



Reichshauptstadt Germania, often called simply “Germania”, is the capital and largest city of the Greater German Reich. With a population of roughly 321 million people, it is the 11th largest city in the Orion Arm and the only major city on the planet. Situated on Vorderrhein Harbor on the edge of the Great Germanian Plain, Reichshauptstadt Germania is influenced by an oceanic seasonal climate. Over a quarter of the city is composed of forests, parks, gardens and rivers.

Germania was planned and developed by Adalbrecht Breen and Antonia Kohlhase in 2061 after the initial success of the first German colonies on the planet, then named VNN-47. With the deteriorating conditions on Earth and the establishment of dozens of German colonies across the Orion Arm, the city was intended to eventually replace Berlin as the Reich’s capital, doing so in 2132.

Reichshauptstadt Germania is home to all major branches of the German government including the Reich Chancellery, Reichstag and Volksgerichtshof. The headquarters of many Reich Offices and Ministries are located within the city. It also hosts over 70 foreign embassies. The Germania Interstellar Starport connects the capital to all major German systems and other international destinations through Germania Station, which is located above the city in geosynchronous orbit. It is the second-busiest starport in the German Reich.

Germania is closely integrated into the interstellar economy and exerts a significant impact upon commerce, media, finance, art, research, technology, education and entertainment. Many of its districts and landmarks have become well-known across the Orion Arm and the city receives hundreds of millions of tourists each year. The Ruhmeshalle and the Avenue of Splendors have become iconic as the center of German power and remain amongst the most-visited tourist attractions in the Orion Arm.

Climate

Germania’s climate is classified as oceanic, with cool, wet winters and relatively mild summers. Its position on the coast means the city is subject to frequent storms and prolonged periods of light rain. Between August and May, the city is mostly or partly cloudy six out of every seven days. Fog is also common, at times severely reducing visibility in the city center. Germania typically receives some snowfall annually, but heavy snow is uncommon. Germania has a sophisticated and extensive flood control system in place due to the chance of rivers flooding during the spring.

Cityscape

Reichshauptstadt Germania is dominated mainly by Neoclassical architecture, as well as more traditional elements that drew inspiration from rural - specifically Alpine - architecture. A utilitarian style is also utilized, predominantly in major infrastructure projects and military complexes. The capital underwent major renewal in 2199, incorporating many of the designs originally intended for use in Berlin as part of a never-completed project designed by Albert Speer.

Germania’s city center is organized along a central 15-kilometer-long boulevard known as the Prachtallee or “Avenue of Splendors”. Sections of boulevard serve as a parade grounds or public parks and are closed to traffic. Vehicles are instead diverted to an underground highway which runs in parallel with the Prachtallee along with various rail lines and other forms of public transit. Immense obelisks line sides of the avenue every kilometer, inscribed with the names of every German citizen lost to the Scinfaxi since 1933.

Prominent Buildings

The Ruhmeshalle

The Ruhmeshalle, or “Hall of Glory,” is a huge domed building that functions as the seat of the Reichstag and a monument to the Greater German Reich as a whole. Based upon designs originally developed by Albert Speer, the Ruhmeshalle is one of the largest non-industrial buildings in the Orion Arm able to accommodate over 300,000 people at once. The interior of the building is so vast that it has its own weather, necessitating the use of moisture reduction systems to prevent the formation of rain clouds on very humid days. Air in the building can be completely replaced every hour if required. The dome’s exterior is topped with a German heraldic eagle clutching a globe of the Earth, which is said to have been filled with soil taken from every German province prior to the Second Scinfaxi War.

The Großer Platz

The Großer Platz (“Great Place”) is a large public square with an area of roughly 500,000 square meters. It is located at the eastern end of the Palace of Splendors and surrounded by the Ruhmeshalle, the Reich Chancellery and the Office of the High Command of the Wehrmacht. The center of the square, sometimes referred to as “The center of the German Reich” is marked by a large obelisk, constructed in part with materials taken from the ruins of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, the Berlin Victory Column and many other historic German monuments.

Germany military units complete their induction into the Reich military at the Großer Platz with a midnight swearing-in ceremony held every four months.

The Arch of Triumph

Located at the western end of the Prachtallee, the Arch of Triumph is the largest triumphal arch in the Orion Arm at almost 400 meters tall. At its base lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is marked by an eternal flame.