Yurgenschmidt

Yurgenschmidt (ユルゲンシュミット, yurugenshumitto) is the country in which Ascendance of a Bookworm takes place.

The country is ruled by an absolute ruler called the Zent. Technically, both men and women can become Zent, however, due to the nature of mana and the peculiarities of noble pregnancies, men are generally preferred for the position. The same holds true for the position of Aub, the archdukes and archduchesses who rule over the duchies.

Under normal circumstances, both Zent and Aub positions are hereditary. As the absolute ruler, the Zent naturally has the right to take away the title of Aub and appoint someone else, though in practice this is only done in cases of treason by the Aub.

For the position of Zent, there is technically a selection process that would allow archduke candidates not related to the current ruler to win the title, but this practice has been out of use for so long that most nobles in the modern day aren't even aware of this anymore.

Located at the center of Yurgenschmidt is the Sovereignty, the seat of royal power and the home of the Zent. The rest of the land is divided into duchies, each governed by a ruling Aub.

The country is shaped like a circle and bordered by a magical wall, which can only be passed through using specified gates. Likewise, each duchy is defined by a magical border around its territory. The barriers between duchies allow free passage to animals and people, but will block most forms of magic and instantly inform the archduke of a duchy if a person above a certain mana-threshold passes through in any place other than a border gate.

The country of Yurgenschmidt does not count their years in a single continuous system like Anno Domini on most parts of Earth, but instead uses a system that splits time into eras based on the rule of the kings, similar to how Japan measures their time by the eras of their Emperors.

Before the recent civil war, Yurgenschmidt was comprised of 25 duchies. However, those on the losing side of the political conflict became defunct, and the land was reorganized into 21 duchies.

Each duchy has a ranking relative to the others, determined by its population, economy, political influence, scientific and magical research, new trends or fashions, and the performance of students at the Royal Academy. In addition to its numerical rank, duchies are classified as "greater," "middle" or "lesser". Although the Sovereignty is technically a duchy, it always ranks above all other duchies. Currently there are four greater, nine middle and seven lesser duchies.

The higher the rank a duchy holds, the more power and influence it wields. Lower-ranking duchies must show deference to those above them, and all must defer to the Sovereignty and the royal family.

The center of the country is called the Sovereignty, and houses, among other things, the Royal Palace and Royal Academy. Since it is the seat of the king and under the direct control of the royal family, it is always considered higher than even the highest-ranking duchy and thus is not included in the duchal rankings, despite generally being treated as a duchy in most ways.


 * Scharfer
 * Trostwerk
 * Werkestock
 * Zausengas


 * Eisenreich - Former greater duchy, abolished for treason against the king. Part of its territory was given to its neighbors, like Klassenberg, and what remained - now reduced to a middle duchy - was given to the Ehrenfest family and given their name.
 * Unknown Duchy - This former greater duchy was disbanded and its territory split into the lesser duchies of Kirschnereit, Berschmann, Lindenthal, Ossvault and Quandtreeb as punishment for treason against the crown.

* "AM #" refers to the number of years after Myne's birth. See timeline for more details.

Yurgenschmidt retains good relations with its southern neighbor Lanzenave, and the two countries maintain flourishing trade. Among other goods, Lanzenave is Yurgenschmidt's primary source of sugar. Furthermore, the countries have an arrangement in which a princess of Lanzenave will move to Yurgenschmidt to give birth to the future kings, so they can attend the Royal Academy to obtain a schtappe and be educated in magic.

Bossgeiz is a country to Yurgenschmidt's east and a former trading partner. In the distant past a Zent created a country gate that functions as a teleportation circle, so that travelers wouldn't have to traverse the desert separating the countries. Apart from the highly coveted feystones, the Bosgeiz also imported large amounts of metal from the border duchy of Eisenreich.

A bit over 200 years ago, the Bosgeiz government managed to convince Aub Eisenreich to attempt to usurp the crown. This caused the Zent to close the country gate, and it has remained shut ever since.

Religion in Yurgenschmidt is based on worship and prayers to a pantheon of gods and goddesses.


 * Gods and Subordinate Gods are the deities worshipped by the people of Yurgenschmidt.
 * The Temple is the primary religious institution.
 * Priests and Shrine Maidens comprise the hierarchical clergy.
 * Religious Ceremonies form the cornerstone of Yurgenschmidt's calendar and mark milestones of life such as baptism and marriage.
 * Blessings are a form of prayer and magic used by nobles.
 * The Bible is the central religious text, and the original bible traditionally held by the king or queen is called Grutrissheit.

Despite the faith's many mythological and fantastical elements, the gods and goddesses of Yurgenschmidt have a concrete, measurable impact on everyday life and the natural world. Prayer and blessings are shown to influence not only magic, but also agriculture, governance, and strength in combat. As a result, while some are more or less devout, the people of Yurgenschmidt do not generally question the existence of the gods.

Religion is closely associated with the practice of magic by the nobility, since gods are invoked in magic circles, blessings, and spells. Mana also plays a key role in many religious ceremonies, such as Spring Prayer and the Dedication Ritual.

See History and Story Tab

See History and Story Tab


 * As a result of Ehrenfest overtaking Immerdink, Rozemyne noticed that the dark green capes that used to gather in front of them were behind them during their second term.