Abester

Abester, Dutch: Zichonthouden, German: Sichenthalten is a city in Brun-South, a province of Doggerland. Located some 41 km east of Port Nandels, the city straddels the Nandels River, named for going through Port Nandels and ending in the Nandels Bay. Abester is the current capital of the province of Brun-South.

Nicknamed The City with Eyes, the city is a well-known tourist attraction for both domestic and foreign visitors. Known for it's culture, history and gastronomy and its diverse architecture, which includes its very iconic houses with eyes that gave Abester its nickname, has been getting much attention in the 21st century. In 2004 its historical center began a process of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site, officially becoming one in 2019. Abester was designated European Capital of Culture in 2013. One year later it was ranked as "Europe's 7th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes. In 2016, Abester was named the European Region of Gastronomy. Abester will host the European Wandering Capital event in 2021, the most important tourist wandering event in Europe.

Abester is also known for the most famous car in the history of Doggerland, the Thwomp Mobile, a Zelectric Motors vehicle that was shipped to Theodore Wheatley as a personal gift, after his death, the car became a tourist attraction in Abester, being stolen for 1 day until the stealer was found to be Yma McRachubolk, and the car was returned to Abester.

As of 2017, Abester has a population of 150,735, while a 2021 estimate puts it at 172,467 people. The Abester metropolitan area has a population of 270,007. The city also administers the village of Ilanforth, a ski resort 4 km to the north of Abester.

Historically, Abester has one of the most important places of the Brunland Germans. Abester is called Zichenthalt in their own local dialect.

Etymology
The name of the city derives from it's German name of Sichenthalten. An archaic version of the English name Abester Abster, which this archaic form also deriving from the German name said above. Its Dutch name is Zichonthouden.

A number of other various languages have their own variants of the city's name, like Doggish Ûnthâlde, Norwegian Avstå, Irish Staonadh,  and the Esperanto name of Abestre.

History
Abester was founded by Brunland Germans living in the Kingdom of Doggerland in 1228, although the first reconds only appeared in 1246, coming from territories of the Holy Roman Empire and the Benelux countries and arrived around the 1200s. By the late 1200s this was the ethnic composition of Abester: 78% German, 22% Doggish. The first references of the area were Zichenthalt, the Brunland German local dialect version of the name, later creating the archaic version of Abster in 1341, and the current Abester in 1404.

In the 14th century, the first example of the Eyes of Abester was confirmed to have been made during this time, being mostly Renaissance architecture from the 14th to 16th centuries, and from the 16th to 18th centuries being mostly of Baroque architecture, after the 18th centuries, the Caribou Architectural Movement took place in Doggerland, or the Neo-Dogger architecture, making much of the 18th to 20th century Eyes of Abester's that were created during that time. By the 14th century, it became a decent alternative to Port Nandels as a more of relaxing place for people living in Port Nandels, being more hilly, there were spectacular views. It became the most important Brunland German city in Doggerland. During the Doggerland-Dutch wars of the 15th century which resulted in a victory for the Dutch, a huge Dutch colonization process took place in the city of Abester, with the Dutch rule allowing for more extensive construction of famous Abester tourist sites, such as the Lutheran Church of Abester. This was also the first time that the Dutch name of Zichonthouden began to be used city-wide, due to the Dutch colonization process in the city, due to this, the city became more Dutch and German rather than German and Native Doggish.

By the time of the Nandels Expedition in the 18th century, the city had the following ethnic make up - 52% German, 46% Dutch, 2% Native Doggish. But the Nandels Expedition would completely change the ethnic make up of the city, as the name Abester would finally be used up to this point, with initially being some small English settlement, this would grow as the British Monarchy would give more funds to Nandels in Doggerland. The city's skyline was completely changed under the Dutch rule, the population of it increasing from a measly 5,000 to nearly 50,000, in which the modern Central Alley of Abester would be created, another famous tourist destination.

The Nandels Expedition would see in a huge flock of English descended people, completely changing the ethnic make up of the city, soon making the English a majority by the 19th century. During the 18th-19th century however, a mass German exodus occurred, most likely occurred by the fact that Germany had a way more capable industrial output than Doggerland ever had. While there being a minor Dutch exodus too, but not as large as the German one, allowing for English to become the dominant language quickly. With only 5,000 Germans remaining by the 20th century, when the city had already grown to 80,000 people, they only made up 6% of the population, a heavy drop compared to the 18th century.

During WW1 Abester saw the English population being relatively Pro-Entente, the Dutch population neutral and the German Population Pro-Central Powers, with some even wanting Doggerland to go as far as to fight for the Central Powers and Germany. In the end though, Doggerland remained neutral.

During the Movement for a Constitutional Monarchy, Abester was firmly in support of giving more power to Democracy and stripping powers from the Monarchy and as such became a strong supporter of the Arbeidspartij and of the 1st Prime Minister, especially among the Dutch, but also among English and German populations due to the more Anti-Monarchist views. However in the 60s, 70s and 80s Abester would shift to being more Pro-Liberal under the reigns of Kost and Tudor, very much among the Dutch due to the their Anti-Doggish stance, which they believed was just a remnant of the old past.

In the 21st century, a German revival began to place as the population of Germans had reached over 10% last time ever being in  the 19th century.

Administration
The mayor of Abester is Bartholomew Wheatley, father of the infamous Theodore Wheatley, and is part of the Abester Alliance (AA).

Mayors of Abester
The Abester mayorship was at 1st dominated by the Arbeidspartij due to the cities Republican tendencies, but in the late 50s till late 70s it switched to the Liberal Party, this in part due to the Anti-Native Doggish nationalism that grew here during that time period. In the 90s it became a Centre-left leaning town, that being until 2001 when Bartholomew Wheatley took over, changing the city into being a localist, Abester-only interests and Centrist politics, started to take a Localist stance during the mayorship of Steve DeLuca (whom decided not to run for a third term), with whom Bartholomew Wheatley was a close colleague of, the idea of Abester Localism began to heavily be developed under Wheatley, resulting in him being mayor for over 20 years as of today, with him being regarded as the most popular mayor, bringing forth modernization and economic prosperity to Abester. Justice Party of Abester would be renamed to the Abester Alliance and would take forth a Centrist and Localist approach.

2021 Mayoral Election -

Abester Alliance (AA) (Endorsed by 3P, LWP, CU)  - Bartholomew Wheatley - 80.6% (+2.9%)

Democratic Forum of Germans in Abester (DFGA) - Heinrich Gunthley - 11.7% (+3.3%)

Liberal Party (LP) - Adam Sanders - 7.6% (-1.1%)