Altaplana, world of Francois Schuiten and Benoit Peeters

the impossible & infinite encyclopedia of the world created by Schuiten & Peeters

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Timeline of the Obscure Cities

In the timeline we try to organize all events and topics by relevant years.

There are two set of time lines used on Altaplana. The Obscure time and the lighted time. The lighted time is calculated A.D. (Anno Domini) like the Julian calendar 1). You can find the Timeline of the Lighted World at a separate page.

The timeline of the Obscure Cities is calculated as After the Tower 2), meaning the number of Obscure years after the supposed starting date of The Tower's construction.

See also: Study on Temporal Variations Between the Worlds

Timeline of the Obscure Cities
0 AT
Start of the Tower

Supposed start of building the Tower.

450 AT
Battista travels the Tower

Giovanni Battista went through the Tower with Milena, just before the Tower ends to exist.

571 AT
Start domination by Pȃhry

Sodrovno-Voldachia under domination of Pȃhry.

634 AT
Evguenia Radisic killed

Evguenia Radisic killed while leading a revolt against Pâhrysian occupation. The city of Sodrovni gets some level of autonomy.

637 AT
Birth Versinac d'Imécourt

Versinac d'Imécourt, Colonel, then General, then Marechal of Sodrovno-Voldachia. Hero of the independence war.

665 AT
Birth Franz Bauer

Franz Bauer is born in Xhystos.

668 AT
Birth Walther Schliwinsky

Walther Schliwinsky is born in Mylos.

671 AT
Regularisation of Pȃhry

Regularisation of Pȃhry starts under impulsion of prefect Adrien Maisonneuve, ending the domination over Sodrovno-Voldachia.

672 AT
Battle Sodrovni - Pȃhry

General Versinac d'Imecourt wins an important battle against Pȃhry. Start of the Sodrovno-Voldachia confederation including Sodrovni, Galatograd & Cernovada.

673 AT
Urbicande founded

The towns of Bartoline and Urania joined together as Urbicande.

675 AT
Sodrovno-Voldachia closes borders

Sodrovno-Voldachia closes its borders. Regime is hardening.

676 AT
Birth Ernest Dersenval

Ernest Dersenval is born in Pȃhry.

681 AT
Birth Joseph Poelaert

Supposed birth year of Joseph Poelart in Brüsel.

683 AT
Start reconstruct Xhystos

The Council decides to reconstruct the city of Xhystos.

687 AT
Birth Eugen Robick

Eugen Robick born in Urbicande.

690 AT
Birth Klaus von Rathen

Klaus von Rathen is born in Mylos. Also the city of Brüsel becomes independent from Muhka.

691 AT
Birth Axel Wappendorf

Alex Wappendorf born in Alaxis. Also Walther Schliwinsky launched his idea of the Unique Industrial Consortium in Mylos.

694 AT
Chardonnay wine

The famous Chardonnay wine now has a label with Fanelles.

696 AT
Franz Bauer sent to Samaris

After continuous rumors about Samaris, the council of Xhystos send Franz Bauer to the city. Also birth year of Stanislas Sainclair in Pȃhry.

697 AT
Brentano becomes Blossfledtstad

After a complete rebuild Brentano is renamed Blossfledtstad.

698 AT
Start Calvani's transformation

Jacob Canetti starts promoting the transformation of Calvani by building greenhouses.

700 AT
Birth Freddy de Vrouw

Birth of Freddy de Vrouw in Brüsel.

701 AT
Birth Edmond Sleeckx

Birth of Edmond Sleeckx in Brüsel.

702 AT
Birth Rosa Schliwinsky

Birth of Rosa Schliwinsky in Mylos, only daughter of Walther and Vera Schliwinsky.

703 AT
Invention of the Alaxian Velocipede

At age 12 Axel Wappendorf invents the Alaxian Velocipede.

703 - 704 AT
Khâr wars

During the Khâr wars Xhystos managed to survive.

704 AT
Dersenval becomes famous

Ernest Dersenval become famous for his therapeutical applications of electricity (dersenvalisation).

