Kauni

Kauni
Capital city
An image of Western Kauni, comprising much of the former Kauni old town.
Nickname:  The City upon the Azeris
Motto:  Unity through Labour
Country	Baltica
Counties of Baltica	Kauni County
Municipalities of Baltica	Kauni City Municipality
Capital city	Baltica
Established	1486
Granted City Rights	1638
Government
• Type	City council
• Mayor	Laima Verlete
Area
• Capital city	220 km2 (80 sq mi)
• Metro	580 km2 (220 sq mi)
Elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Population  (2024)
• Capital city	204,541
• Density	929/km2 (2,410/sq mi)
• Urban	183,812
• Metro	384,512
• Metro density	662/km2 (1,710/sq mi)
Demonym	Kaunien
Human Development Index	0.812

The city of Kauni, otherwise known in Dolch as Kauen, is the current capital of the Federation of Baltica, and as of now, its third largest city. As of May of 2024, the city of Kauni was surveyed to have 204,541 people, with the Greater Kauni Metro Area, having a population of 384,512 people.

Kauni became Baltica’s official capital in 2022, replacing the former long standing capital of Goja, as the city had been ravaged during the Second Baltican Civil War. Kauni, once a prominent Baltican Industrial hub, has gradually transitioned into an “economic city” having moved away from Industry, and expanded largely into the tertiary and quaternary sectors. These qualities have allowed the city to remain relevant, especially when compared to former Industrial cities throughout Baltica.

Kauni currently houses the Baltican Federal Parliament (Zema) , as well as the Federal President Chambers. Additionally, as Kauni also acts as the capital of the Kauni Republic, it also houses the Regional Kauni Parliament. Kauni has historically been a majority Dolch city within Baltica, mainly as it was initially founded and settled by the Dolch. In its early days, Kauni was a “frontier territory” that was often the location of many battles between the Kingdom of Baltica and the Karldom of Raskija. As the Dolch progressively conquered more of modern Kauni, the city gradually transformed into a major agricultural hub, being the primary breadbasket of Western Baltica until the acquisition of Raskia during the 17th century. Kauni would begin its industrialization at the latter end of the 19th century, being one of many cities to undergo the process during that time. Kauni would specialise in the processing of agricultural goods, something that became a staple of the whole Kauni region. During the Baltican Civil War, Kauni was subject to heavy international involvement, with a great many nations being stationed within the city, and the whole Republic, to guard it from encroaching Dokestvan troops. Besides one large engagement during the beginning of the war, Kauni was spared from mass destruction that was rampant across the Baltican heartland. Additionally, during the war, the Republic and City would be key in supplying consistent food supplies to all combatants, something that's credited to having prevented a mass famine in the Baltican East. The city of Kauni would be were the various factions that would come to form the North Baltican Federation would come together to form their initial alliance, and would also be the location of the official proclamation to the end of the civil war. These notable events tied to the city would lead to the city being chosen as the “temporary capital” of Baltica till the reconstruction of Goja. However, as the relocation of the various bureaucratic offices from Kauni to Goja proved to be much more expensive than initially thought, Kauni’s place as temporary capital has been extended, indefinitely.

Etymology

The name Kauni and Kauen is believed to be derived from Ras roots. Contrary to popular belief, Kauni, although established by the Dolch, was most likely previously a Ras settlement. The city’s name in Ras is known as “Kaunas”, which many Ras consider to be derived from a common Ras name within the Kauni region, Kauris. As such, it's most likely that the name Kauni might be derived from a prominent ruler of the area before the arrival of the Dolch into the region, that name possibly being derived from Kauris. When the Dolch would go on to establish the city of Kauen, they opted to simply Dolchify the name, and otherwise keep it. The exact origin of the name behind the city of Kauni is, however, otherwise unknown. Once the Baltican language became standardised during the 20th century, the city of Kauen would be translated to Kauni, becoming the official name of the city on April 10th of 1903. The decision was widely unpopular, and as a compromise, April 10th became “Foundation Day”, commemorating the foundation of the city, a local, public holiday.

History

Settlement

Baltican expansion into the “Kauni Region” began officially in 1473, and would go until the full capture of the region in 1508. The city of Kauni, or Kauen as it was then known, would be founded and settled in the early period of Baltican expansion, and the cities namesake would eventually become the whole regions colloquial and later on, official name. Kauni was intended to be a front line fort city, as in 1486, when the city was first “established”, it consisted solely of a collection of castles, referred to as the Grizje Hills, or the Grey Hills in Anglish. Kauni would be the victim of multiple raiding parties from the Kingdom of Raskia, as well as the local population, which the Dolch referred to as Lagenras or the Low Ras. During this time, the city would be under the leadership of multiple unfortunate generals and commanders, almost all of whom never managed to live long enough to be recorded historically. The first prominent figure in Kauni history would be Vollander Mals (1458-1501), an assigned Royal from the historic House of Mels, who would be assigned to governing and establishing the newly conquered territories within the Kauni Region. Vollander would personally reside in Kauni, and would be responsible for the expansion of the former series of forts into a city. This city would officially be known as “Kauen”, and was in large part created in order to support the many troops within the territory. As Kauni was settled along the Azeris River, a relatively fertile and temperate region, it soon became a dominant agricultural region within Baltica. Much of the agricultural operations went towards supporting local troops that were actively participating in the region's conquest, and many retired soldiers were given farmland near and around Kauni to further support this endeavour. In 1494, the city was recorded to have a population of 18,000.

