Pulma is the second-largest city in District IV (Severnivaraje). Located in the southern fertile plains of the district, it is geographically and culturally distinct from the industrial, mining-focused district capital of Bistrica to the north.
Separated from the northern coalfields by the imposing Severni Range mountains, Pulma is known for its clean air, agricultural abundance, and intellectual atmosphere. It is the home of the University of Pulma, the fourth-largest university in the Republic and the ideological nursery of the northern regionalist movement.
Historically a resort town and sanatorium for those suffering from respiratory illnesses, Pulma has evolved into a vibrant “college town” that serves as the political counter-weight to the heavy industry of the north.
Geography and Climate
Pulma sits in the “Green Basket” of Severnivaraje, a valley protected from the harsh arctic winds by the mountains to the north.
- Climate: Milder than the rest of the district, allowing for extensive agriculture. The region produces potatoes, hops, and timber.
- The Divide: The Severni Range acts as a physical barrier. While Bistrica is often covered in industrial smog (“Black Dust”), Pulma is renowned for its pristine environment. This contrast is a frequent point of political rhetoric for Northern Power, highlighting the environmental cost of SeverMin’s operations in the north.
History
The Sanatorium City (1890–1944)
During the Vosti era, Pulma was a quiet market town famous for its thermal springs and clean mountain air. It became a destination for wealthy tuberculosis patients and retired officers.
Following the industrialization of the north in the 1920s, it became a refuge for miners suffering from Black Lung disease. Most notably, Igor Marlek, the founder of Northern Power, spent his final years in a sanatorium in Pulma, writing the political essays that would define the regionalist movement before his death in 1955.
The Academic Boom (1944–Present)
The city’s character changed forever with the founding of the University of Pulma in 1944. Established by Imanuel Iric and funded by local cooperatives to prevent a “brain drain” to Sinj, the university rapidly expanded.
By the 1960s, Pulma had transformed from a sleepy health resort into a radical center of student activism. It was here that the Pulma Press (the precursor to Northfocus) was established, printing pamphlets that circulated throughout the Republic.
Economy
Unlike the resource-extraction economy of the rest of District IV, Pulma’s economy is service-oriented.
- Education: The University is the primary employer.
- Agriculture: The surrounding collectives supply food to the mining towns of the north.
- Healthcare: The city retains a large hospital network, specializing in respiratory care—a grim necessity given the pollution in neighboring Bistrica.
Politics
Pulma is a stronghold of Northern Power, but represents a different wing of the party compared to Bistrica.
- The “Intellectual Wing”: While Bistrica’s politics are defined by labor unions and strikes, Pulma’s politics are defined by legal theory, environmentalism, and constitutional reform. It is the base of the Northern Youth League.
- Current Administration: The Mayor, Dr. Ana Marlek (a grand-niece of Igor Marlek), has focused on turning Pulma into a “Green City,” banning heavy trucks from the city center and subsidizing student housing.
Culture
The city has a youthful, bohemian atmosphere.
- “The Lower Rungs”: A district of cafes and bookshops near the university where students and professors gather. It is known as a place where political debates can occur relatively openly, shielded from the immediate scrutiny of the CIA by the local government’s non-cooperation policies.
- Literature: Pulma is a haven for writers. The novelist Osman Hamzic lived here briefly during his time away from Sinj, finding a sympathetic audience among the faculty.