Kingdom of Wallachia
Encyclopedia
"Kingdom of Wallachia" named after the region of Moravian Wallachia
, is a tongue-in-cheek
micronation
that was founded in 1997 by the photographer Tomáš Harabiš as an "elaborate practical joke". The location is in the northeast corner of the Czech Republic
, 230 miles from Prague. It has since become one of the Czech Republic's biggest tourist attractions. Since foundation a reported 80,000 Czech citizens have acquired "Wallachian Passports".
After the official proclamation of the Wallachian kingdom in 1997, Bolek Polívka was enthroned as King Boleslav I the Gracious with his coronation occurring at a lavish ceremony in 2000. The "Government" led by Tomáš Harabiš established state institutions and issued passports to around 80,000 officially Czech Citizens. A new currency, the Jurovalsar, was launched which was pegged to the euro
at a rate of 1:1. Enthusiastic attempts to forge official ties with other countries have so far proved disappointing and the Kingdom of Wallachia enjoys no formal diplomatic recognition.
, Czech Republic. The court ruled in favour of the "government" of Tomáš Harabiš which went on to search for a new candidate for the throne, eventually crowning Vladimír Zhanel as King Vladimír II. Since then the former king, Bolek Polívka, has appealed to the Czech High Court.
Czech Republic°N date=July 2009°W
Moravian Wallachia
Moravian Wallachia is a mountainous region located in the easternmost part of Moravia, Czech Republic, near the Slovakian border. The name Wallachia was formerly applied to all the highlands of Moravia and neighboring Silesia, although in the nineteenth century a smaller area came to be defined...
, is a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
that was founded in 1997 by the photographer Tomáš Harabiš as an "elaborate practical joke". The location is in the northeast corner of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, 230 miles from Prague. It has since become one of the Czech Republic's biggest tourist attractions. Since foundation a reported 80,000 Czech citizens have acquired "Wallachian Passports".
After the official proclamation of the Wallachian kingdom in 1997, Bolek Polívka was enthroned as King Boleslav I the Gracious with his coronation occurring at a lavish ceremony in 2000. The "Government" led by Tomáš Harabiš established state institutions and issued passports to around 80,000 officially Czech Citizens. A new currency, the Jurovalsar, was launched which was pegged to the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
at a rate of 1:1. Enthusiastic attempts to forge official ties with other countries have so far proved disappointing and the Kingdom of Wallachia enjoys no formal diplomatic recognition.
Constitutional Crisis of 2001
In 2001 the Wallachian "government" deposed King Boleslav in a palace coup, accusing the fallen monarch of behaving unconstitutionally by demanding Kč1,000,000 for his services. Unperturbed the deposed king travelled the realm gathering support for his restoration claiming that he had actually ascended the throne in 1993 some four years before the formation of the Harabiš government, and business venture. The ex-king also claimed the idea for the kingdom was his.. Unable to settle the dispute internally, the case was taken to court in 2007 in OstravaOstrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
, Czech Republic. The court ruled in favour of the "government" of Tomáš Harabiš which went on to search for a new candidate for the throne, eventually crowning Vladimír Zhanel as King Vladimír II. Since then the former king, Bolek Polívka, has appealed to the Czech High Court.
"Kings of Wallachia"
- Boleslav I, 1997-2001 (deposedDeposition (politics)Deposition by political means concerns the removal of a politician or monarch. It may be done by coup, impeachment, invasion or forced abdication...
). The start of Boleslav's reign is disputed, with the former monarch claiming it began in 1993. - Vladimír II, 2001- present.
External links
- A Radio Praha article on the succession dispute
- Coup in fantasy kingdom inside Czech Republic, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 13 October 2008
Czech Republic°N date=July 2009°W