around the natural hot springs. The Germans are ritualistic in their belief of the great curative powers of the spas. The center of this upper-class activity on the south bank is the Kurhaus, a gambling casino and rather muted version of the bawdy Princess Allee across the river.
Rombaden/Romstein has many “typical” German characteristics.
There is idol worship, tribalism, revelry and mysticism.
There is the pagan ritual of the Nazis.
As a contradiction there is strong Catholicism, a cultural and educational life and a modern industrial complex.
This tug of war, this paradox, runs deeply in the German character. It is particularly easy to see in Rombaden/Romstein. Rombaden, indeed, is representative of the eternal German, who is looking for himself and is an enigma to himself as well as to the outside world.
CURRENT POLITICAL DATA:
The Von Romstein family dynasty has been the absolute power for eight centuries. The current family head, Graf Ludwig Von Romstein, ascended to the hierarchy after a distinguished flying career in World War I. He is an intimate of Hermann Goering. The middle brother, Baron Sigmund Von Romstein, has been Oberburgermeister (Mayor) of Rombaden for nearly two decades. Count Ludwig himself is the Chancellor of the District so between the two of them they control the political apparatus. A younger brother, Kurt Von Romstein, is the Nazi Gauleiter (District Leader) but it is not certain that the older two are actual Nazis.
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein, like many Germans, was bitter and disillusioned by the Versailles Treaty. His “class” had little faith in the strength of the Weimar Republic. His district, like most of Germany, was not self-sustaining in food and had to manufacture to live. The depression, inflation, lack of food and restrictions of the Versailles Treaty wreaked havoc in the district and gave rise to a strong Communist Party.
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein gambled with the Nazis. The younger brother, Kurt, was made an active Nazi. We are certain that it was at the Count’s insistence as “family” duty.
With Hitler’s ascent and the rearmament, the Romstein Machine Works was one of the first to profit by huge contracts. New economic prosperity, laid directly to the Count nuzzling the Nazis, and with the Count’s own brother as Nazi Gauleiter, the Rombaden/Romstein area turned into a fanatical Nazi stronghold equal in fervor to Munich, Nuremberg and the Eastern German States.
Since World War II the Machine Works as well as the smaller factories have been converted to making war material. The area has been heavily bombed in recent months.
Sean’s doubts deepened as he dug more deeply into the tormented history of civil and religious wars, of blood orgies, of paganism and tribalism. Of the pride of barons and princes. Of a story of double dealings, alliances, back stabbings too complex to follow. Of the homosexuality and perversion of the Nazis. Of a deep-set brutality never known by man before. Of Hinterseer, the mystic poet. Of the mystic philosophers. Of singers and musicians and writers and men of science. Intellectuals and barbarians. Brutes and scholars. Love and murder.
Sean O’Sullivan wondered, as General Hansen wondered, if any manner of man could bring sanity to a land that had never known it. What power, earthly or otherwise, could make the wonderment of an idea find its way through this lacework of muck and beauty?
Chapter Ten
F OR THE NEXT MONTH Sean and Dante Arosa plunged into the records and backgrounds of nearly four thousand officers at the Military Government Training Center at the Hore-Belisha Barracks at Shrivenham. They weeded, weighed and then were ready to select the Pilot Team.
Dante Arosa returned to Queen Mother’s Gate to assemble all the intelligence data on Rombaden while Sean stayed at Shrivenham to conduct the interviews for candidates.
Lieutenant Shenandoah Blessing entered Sean’s office. He was an immense man who walked with the
Rombaden/Romstein has many “typical” German characteristics.
There is idol worship, tribalism, revelry and mysticism.
There is the pagan ritual of the Nazis.
As a contradiction there is strong Catholicism, a cultural and educational life and a modern industrial complex.
This tug of war, this paradox, runs deeply in the German character. It is particularly easy to see in Rombaden/Romstein. Rombaden, indeed, is representative of the eternal German, who is looking for himself and is an enigma to himself as well as to the outside world.
CURRENT POLITICAL DATA:
The Von Romstein family dynasty has been the absolute power for eight centuries. The current family head, Graf Ludwig Von Romstein, ascended to the hierarchy after a distinguished flying career in World War I. He is an intimate of Hermann Goering. The middle brother, Baron Sigmund Von Romstein, has been Oberburgermeister (Mayor) of Rombaden for nearly two decades. Count Ludwig himself is the Chancellor of the District so between the two of them they control the political apparatus. A younger brother, Kurt Von Romstein, is the Nazi Gauleiter (District Leader) but it is not certain that the older two are actual Nazis.
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein, like many Germans, was bitter and disillusioned by the Versailles Treaty. His “class” had little faith in the strength of the Weimar Republic. His district, like most of Germany, was not self-sustaining in food and had to manufacture to live. The depression, inflation, lack of food and restrictions of the Versailles Treaty wreaked havoc in the district and gave rise to a strong Communist Party.
Graf Ludwig Von Romstein gambled with the Nazis. The younger brother, Kurt, was made an active Nazi. We are certain that it was at the Count’s insistence as “family” duty.
With Hitler’s ascent and the rearmament, the Romstein Machine Works was one of the first to profit by huge contracts. New economic prosperity, laid directly to the Count nuzzling the Nazis, and with the Count’s own brother as Nazi Gauleiter, the Rombaden/Romstein area turned into a fanatical Nazi stronghold equal in fervor to Munich, Nuremberg and the Eastern German States.
Since World War II the Machine Works as well as the smaller factories have been converted to making war material. The area has been heavily bombed in recent months.
Sean’s doubts deepened as he dug more deeply into the tormented history of civil and religious wars, of blood orgies, of paganism and tribalism. Of the pride of barons and princes. Of a story of double dealings, alliances, back stabbings too complex to follow. Of the homosexuality and perversion of the Nazis. Of a deep-set brutality never known by man before. Of Hinterseer, the mystic poet. Of the mystic philosophers. Of singers and musicians and writers and men of science. Intellectuals and barbarians. Brutes and scholars. Love and murder.
Sean O’Sullivan wondered, as General Hansen wondered, if any manner of man could bring sanity to a land that had never known it. What power, earthly or otherwise, could make the wonderment of an idea find its way through this lacework of muck and beauty?
Chapter Ten
F OR THE NEXT MONTH Sean and Dante Arosa plunged into the records and backgrounds of nearly four thousand officers at the Military Government Training Center at the Hore-Belisha Barracks at Shrivenham. They weeded, weighed and then were ready to select the Pilot Team.
Dante Arosa returned to Queen Mother’s Gate to assemble all the intelligence data on Rombaden while Sean stayed at Shrivenham to conduct the interviews for candidates.
Lieutenant Shenandoah Blessing entered Sean’s office. He was an immense man who walked with the
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