in a youth training centre.
 
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Mintorian phonetic alphabet


A - Anton
Ä - Ärger
B - Berta
C - Cäser
Ch - Charlotte
D - Dora
E - Emil
F - Friedrich
G - Gustav
H - Heinrich
I - Ida
J - Julius
K - Kaufmann
L - Ludwig
M - Martha
N - Nordpol
O - Otto
Ö - Ökonom
P - Paula
Q - Quelle
R - Richard
S - Siegfried
Sch - Schule
T - Theodor
U - Ulrich
Ü - Übermut
V - Viktor
W - Wilhelm
X - Xanthippe
Y - Ypsilon

Z - Zeppelin
 
The continents of Eras in Mintorian Aleman


Craviter — Grosskronländer (“Great crownlands”)

Gothis — Gotischesland (“Land of the Gotics”)

Meterra — Riesenland (“Giant land”)

Icenia — Ferneländer (“Distant lands”)

Kian — Kian (Loan word from Mercanti)

Iteria — Südlichesland ("Southern land")

Collandris — Kollandris (Loan word from Mercanti), the name “Grosskronländer” historically applied to Collandris as it was held that the continent was not considered separate from Craviter.

Auroria — Östlichesländer (“Eastern lands”)
 
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<<<This comes the thread “Soda Pop of Eras”.>>>


Hindenhausen Trocken (soft drink)


Hindenhausen Trocken (Mercanti translation: “Hindenhausen dry”) is a brand of soft drinks owned by Hindenhausen Getränke AG. Although known for its dry ginger ale, the company does make other soft drinks under the brand.


The word “trocken” (“dry”) in the brand's name refers to not being sweet, as in a dry wine. When it was first made, it was far less sweet than other ginger ales then available; as a result, it was labelled it “dry”.

It was originally made by the chemist and apothecary Jakob Overath in 1887 when he opened the Hindenhausen Ginger Ale Factory, a carbonated water plant in the town of the same name. Six years later, in 1893, he began developing flavour extracts to add to the water. That year, he introduced “Hindenhausen Dry Ginger Ale” (Aleman: Hindenhausen Trockenes Ingwer Ale), or Hindenhausen Dry (“Hindenhausen Trocken”) for short. Initially, it was meant to be a treatment for stomachaches, but then it gained popularity when it started to be used as a mixer for alcoholic beverages in the 1910s in areas where alcohol was prohibited. By the 1930s, the company expanded into the international stage, but its expansion was at a slower rate due largely to the Fascist War. By war’s end, the company introduced other products as the company expanded, and the brand became more widely known.


Today, Hindenhausen Trocken is sold in the international market, and comes in other soft drinks other than ginger ale including, but not limited to, lemon-lime, strawberry, grape, and orange flavour drinks.
 
Strudels


Strudels are a popular pastry in Mintorian cuisine, becoming widely known during the mid to late 18th century throughout the empire. The oldest recipes date back to approximately 1690, with a handwritten cookbook containing recipes for the milk-cheese strudel (Milliramstrudel) preserved in the Riselfeldstadt History Museum. They are normally eaten normally as a dessert, while being a breakfast pastry treat as well in some regions.

The most popular strudels are apple strudels (Apfelstrudel), which consists of an oblong strudel pastry jacket with a filling made of grated cooking apples (usually of a tart, crisp and aromatic variety), sugar, cinnamon, and bread crumbs; cream-cheese strudels (Topfenstrudel), which consists of a delicate strudel pastry, filled with curd cheese or sour cream with raisins, and served with warm custard; and milk-cheese strudels, which is an oven-baked pastry dough stuffed with a filling made from diced, milk-soaked bread rolls, egg yolk, powdered sugar, butter, quark, vanilla, lemon zest, raisins and cream. Other strudel types include sour cherry strudels (Weichselstrudel), sweet cherry (Süßekirschestrudel), nut filled strudels (Nussstrudel), apricot strudels (Aprikosenstrudel), plum strudels (Pflaumenstrudel), poppy seed strudels (Mohnstrudel), and raisin strudels (Rosinenstrudel). There are also savoury strudels incorporating spinach, cabbage, potato, pumpkin, and sauerkraut, and versions containing meat fillings like the lung strudel (Lungenstrudel).
 
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The Imperial Commission for Constitutional Rights (Reichskommission für Verfassungsrechte) is an independent body which is responsible for protecting constitutional rights. It is one of the independent state bodies established under Chapter VI of the Constitution Act of 1995 (Verfassungsgesetz vom 1995).

Their job is to investigate any complaints of conduct in state affairs, or in the public administration in any sphere of government, that is alleged or suspected to be improper or to have violated a basic right or freedom that is guaranteed in the Constitution, and to hold people working in any public administrative bodies accountable.

