  GamanwikGamanwik is located in the northwest of the Riksga shire, where the Salmar river flows into the Blewa Mar (Blue Lake). The city is seen as Friland's outlet; everything for which people in sober, conservative Friland are too inhibited, is possible there. It's a city of extremes, sometimes compared to Las Vegas for its casinos, strip clubs and wild nightlife, but also to San Francisco for its liberal, progressive character. Gamanwik has a lively LGBT+ community, a vibrant arts and music scene, and a rather rebellious nature. The city has 618,540 inhabitants. The majority of the population consists of Frilanders, but due to its tolerant character, the city is also popular among migrants and people who reside in the country illegally. The city council does not provide exact figures on this. 53% of the population is not religious, 32% believes in Ferna Sed, 10% refused to answer, 3% is Christian and 2% has a different faith. Almost the entire population speaks Frilandic, 85% of which as their first language. 10% indicate that they regularly speak English in daily life, especially people working in the tourist sector.  Important locations Important locations are marked on the map with a number, these are described below. 
1. NWg PierThe NWg Pier (NWg-saibrug) is sponsored by Neuja Weis garwiht (NWg), a Gamanwik-based clothing brand. The building, dating from 2003, has a restaurant, Ferris wheel, various souvenir shops and of course a NWg clothing store. 2. Royal Walton Hotel The Royal Walton Hotel (Kununglik Walton Gasthus) is a luxury hotel best known for the Bed-In for World Peace that was held there in 1970 by protest singer Leudhar Storassun and his girlfriend Harin Hrudawulfsduhter, who were inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. 3. Pirate Treasure Casino The Pirate Treasure Casino (Sairaubarhuzd Spilhal) is known for its poker competitions and monthly fireworks show. 4. Museum of World Art The Museum of World Art (Utstallung fur Weraldlist) exhibits old and new art from non-Western cultures and has impressive collections from Africa, India and Oceania in particular. 5. Police Garden In 2016 riots broke out after Stain Berhtssun was roughly treated by the police after committing shoplifting. The police station in the Winhuf district was burned to the ground and its reconstruction made impossible by activists, who kept the plot occupied and demanded that it would become a picking garden, where everyone could pick fruit and vegetables for free. The city council yielded and the result is the so-called Police Garden (Laghodgardil), where gardening is organic and homeless and people with low incomes get priority when picking. 6. Erțsbarn Museum The house where writer and poet Erțsbarn Fulkhardsduhter (1929-2013) lived from 1994 until her death is now a museum. Erțsbarn's work was described as feminist and anti-authoritarian. She is best known for her controversial poem "Gudan bistandan ni" (Gods don't exist). 7. Wild West Strip Club The Wild West Strip Club (Welțwest Nakwadhus) is Gamanwik's largest strip club. In addition to strip acts, it also offers cabaret, operetta and other entertainment and there is the option of dining. The club made headlines in 2008 when minister Storgaiz Gerhardssun was photographed receiving a lap dance from two ladies. 8. Squat the Frog Squat the Frog (Takhus ța Frusk) is located in Blomanfriț and is used as a meeting place for squatters, activists, artists and musicians. The location is used for concerts, exhibitions, preparing meals for the homeless, political actions and protests. 9. Radio Provocation Radio Provocation (Utwerp Tratung) is an illegal radio station in Blomanfriț with an anarchist orientation. It agitates against authority, monarchy, war, racism and capitalism and propagates equality, emancipation and climate awareness. 10. Sumerleub Sumerleub (Summer Love) is a large park that also serves as a festival site. Every summer, the three-day Sumerleub Hautid (Summer Love Festival) is held here with themes of inclusivity, diversity, self-expression, music, play, song, dance, love, food, art and subcultures. On August 4 (Louis Armstrong's birthday), the site also hosts the annual Gamanwik Djashautid (Gamanwik Jazz Festival). 11. Martin Luther King Tower The Martin Luther King Tower (Martin Luțer Kingtur) is a skyscraper in the city center of Ald-Gamanwik, in which offices and apartments are located. Built in 1980, the tower was originally named after Mekil Godmanssun, a fleet commander from Gamanwik who was killed in the Fourth Frilandic-Hiverian War. After protests that the name would glorify militarism, the tower was renamed in 2015. 