Vanguardia

Since 1982, I've been involved in designing virtual worlds. It all started with adapting the game board of the board game Risk . The available countries weren't enough for me back then, so I persuaded friends to expand the board to include self-designed island landscapes . On glossy paper larger than A0, I used felt-tip pens to create bizarre kingdoms and islands, teeming with port cities, government centers, and airports. Simply fantastic. As computer power increased, new outlines emerged, even the first countries. It became my hobby , but due to a lack of interaction with other enthusiasts, it languished in a drawer. Sometime in 1999 or early 2000, I read an article in the business magazine Wirtschaftswoche about Micronations. Wonderful! So I wasn't just a crackpot; there were other enthusiasts, whom I found on the websites www.micronations.de and www.bovigo.de. So I quickly decided to declutter my drawers, spruce up the zipped-in graphic files, and prepare them for a web presence. This led to various websites, first with the web2date website builder, then later with ZohoSites , and now with wix.com . The latest result of these fantasies is this website for the virtual country of Vanguardien.de. What distinguishes my island worlds from those of many micronations is their explicit representation within a real-world context . I always strive to include connections to real-world geography, history, or economics. However, I am more of a geographer than a statesman, which is why a political simulation like those found in other micronations is absent, but virtual travel is available for booking.

 

For suggestions and your contributions in the virtual forum

I am grateful to you.

 

Have fun surfing in (or in front of) Vanguardia

Sincerely, Rüdiger W. Schwarz, 2026