706 AT
Valentine dies

Following Valentine's accidental death by drowning Axel Wappendorf lost all his hair out grief.

708 AT
Birth Michel Ardan

Michel Ardan is born in Genova.

710 AT
Build of Palace of the Three Powers

The start of building the Palace of the Three Powers in Brüsel.

712 AT
Dersenval meets Wappendorf

Ernest Dersenval meets Axel Wappendorf and become friends. <milestone title=“714 AT” description=“Robick settle in Xhystos”> After a long travel across the continent Eugen Robick settle in Xhystos, whose rebuilding is almost finished.

719 AT
L'Echo des Cités established

Elmar Obstig von Offenstein starts the L'Echo des Cités newspaper in Trahmer. Eugen Robick returns to Urbicande. Alex Wappendorf almost get killed during test with Girodyn. Rosa Schliwinsky and Klaus von Rathen get engaged. An Inter-City exhibit was held.

720 AT
Nemo in Samarobrive

Mysterious appearance of Captain Nemo in Samarobrive or was it Jules Verne?

721 AT
Organ concert at Green Lake

Oscar Frobélius organizes an organ concert at the Green Lake. Stanislas Sainclair becomes editor in chief of L'Echo des Cités in Alaxis. Freddy de Vrouw launches popular vacuum cleaner. Discovery of old couple,forgotten during transformation of Blossfeldtstad.

722 AT
Marriage Schliwinsky & von Rathen

Rosa Schliwinsky and Klaus von Rathen marry in Mylos.

723 AT
Walther Schliwinsky dies

Walther Schliwinsky dies in Mylos. Klaus von Rathen succeeds him and starts Unique Industrial Consortium

724 AT
Robick becomes Urbatect

Eugen Robick is appointed to Urbatect of Urbicande. Starts to remodel the South shore. Joseph Poelaert leaves the building complex of the Palace of the Three Powers, which not yet finished after 12 years.

725 AT
Consortium rules Mylos

The Unique Industrial Consortium rules over all aspects of life in Mylos. Marie Paulzen works in several night clubs.

727 AT
Dersenval loses wife

Ernest Dersenval loses wife after 20 years of marriage. Dersenval marries Solange Duval and moves to Brüsel.

729 AT
Urbatectural Brigades estabished

Eugen Robick established the Urbatectural Brigades.

730 AT
Strike of Window Washers

Window Washers strike in Calvani.

731 AT
De Vrouw starts company

Freddy de Vrouw starts real estate company in Brüsel after unrest about the Urbatectural Brigades.

734 AT
De la Barque exiled

The family of De la Barque is exiled from Urbicande. Kurt von Rathen is born in Mylos.

735 AT
Network grows in Urbicande

A found cube grows into a network and covers the whole of Urbicande.

736 AT
Birth Mary von Rathen

Mary von Rathen is born in Mylos. Thomas Broch, Rapporter of the Commission of High Instances starts building a huge pipe system in Urbicande. Auguste Spanach is elected as major of Brüsel. Joseph Poelaert restarts his work at the the Palace of the Three Powers.

738 AT
Earth quake wipes away Urbicande

An earth quake wipes away Urbicande.

740 AT
Birth Roland de Cremer

Roland de Cremer is born in Rupelmonde.

741 AT
Paul Cicéri writes books

Paul Cicéri writes many books about cartography.

744 AT
Universal Exchanger build

The Universal Exchanger is build based on a sketch of Alex Wappendorf. The little Bogdan and the orphans of Cernovada travel to the city of the book.

744 - 746 AT
Great works in Brüsel

Great works in Brüsel. Edmond Sleeckx is deputy major.

745 AT
De Vrouw shows model

Due to the success of the city of the book Freddy de Vrouw is allowed to show his plans about Brüsel to the council.

746 AT
Armilia breakdown

A breakdown at Armilia disrupts time on the Continent. The Ship of the Desert gets lost during its first voyage. It inventor Axel Wappendorf leaves for Brüsel. In Brüsel huge building works start.