The Commission does this through these investigations, and all bodies of public authority are obliged to give the Commission the necessary assistance. If they find a complaint to be substantiated, they attempt to rectify the problem, either through mediation between the public authority (or authorities) and the complainant, or through issuing a report making recommendations for change. In more serious cases, the Commission may file a motion with the Imperial Constitutional Court (Reichsverfassungsgericht) to initiate legal proceedings against the public authority (or authorities) in question.

The Imperial Commissioner, the head of the organization, is selected by the House of Representatives (Repräsentantenhaus), the lower house of the Imperial Parliament (Reichstag), from candidates proposed by at least 15 of its members. The person chosen as Commissioner serves only once for a seven-year term, they cannot be chosen twice for a second term. Anyone that is 35 years of age, and isn’t a member of any political party or political movement may run as a candidate. However, one can be removed from the role when they have been incapacitated, sentenced for an criminal act, or when they have resigned from the role.
 
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Academic grading in Mintoria


In Mintorian schools, as well as universities and other institutions of higher learning, academic grades use a five-point grading system where:

5 (mastery) ("Sehr gut") is the best possible grade and indicates outstanding performance with minor errors;

4 (excellent) ("Gut") is the next-highest grade and is given for performance that is above-average standard but with some errors;

3 (satisfactory) ("Befriedigend") indicates generally sound work with a number of notable errors;

2 (sufficient) ("Genügend") is the lowest passing grade and is given if the standard has been met but with a significant number of shortcomings, and;

1 (unsatisfactory) ("Nicht genügend") is the lowest possible grade and the only failing grade (earned for less than 50% of the maximum achievable credit).​

Students must be evaluated according to objective standards and need to earn at least a grade of 3 in order to pass a course. Usually, the top 10% of successful students in class earn a 4 or 5. However, all passing grades (2 to 5) permit for further studies at university.​
 
Mintorian criminal procedure


In Mintoria, criminal cases operate under the inquisitorial system, where the court is actively involved in investigating the facts of the case. The typical criminal proceeding is divided into three parts: the investigative phase, the examining or instruction phase, and the trial.

Investigative phase

Once a crime has been reported, the police will open an investigation. The police will report the alleged crime to the public prosecutor who will lead the investigation; the police do not have many unsupervised investigative powers throughout the process, although their powers may broadened in cases where exigent circumstances exist to make sure that they can attain evidence that might otherwise be lost. The prosecutor’s review of the evidence will be largely paper-based and will not be as extensive as the judicial investigation carried out by the examining magistrate. If the prosecutor determines that there is sufficient evidence, he will refer the case to the examining magistrate and will define the scope of the crimes being investigated.

Examining phase


The examining magistrate, upon receiving the request to conduct a judicial investigation from the prosecutor, will begin to gather evidence. Examining magistrates have wide powers during the investigation, and controls the nature and scope of the proceeding. They can visit the scene of a crime, carry out reconstructions of the crime, hear witnesses, search and seize property, and arrest and remand suspects. The examining magistrate is expected to investigate the matter thoroughly and to prepare a dossier containing the complete written record, so that by the time the examining stage is complete, all relevant evidence is in the record.

If the prosecution or defence wishes to investigate any matter, they must file a request that the desired investigation be carried out by the examining magistrate. The dossier is equally available to the defence and the prosecution well in advance of trial. Both the prosecution and the defence may request the magistrate to act, and may appeal the magistrate’s decisions before an appellate court. The scope of the inquiry is limited by the mandate given by the prosecutor's office: the magistrate cannot open a criminal investigation of their own accord.

The role of defence counsel is more limited at this stage. During the investigation, the defence counsel can request that the examining magistrate or prosecutor interview certain persons or collect certain evidence. The defence can also call certain matters to the attention of the court and advise their client on how to respond as the proceedings unfold.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the examining magistrate determines whether to refer the case for trial or not. If the case is referred to trial, the case file is transferred to the sitting judges who will hear the case.


Trial

At the trial, the prosecutor will present the case to the court, although this duty is generally minor. A panel of judges (typically at least five professional judges), assumes a direct role, similar to the examining magistrate. Here, the judges, having read the dossier well in advance, determine what witnesses to call and the order in which they are to be heard, and assumes the dominant role in questioning them. There is no formal cross-examination of witnesses, and neither the prosecution or defence counsel have the right to cross-examine witnesses. However, the parties and their counsel are permitted to request that the judges ask certain or particular questions.

