Jonas Lauwiner isn't just some nut like Emperor Norton of the United States. To borrow a phrase attributed to Napoleon, King Jonas found the crown of Switzerland lying in a gutter.
The Swiss Confederation is a republic in structure. It had no king until 2019 when King Jonas staged a coronation in Bern. The Times reports that he's been building a power base by exploiting a legal loophole that allows residents to acquire unclaimed land by registering a claim with the local government.
Over time, King Jonas has acquired numerous small plots of land--including sections of road--that are equal to 0.045 square miles, which is roughly a quarter of the size of Vatican City.
-via @myth_pilot | Photo: His Majesty, King Jonas of Switzerland