12. Salmarsand Marina In Salmarsand the luxury pleasure yachts of the elite are anchored. However, for common people there are also small boats for rent for a trip on the Blue Lake. 13. Fluxus Theater Fluxus Theater (Laiksal Fluksus) is named after the theater movement Fluxus and mainly shows "samtidslaiklist" (contemporary theater), such as performance art. 14. Che Guevara statue "Revolution" (Umturnung), created by artist Frițrik Karilssun, is a statue of Che Guevara in the Habana district. The controversial statue is regularly the subject of petitions with the aim of either removing or retaining it. 15. Hawaii Bar The Hawaii Bar (Hawai Taphus) in Hargisalwik started out as a gay bar in 1956. At first it was mainly frequented by men who preferred not to openly express their sexuality, but eventually the bar became so widely known that the original target audience stayed away and was replaced by people who had already come out of the closet. Today the Hawaii Bar is the center of the Gamanwik LGBT+ community, although everyone is welcome there now, regardless of their orientation. 16. Queen Amalberg statue The Queen Amalberg statue (Kunungin Amalberg standbilaț) in Stainhamar dates from 1835 and was made by Frițrik Wilhelmssun. The statue is regularly besmirched by opponents of the monarchy. 17. Gamanwik station The train station has restaurants and an indoor shopping center. It also offers transfer to Gamanwik's extensive tram network, which allows travel within the city itself. 18. Ehwanseid The Ehwanseid ("Horses side") is Gamanwik's largest square. It has many street vendors offering, for example, souvenirs, food, drinks and clothing. The square takes its name from the fact that horses used to be stabled on the south side of the city. 19. Rasthaim Cemetery Gamanwik's largest cemetery and final resting place of writer and poet Erțsbarn Fulkhardsduhter (1929-2013) and protest singer Leudhar Storassun (1946-1973). There is a monument for fleet commander Mekil Godmanssun (1836-1881) because his body was never found. 20. Moon Temple The Moon Temple (Menwi) is Gamanwik's main religious building. Cats are kept in and around the temple, which, according to a local superstition, would bring good luck. Districts Below you can find a list of all districts of Gamanwik. History Prehistory The coast of the Blewa Mar (Blue Lake) has been inhabited since ancient times. The Salmar, a tributary of the Edruns, may be a remnant of the old course of this river. At the place where Gamanwik is now located, archaeologists have found traces of an ancient settlement. It existed from the 1st to the 6th century, coinciding with the 2nd kingless period, a time of disorder and infighting. Traces of violence and arson show that the settlement was destroyed by acts of war. Its putative name is mentioned in a runic inscription on a 5th century ash spear shaft found on site:   :         : :   :   (EK:WULFAHARIJAZ:WALDAZ:LAGUTREWAM:TAWIȚO)The inscription is in Atlantic Germanic, from which modern Frilandic descends, and means "I, Wulfhar, ruler of Lagtre, made this." A later text from the 8th century also mentions a piece of land at the mouth of the Salmar, "where Lagtre used to be." The meaning of Lagtre is "Tree by the lake". Foundation of Gamanwik In the early 19th century there was a lot of nuisance from bars, brothels and gambling halls in this part of the country. The towns of Witlaus, Aikanfelț, Landsberg and Rastlaus therefore decided to banish these things to a piece of land at the mouth of the Salmar. From now on, anyone who wanted to paint the town red, had to go and do it there. Clever businessmen responded to this and advertised the location as "Gamanwik" (Funwick), where everything was possible and allowed. The name was not meant too seriously and mainly served to attract tourists. Casinos, nightclubs, brothels, pubs and all kinds of party locations arose. Gamanwik's popularity grew; hotels were built for the many visitors and eventually also housing for those who wanted to settle there permanently. However, the lack of authority and law enforcement was a thorn in the side of the government, and on September 5, 1820, it decided to proclaim Gamanwik an independent municipality. The town now had an elected city council and mayor, its own police force and all the facilities that other municipalities also had. Gamanwik did remain a tolerance zone, where many things were turned a blind eye. The town became a haven for party animals, criminals, freebooters, dissidents and outcasts. Anyone who did not feel at home in the old-fashioned, over-organized Frilandic society found their home here. Population growth The message of freedom, fun and tolerance attracted many people, which turned the small settlement into a city in just a few decades. The original village, now the city center of Ald-Gamanwik, was expanded with the districts of West-Salmarwik (now Spikarhuf and Blomanfriț), Aust-Salmarwik (now Habana and Hargisalwik), Rosanfelț and Stainhamar. West- and Aust-Salmarwik were poor neighborhoods, where mainly the underclass lived. The upper class lived in Rosanfelț and the middle class in Stainhamar. During the short, but bloody Fourth Frilandic-Hiverian War (1881), Gamanwik was an important hiding place for conscientious objectors and deserters. In the rest of Friland there was little understanding for them, but in Gamanwik they had the sympathy of the city council and a large part of the population, which enabled them to build a new life there relatively undisturbed. Gambling capital In the 1930s, the city government wanted