747 AT
Altaplana founded

Altaplana was founded, after the Convention Von Amelunxen decided that all archives had to be centralized in one special place. Mary von Rathen starts to lean after incident in København. At Mont Michelson Axel Wappendorf detects the Antinea planet.

748 AT
Sainclair visits Galatograd

description:Stanislas Sainclair visits Galatograd as the first visitor. Afterwards Sodrovne-Voldachia opens up. Constant Abeels becomes responsible for the Greenhouse Number 2 in Calvani.

749 AT
Universal Exchanger photographed

The Universal Exchanger has been photographed from the air by Michel Ardan.

750 AT
Mary meets Wappendorf

Mary von Rathen meets Axel Wappendorf at Mont Michelson. Dr. Benedikt Loderer discovered and explored the Marahuaca Pit with Michel Ardan. Victor Delvalle and Martha Corbex managed to reconstruct one of the plants of Urformen Der Kunst. An Inter-City exhibit was planned in Pȃhry but postponed to 751 AT“.

751 AT
Spitfire incident at Altaplana

Two strangers arrive in Altaplana by a Spitfire. Michel Ardan and Benedikt Loderer resurface in Galatograd. Michel Ardan discovers spheres in the Forest of Mégara. Axel Wappendorf and Mary von Rathen travels by Celestial bullet. Mary meets Augustin Desombres. The second Inter-City exhibit was held in Pȃhry.

752 AT
Calvani destroyed

A severe storm destroys the greenhouses of Calvani.Marie-Jeanne Vanderstichelen takes care after Ernest Dersenval. Dersenval dies in Calvani.

753 AT description=

Axel Wappendorf wants to build a monument in Trahmer for the Spitfire that visited Altaplana.

754 AT
Buildings closed in Pȃhry

Berthelot, a high official of Pȃhry, closed several buildings in Pȃhry on suspected “parallel traffic”.

755 AT
Dr. Abraham executed

Dr. Abraham is executed in Pȃhry for espionage.

756 AT
New Urbicande founded

Gustav B. Maranje, a former student of Robick reconstructs Urbicande from the original plans.

757 AT
Klaus von Rathen dies

Klaus von Rathen dies. He is succeeded by his daughter Mary von Rathen who reforms quickly the industry.

758 AT
Coup d'etat by Radisic

Coup d'etat by Marshal Radisic in Sodrovno-Voldachia. L'Echo des Cités starts to published retouched photographs. Eugen Robick claims to have seen the network.

759 AT
The Battista shipwrecked

The Battista is shipwrecked.

760 AT
Mary von Rathen quits

During a party at the Green Lake Mary von Rathen declares to stop with her public appearances. She moves to the Forest of Mégara, together with Axel Wappendorf and Eugen Robick. The Abraham center is dedicated to Abraham, Joseph (Dr) in Pȃhry.

761 AT
De Cremer joins Cartography center

Roland de Cremer joins the Center for Cartography. Marshal Radisic wins battle after battle.

762 AT
L'Echo des Cités stops

L'Echo des Cités stops and Michel Ardan continues with The Light

765 AT
Constant Abeels returns to Brüsel

Constant Abeels returns to Brüsel and opens flowershop.

After 769 description=

Mary von Rathen, Axel Wappendorf and Eugen Robick try to find a way to visit the Lighted World. Mary is supposed to have lived several years in Metz.

769 AT
Sodrovno-voldachia divided

After a lost battle with Muhka, the empire of Marshal Radisic collapse. Sodrovno-Voldachia separate in two countries.

771 AT
Correspondances published

Correspondances is published in Porrentruy by Roman De Malegarde. It tells the story about Mary von Rathen in the Lighted World.

773 AT
Mary returns to Obscure Cities

Mary von Rathen has returned to the Obscure Cities.

784 AT
Strange things in Brüsel

After the death of Gholam Mortiza Khan strange things happen in Brüsel. Mary von Rathen is send to the city to investigate. Constant Abeels is involved and writes book about it.

785 AT
Sleeckx re-elected

Edmond Sleeckx is re-elected for the 7th time in Brüsel.