Geographic coordinates: 55 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Bornholm, an island in exile
The remnants of a government:
In the year 2011, a hurricane hit the Atlantic coast of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark Sweden and Norway. Most of Denmark’s west coast is engulfed in the mighty waves. All cities on the west coast are filled with sludge from the bottom of the poisonous Atlantic. Copenhagen rides out the hurricane better, but several millions died altogether in Denmark. Gothenburg and Oslo is partially drenched in the poisonous north sea waters. Due to warning from the Netherlands and Germany, only a few lost their lives, but properties for billions are destroyed. Many religious sects, declares that the Armageddon is here, causing more deaths from suicides, than the hurricane itself caused. The survivors fled to the east coast, to find lands that was spared from the pollution. Many dies, while many more find that there is no room for them, and they board ships, heading for Sweden and Bornholm.
A very large number of refugees from the catastrophe in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, arrives in Sweden despite harder border control. They settle down in the southern part of Sweden, Scania. They are herded into large refugee camps. Those with money and contacts managed to get a ticket to Bornholm instead.
In 2012, another catastrophe happened when the nuclear plant in Barsebäck in Sweden, has a meltdown accident. Radioactive dust and fumes are spread by northerly winds to Malmö in Sweden and eventually into what's left of Copenhagen. Evacuation saves most of the lives of the citizens, but a great many refugees from Denmark and Germany, find themselves immersed in the fumes and dust, when their refugee camp is forgotten by the evacuation personnel. The refugees break out of their camp and storm into Malmö to take cover. The police had put up roadblocks to keep looters out, during the evacuation, but the refugees, boosted by looters and Go-gangs, fight their way in through the barricades, and take refuge in the city. 10 thousand lives are lost or destroyed due to the fallout and the fight with the police and military. The military relocates the citizens of Malmö to other cities in Scania, and put up a force to kick out the looters and occupants. All of Denmark is now declared a disaster area.
The situation gets worse over time, and in 2013 Go-gangs in Malmö, Hells Angels and Bandidos, fights over the rights to protection money for the ferries over to Denmark and Germany. Denmark reverts into anarchy, being ruled by gangs and local Warlords. The government flees to Bornholm and sets up a expedition ministry. They receive extensive help from Sweden, and the Danish government and Royal family are offered to move to Karlskrona.
Denmark is now a shattered country. The government and some of the wealthy citizens, as well as most of the surviving military forces are settling in on Bornholm, while the middleclass fled to Sweden. Those unfortunate refugees had to move into Malmö with the rest of the refugees, or else die out in the radiated Scanian countryside. The least fortunate, the people that had no chance to pay for a ticket to freedom, or stubborn enough to stay behind, are now being ruled by Warlords. These Warlords are little more than brutal thugs, but their possession of weapons and some military equipment left behind intact, has made them masters of the Danish mainland. Despite the offer to move to Karlskrona in Sweden, the Danish government elected to stay on Bornholm, the last outpost of Denmark, and to try to rebuild some law and order.
The King and his family have managed to stand up as a symbol of stability, and the political parties have agreed to a co-operation, to bring back order. The military strength is still not enough to take back the mainland from the Warlords, but they are launching scouting missions from time to time, slowly rebuilding their strength.
The war cabinet is desperately hoping for help from countries that has been spared most of the catastrophe, but only limited funds have been flowing in, mostly from Sweden. Danish Warlords establish "Embassies" in Malmö, and a mutual agreement on military co-operation is signed. Copenhagen merges with Malmö, creating a large city on two sides of Örestad, With the damaged, but still intact bridge between the two halves. They name the city, "Örestad". The legitimate Government on Bornholm refuses to acknowledge those Warlords, and a tense situation is building up. So far, the warlords do not have the power to try an invasion on Bornholm, but the Government is still trying to reinforce their defences, biding their time.
In 2042 Bornholm agrees to unite with Scandinavia, and a demilitarisation of Bornholm. The shattered Danish Forces moves to Karlskrona. The Government and the Royal Family forms a regional governor administration, for the Bornholm and Denmark restoration project.
Travelling to and from Bornholm:
In the old days, travelling away from the island was uncommon, and until just a few years ago, you might still have met some elderly residents of Bornholm who had never left the island in their lives. Travelling has greatly increased with the advent of large, modern car ferries - and that has also meant a large increase in the number of tourists. Air traffic has also played a positive role here.
BornholmsTrafikken operates the Copenhagen-Rønne, Ystad-Rønne andSassnitz-Rønne routes all year round while, in the summer, there are also sailings on the Swinoujscie-Rønne route in conjunction with Pol-Ferries.
The Dano-German shipping company DFO/Scandlines operates on the Sassnitz-Rønne and Rønne-Ystad routes with car ferries all year round. In the summer season, the catamaran ferry is available from Simrishamn in southern Sweden to Allinge. It takes foot-passengers and bicycles. There are bus links to and from Copenhagen in conjunction with the Ystad route. There are five to eight flight connections per day between Bornholm Airport and Copenhagen. In the summer season, there is an additional weekly flight connection with two or three German airports. It is possible to take the mail boat to Christiansø from Svaneke all year round and, in the summer, there are also passenger boats from Gudhjem and Allinge.
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