Junkers

Junkerswere the landed aristocracy of Ardinia and Northen Rutania. Most Junkers can trace their family lines back to the 1200's, and have been a dominant force in Rutanian society since then.

Origins
"Junker" in German means "young lord", and is understood as country squire. It is probably derived from the German words Junger Herr, or Young Lord. As part of the nobility, many Junker families have particles such as "von" or "zu" before their family names. In the Middle Ages, a Junker was simply a lesser noble, often poor and politically insignificant. Martin Luther was given the cover name "Junker Jörg" while he lived in Wartburg Castle in 1521. A good number of poor Junkers took up careers as soldiers and mercenaries. Over the centuries, they rose from disreputable captains of mercenary cutthroats to influential commanders and landowners in the 19th century. The rest of the article refers to these "modern" Junkers.

Modern influences
Being the bulwark of the Rutanian Empire, the Junkers exert massive influence in the military and dominate the officer corps, leading in political influence and social status, and owning immense estates, especially in the north-west of Rutania including Ardinia.

The Junkers dominate the civil service, the officer corps of the military and the Freikonservative Partei. As a whole, they are very conservative and reactionary and are firm supporters of the monarchy.