to end the proliferation of casinos, which were scattered throughout the city. From then on, new casinos had to be established on the meadows west of the Salmar. This district was soon called Ța Wisan (The Meadows). In addition to casinos, many hotels or combinations of both were established there. The oldest part of the city, Ald-Gamanwik, got more and more high-rise buildings. Preference was given to modern architectural styles, such as international style, constructivism, rationalism and later brutalism and neo-futurism. Hippie capital In the 1960s many hippies found their way to Gamanwik. The liberal climate made the city a breeding ground for new ideas, new art and music movements, social experiments, free love, spirituality and (leftist) political movements. Gamanwik was therefore also called "Moskau an ța Salmar" (Moscow on the Salmar). Today too, left-wing parties usually have a majority in the city council, where they pursue a self-willed policy that regularly clashes with that of the national government in Riksgard. In 1970, the West- and Aust-Salmarwik districts were divided into four new districts: Spikarhuf, Blomanfriț, Habana and Hargisalwik. Spikarhuf takes its name from the granaries ("spikars") that once stood there. It's the red light district of Gamanwik and is just as well known in Friland as De Wallen in the Netherlands and the Reeperbahn in Germany. Blomanfriț ("Flower Peace") and Habana ("Havana") were mainly inhabited by hippies and had countless communes and other special communities. Gay capital Hargisalwik was named after minister and gay rights activist Hargisal Langassun. The LGBT+ community already had a long history there; from the outset, bars and other meeting places were established for this target group, although that remained somewhat under the radar at the time. From the 1970s onwards, LGBT+ culture became more and more openly visible in Hargisalwik and from 1980 onwards the city organizes the Reganbugbitug (Rainbow Parade) every year on June 28, which largely runs through this district. Blomanfriț In the 1970s, both Blomanfriț and Habana were known as "social experiments", where all kinds of enthousiasts tried to realize their ideal society. In Habana (Havana), named after the capital of Cuba, a socialist utopia was pursued. However, the idea did'nt fly because the majority of the residents did not share these ideals. Many participants eventually left for Blomanfriț, which was smaller and had more like-minded people. At that time, Blomanfriț consisted mainly of dilapidated housing blocks and empty factory halls, which were renovated by idealists and given new uses, usually without permission from the municipality. The district became a semi-independent enclave, where people lived according to anarchist principles. (Soft) drugs were sold, property was collective and people tried to become self-sufficient through the use of vegetable gardens. Currently, Blomanfriț consists mainly of squats, housing many different projects: art studios, exhibitions, giveaway shops, homeless shelters, vegan restaurants and meeting places. Important locations are Squat the Frog (Takhus ța Frusk) and the illegal radio station Radio Provocation (Utwerp Tratung), which can be received throughout Gamanwik and the surrounding area. Due to its special character, Blomanfriț has become an important tourist attraction. The residents of Blomanfriț regard their neighborhood as a freetown and determine the rules in mutual consultation. The city council has accepted this and isn't enforcing the squatting ban either. Gamanwik is therefore regularly criticized in national politics. Expansion and riots Due to sustained population growth, it was decided in the 1980s to construct the Marseg and Skaunluft districts. The Mandelagardil district and the Kennedigardil industrial estate followed in the 1990s and the Winhuf district in the 00s, where mainly small rental homes were built for the city's poorest. Although born of good intentions, the new Winhuf district was a problem child from the start; it was ravaged by poverty and resulting problems such as crime and alcohol and drug abuse. The city council opted for a "cautious and respectful approach", which, however, did not have the desired result. Many youths in the neighbourhood no longer took the authorities seriously and began to derail, often incited by activists with an agenda. In 2016, the fire started after shoplifter Stain Berhtssun was allegedly arrested by the police too violently. The ensuing riots lasted four days; a police station was burned to the ground, dozens of shops were looted and thirty people were injured. Current situation Gamanwik is used by many Frilanders as an example of how it should or should not be done. For some it is an open, tolerant city, where everyone can be themselves, for others it's a rebellious, far left stronghold or a hotbed of capitalism. However, everyone agrees on one thing: Gamanwik is a unique city, which is rightly called "the most un-Frilandic city of Friland" due to its many contrasts, international orientation and its transversal, progressive nature.  |