The outlines of the personal project he calls his «kingdom» first began to emerge on his 20th birthday, when Moroccan-Swiss citizen Jonas Lauwiner, born to a Moroccan mother and a Swiss father, received a plot of land as a gift from his father. That moment sparked the idea of the «Lauwiner Empire», with Jonas placing himself at its head as king and emperor under the name Jonas I, before setting out to expand his territory.
To acquire more land, Jonas adopted an unusual strategy: searching for plots with no registered owner and claiming them through the land registry, entirely within the bounds of the law. «I don’t buy the land and I don’t seize it from anyone», he said. «I simply register my claim in the land registry».
To support the project, Jonas, who works full time as an IT specialist, employs a team of ten people. Today, he owns 145 plots of land across nine Swiss cantons, covering nearly 65,000 square meters in total. His latest «conquest» is a 5,800-square-meter industrial site in Burgdorf, in the canton of Bern.
A crown, a sword and a tank
A lavish crown, a gleaming sword, an old cannon and an outfit inspired by South American rulers make up the official image of Jonas I. In 2019, Lauwiner crowned himself king during a ceremony at Nydegg Church in Bern, which he rented for the occasion, with friends and hired actors taking part in the event.
«I don’t want to be remembered as a businessman», he says. «I want my name to be remembered as that of a king».
«Every detail of the ceremony was carefully planned, and I had to rent the church», he adds.
Although those attending were either relatives or contracted actors, he insists: «I am now king over territories, but at the same time I am a Swiss citizen and proud of it. I respect all laws and pay my taxes».
The self-proclaimed «king» also has his own «army», made up of guards and relatives who carry out security drills on his lands. Some of these exercises involve his armored vehicle, a former East German tank. In April 2024, Lauwiner attempted to drive the vehicle to the Federal Square in Bern, but authorities refused to grant him a permit, forcing him to keep it in the garage.
He also runs a website dedicated to his «kingdom», featuring the locations of his «country», the plots of land he owns, alongside the «flag of the Lauwiner Empire» and its «imperial anthem». The website even includes the empire’s own currency.
«A real empire also has its own currency, and I have one», he says. Called the «Imperial Villar», the coin bears his image and is valued at around 23 francs.
He also has a coat of arms and a family tree tracing back to the 17th century, and hopes to one day establish a «Lauwiner Empire Legion». The website further showcases the family tree of the Lauwiner «royal family» and documents related to its direct ancestors.
Anyone can apply to become a citizen of the Lauwiner Empire. According to the website, visitors are also allowed to enter the empire’s territories, provided the king authorizes it.
Jonas Lauwiner acknowledges that he is not officially recognized as a king and holds no political office in Switzerland linked to his self-proclaimed title.
«I am the king of Switzerland», he says. «You can’t say I’m not. Because who else could it be? No one else has claimed the title».
Addressing criticism, he says: «Many people think I’m far right, perhaps because of the cannon in front of my palace».
The cannon is not operational, he notes, rejecting the accusation: «I am Swiss. I like order and military discipline, but I don’t want to hurt anyone».