However, as the conquest of the Kauni region concluded in 1508, coupled with the death of Vollander in 1501, the city entered a long period of stagnation. The economy of Kauni, dependent on the significant number of troops that it supported, would shrink significantly as the city failed to find an Industry to switch to. For a long time, it was believed that the city would be abandoned in favour of more prominent coastal cities like Tranberg.

Growth under the Royal Family

Due to the death of Vollander, who had no children, and the general stagnation of the city, no one from the existing royal families within Baltica claimed, nor wanted Kauni or the generally poor lands around it. As such, the city would inevitably return to the hands of the Baltican Royal Family, at the time consisting of the House of Wensal. The city would receive significant attention from King Christopth I (1486-1533), who would dedicate significant portions of the Royal treasury towards redeveloping Kauni. A significant development would be the construction of the Christopth canals, which would widen and expand the Azeris river, and allow for inland ports to be constructed along the river. The canal was a significant development that allowed for a rapid settlement of the Azeris River as a whole, later leading to the establishment of cities like Weva. Additionally, Kauni would become a port city during this time, with multiple inland ports constructed within the city that utilised the new canal. Additionally, many of the former Grey Hills would be transformed into palaces for the Baltican Royal Family, with the Palace of Wonderful Saints, being the grandest of the ones constructed in Kauni. It was around the late 16th century when the whole region of modern-day Kauni would be named after the city, again, in large part because of the Royal Family and their exuberant expenditure on the city of Kauni.

On October 10th 1603, the city of Kauni experienced a large fire, after a fire began from a fallen candle lamp in one of the city's docks. Almost ⅓ of the city was destroyed by the fire, destroying much of its historic district that had been built when the city was first established. Additionally, in 1630, the city experienced a huge outbreak of Baltican Cholera, which ravaged an untold number of the city's residents. In 1638 however, the city was granted a royal decree by the Baltican Royal Family, extending it to the title of “Imperial City of the Kingdom of Baltica”, making it one of eight cities to receive the title. As per the decree, the city would no longer be directly handled by the Imperial family, but would, thereafter, be governed and ruled by members of the extended Royal Family. The House of Donlinger, a lesser branch of the House of Wensal, would take up ownership of the city in 1644, with Thomas Donlinger (1622-1668) being officiated as the city’s first governor. The Donlingers oversaw the reconstruction of the city after the fires, with the reconstruction continuing well into the 1660s.

The various floodplains around the Kauni area would be drained in the 1670s to open more land towards cattle cultivation. A prominent industry that developed in the city was leather works. In a nationwide survey conducted during the time, it was estimated that the city was responsible for the production of 28% of all Baltican leather, and produced just shy of 30% of all leather-based goods. Cattle ranching would develop within the whole of the Kauni region, especially after large settlements began to spring up in the region's interior. The Kauni docks would be responsible for 10% of Baltican exports, but received significantly fewer imports, with only 3% of all tonnage coming into Baltica, doing so through Kauni.

Industrialisation and rise to prominence

Kauni remained a fairly unremarkable city throughout the latter 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Whereas some Baltican coastal towns grew rich from the Keelpijip trade, Kauni for the large part, remained a fairly underutilised city, that besides its large leather industry, contributed little to the rest of the country. In the 20th century, however, with Industrialization taking effect across Baltica, Kauni became a significant centre of Industrial importance. Being the de facto capital of the Kauni region, Kauni was selected to undergo an Industrialization program, directly sponsored by the Royal Bank of Baltica. By this point, leather had become a fairly outdated industry, and the city made a rapid shift towards general textiles. Cotton, mainly grown in Southern Raskia, would drive much of the textile development, with various factories having been constructed for the production of various clothing products. It would also be during the 20th century that the city of Kauni would see a massive demographic shift. Traditionally a Dolch-dominated city, the industrialisation would spark a large migration of Ras towards the city. In 1890, the city had a population of 40,000, with 80% of the total population identifying as Dolch. By 1915, the city would have grown to a population of 92,000, with only 40% of the city identifying as Dolch.