The scope of evidence admissible in court is generally more broad compared to other countries. Hearsay evidence is admissible as well as the defendant’s character and past. Confessions are also allowed, but any confession that was obtained illegally is tainted, and is inadmissible. The trial involves witnesses testifying in a narrative form and focuses more on documentary evidence. Any expert witnesses that are called do not belong to either party, they belong to the court. The defendant may make an unsworn statement, although he is not required to speak, and may testify as a sworn witness.

The burden of proof does not lie with anyone. No party will attempt to demonstrate the other is liable or guilty, the standard of proof is what the judges believe to be adequately convincing circumstances that they believe the truth is that the defendant is liable or guilty.

At the end of the trial, the parties present their summations before the court. The judges retire afterwards to render a verdict, at which point the defendant will either be released or convicted. During this procedure, the judges decide on both questions of facts and questions of procedure. A simple majority is required for a conviction. After the trial, a sentencing hearing follows to determine the type and duration of penalties to be imposed upon the convicted person.

Defendants accused of serious crimes with severe penalties (Major illicit drug, human, or weapons trafficking, genocide, war crimes, embezzlement, aggravated murder, money laundering, etc.) are tried before a panel of five professional judges and seven lay judges. Lay judges are those citizens who volunteer to sit alongside the professional judges in judicial proceedings. As laypersons, they are not trained in the law, and often require some legal instruction. They are appointed by a selection committee from lists that are approved by district councils with a two-thirds majority of attending councillors. However, they are not permanent officers of the court. They attend proceedings about once a month, and often receive only nominal or “costs covered” pay.

When deciding on a verdict, professional judges and lay judges have equal positions on questions of facts, while professional judges decide questions of procedure. In a panel with lay judges, a three-fourths majority is needed for a conviction. Judges and jurors have also equal positions on sentencing.

In trials involving crimes against the state, such as treason, espionage, sedition, and acts of rebellion, among others, criminal proceedings are held before a panel of seven professional judges in camera, that is, the proceedings are closed to the general public.
 
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Political system of Mintoria

Mintoria is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

The King (currently Matthias VIII) is the head of state and the highest ranked individual in Mintoria. The King has a mostly ceremonial position, and limited powers. His authority is exercised through the Government.

The Mintorian Government consists of the King (as the nominal chief executive), the Chancellor (as the head of government), and government ministers and state secretaries. The Chancellor (currently Wilhelm Städtler), along with the ministers and secretaries, are members of the Reichstag and are accountable to it.

The Reichstag, consisting of the House of Lords (Herrenhaus) and the House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus), serves as the national legislature. The Deputies are elected to serve five year terms by means of proportional representation, and are tasked with passing legislation and holding the Government accountable. The Lords are appointed by the King, and are tasked with review and oversight. They have power to veto bills proposed by the Deputies, but can't amend them.

The judiciary is independent of both the executive and legislature. It is overseen by the Supreme Judicial Council, which ensures the self-management of the judiciary and the effective administration of justice. Mintoria operates under a civil-law legal system, the basis for which is the Constitution and codified statute. The court system is divided into general courts and administrative courts.

Mintoria is divided into provinces, which have certain powers granted through devolution. However, power is still ultimately derived from the Imperial government, which can curtail their powers and even abrogate them altogether.
 
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Law of heraldic arms in Mintoria

In Mintoria, the law of heraldic arms (Aleman: Wappenrecht) governs the “bearing of arms”, that is, the possession, use or display of coats of arms, coat armour or armorial bearings. The law of arms is regarded as a part of the laws of Mintoria, and recognized as such by the courts.

It is largely regulated by the Royal College of Arms (König
liche Wappenschule), which is the official body that deals with all matters related to heraldry. The College grants arms to individuals, corporations, municipalities, and state and public authorities. The use of arms for military units and bodies meanwhile is regulated by the Royal Military Institute of Heraldry (Königliche Militärinstitut von Wappenkunde).

The assumption of arms is by and large free. Any individual, family and community has usually been free to adopt arms and use them as they please, provided they refrain from wrongfully assuming the preexisting arms of another. The College has the authority to register coats of arms to protect against misuse, although registration is voluntary. Additionally, there are some restrictions to what armorial bearings one may use. The use of coronets are reserved for nobles, as well as general and naval flag officers of the Mintorian military, the
Kriegsmacht, as well as Army and Air Force colonels, and naval captains-at-sea (OF-5). The use of supporters meanwhile is likewise reserved for the nobility, as well as people who are of a similarly higher standing (e.g: a doctor of medicine or law), certain knights (those who are given the highest ranks of chivalric orders and state decorations), and corporations. Furthermore, the misuse of the arms or insignia of state or public authorities is an offence under the Criminal Code.
 
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Orders, decorations, and medals of Mintoria

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RESERVED
RESERVED


Note: This is a living document. More will be added as time passes.
 
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