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Formerly the Dark Empire or Unholy Empire, with the double-headed bat as symbol. Überwald describes a huge mountainous region of wintry climate. The ruling nobility of the land is composed of feudal werewolf and vampire families. Lately, the dwarfs have also come into power. There are many trolls in the distant mountains, warring against the dwarfs, but in cities such as Bonk, trolls are considered semi-sentient slaves. Humans are still mostly in the roles of "townspeople" or "exploited citizens". Most Igors come from Überwald, where they traditionally serve those on the far side of sanity, using the excellent local lightning for their experiments. Überwaldean is said to be a good cursing language.

The principal town in Überwald is Bonk.

Major appearances of the region are in Witches Abroad, Carpe Jugulum, The Fifth Elephant, and Monstrous Regiment. Überwald is also often colloquially mentioned as the dark and mysterious place ruled and indeed overrun by the undead and bandits, standing in the middle of the continent, cutting off the traffic between the Sto Plains and Genua.

The region is briefly visited by the Lancre witches in Witches Abroad, where a local vampire is defeated by a combintation of Nanny Ogg's garlic sausage, Magrat's insistence on sleeping with the window open, and Greebo's irritation that a mouse with wings is trying to change shape on him. In truth, Überwald also has many small towns with just your ordinary rural town people, not very mean, not very nice (The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Going Postal).

Überwald is also home to many of the older races such as Centaurs and Nac Mac Feegles.

[edit] Economy

The area does not come across as particularly wealthy, and is thinly populated. The main source of income seems to be mining, both metals and fat. Recently the Grand Trunk has reached Bonk, connecting this part of the continent with the rest of the world.

[edit] Cities, towns and locations

• Bad Blintz
• Bad Schüschein
• Bonk
• Bugs
• Escrow
• Lipwig
• Schmaltzberg
• Don'tgonearthe Castle
• Müning
• Splinz
• Klotz - on the river Ah
• Glitz
• Slake
• Wilinus pass

[edit] People

Some of the better known people from Überwald:

• Delphine Angua von Überwald
• Lady Margolotta
• Moist von Lipwig
• The Low King of the dwarfs
• Igor at the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork
• Lots of other Igors.

[edit] Annotation

On Roundworld "Überwald" is the literal German translation of Transylvania ("beyond [over] the forest").

Pratchett himself confesses that this country is simply a collection of horror movie cliches especially those associated with the Hammer movies. As a result the fine lads and lasses over at http://tvtropes.org have decided to name the whole trope of a spooky European kingdom with haunted castles, vampires, werewolves and fearful peasants everywhere you look Uberwald, in fact I can do no better than to shamelessly rip off their entry:

A generic sort of "eastern Europe" area. There are peasants everywhere, and spooky old towns. Castles in the mountains abound, where one may find vampires, mad scientists, or the curse of the werewolf. Half of the population is gypsies who are easily angered and have funny accents.

A late sixties' Hammer horror was called Theatre of Horror, and used the idea of a travelling circus which carried among its number several vampire performers, who could perform, eat, then move on before they were noticed. Given that it may have used the doubly horrifying concept of a vampire clown, this makes the idea of Müning being the centre of Überwaldean clowning doubly more plausible and infinitely more scary.