With Industrialization in full effect, the city started to generate significant revenue for the Royal Family, which still, by decree, owned the city, although they did not directly govern it. A significant middle class would emerge within Kauni, largely because of the higher wages offered by jobs within the textile industries, leading to a significant cultural revolution within the whole of the Kauni region. Proximity to the semi-independent Havenburg allowed for “revolutionary ideas” to spread rapidly within the Kauni region and Raskia, with a mixed reception. The much more marginalised lower classes across the Kauni region would be much more receptive towards socialist ideals, leading to the creation of the Agrarian Peoples Union of Kauni or APU, whilst the middle classes would be more prone towards more “mild” ideas, such as Alhargism and Anti-Monarchism. As the years progressed, the growing political divide within Kauni would begin to boil over, leading to several protests, and clashes with army and police alike. All the tension would eventually implode during the first Argic War, and the subsequent Invasion of the Kingdom of Baltica by the Mandate…

Under the Confederation of Raskia-Kauni

When the First Argic War began, the city of Kauni would fall under a revolutionary spring, as did much of the nation as a whole. When the Mandate began its invasion of Southern Dokestva and gradually pushed Northwards, many sub-regions of Baltica would split off from the former Kingdom, and work with the Mandate in hopes of gaining independence, or in the case of others, enriching themselves or their communities. Kauni would be an example of the former, with the city officially leaving the Kingdom of Baltica on March 10th of 1954, with the Council of Kauni; a self-proclaimed council consisting of 10 signatories of various backgrounds, signing the declaration of the Azeris. The declaration proved highly popular in the city of Kauni but received a much more mixed reception in the rural and Eastern parts of the Kauni region. The first Republic of Kauni as it would be known, officially held little territory, defacto only holding Kauni the city, and parts of the rural lands around it.

With the declaration of the Azeris however, there would be an immediate struggle to regain Kauni by both the newly established Republic of Raskia and the Emergency Governorate of Baltica. The main railroad connecting Eastern Baltica to Western Baltica ran through the city of Kauni; additionally, the city produced a wide range of military equipment, like uniforms, helmets, boots and more. Not to mention, it was the second most dominant agricultural region of the nation, something that was highly coveted by all sides. The Republic of Kauni struggled to maintain itself in the wake of two much larger nations falling upon it, and at the end of the day, decided to side with the more “reasonable”, Republic of Kauni. On May 20th, 1954, the Republic of Raskia and the Republic of Kauni would come together in an official union, forming the Confederation of Raskia-Kauni.

The Kauni region would be granted autonomy within the Confederation, administrating much of its formerly claimed territory, except for Smailoje, which was transferred to Raskian ownership. Kauni the city, flourished under this relative time of peace, experiencing rapid growth, defacto becoming the economic hub of the Confederation. As opposed to Raskia, which was incredibly rural, Kauni had a decent industrial base, that proved rather easy to expand. As such, agricultural processing became another incredibly large industry within Kauni, with it being responsible for processing Industrial produce from Raskia, and then exporting it to the world. It was also under this time that the Kauni docks would be significantly expanded, and the former Christoph canals widened even further. The new revised, Kauen-Don canal, would become the largest industrial project within the confederation, and upon its completion in 1957, would widen the former Christopth canal by over 3 times. Again, another large influx of Ras would arrive during the time of the confederation, the city ballooning to a size of 153,531, with over 80% of the city identifying as Ras.

Time under the Republic Government

The Confederation of Raskia-Kauni would not last, officially being incorporated into the newly formed Republic of Baltica in 1961, the city would be placed under the supervision of the “Republic Government”. The borders of the Kauni region would remain the same, as Kauni's place as the capital of the region would be cemented, especially after the considerable growth it saw during the times of the Confederation. Kauni was officially, the fourth largest city in Baltica, only behind Goja, Sveaja and Kretia, although it had the Industrial capacity of the last two combined. Under the management of the Republic, Kauni’s former textile industry would decline significantly, with the textile industry instead being spread across a larger number of cities. Its agricultural refining Industry, however, would receive significant expansions, as the whole of the Kauni region was designated as the Baltican “Bread Factory”. 80% of all agricultural goods within Baltica would be processed in Kauni, and it arguably fed most of the nation during the Republic regime. Shipping would also decline significantly due to Isolationist policies introduced by the Republic regime.

Kauni’s population would continue to grow under the Republic regime, as all of Baltica saw considerable population growth in the aftermath of the Argic World War, although it was not as considerable as the population growth during the times of the Confederation, nor as high as the growth seen in more rural areas. Due to the very limited availability of motor vehicles, future expansions of Kauni would focus on walkability and public transport in mind. This led to the creation of the infamous “High Blocks”, a variation of the typical apartment building, intended to act as inexpensive housing, that could mass a significant number of people. The “High Block” would first be implemented in Kauni, and shortly thereafter, across the nation many other urban centres. Much of “New Kauni”, a collective term used to describe sectors built after 1970, utilised “High Blocks” on mass, and by 1988 almost 50% of the city’s population lived within a variation of the High Block.

In 1991, a new rail connection would be constructed between Kauni, and western as well as eastern Baltica respectively. As such, Kauni would now be connected to the new Trans-Western line, as well as the National Spine, making it once again, the junction between West and East. A tram network was constructed shortly after in 1993, that spanned most of the cities but famously excluded the historic Western portions of the city due to budget cuts. Additionally, the Palace of Wonderful Saints was remodelled and renamed, officially becoming the Memorial to Monarchist Injustice against Baltica.