Peaceful Cities

[Reeve]

Are there any cities in the history of the world that have enjoyed more than a thousand years of continuous peace ever? Has the world changed enough in the last couple centuries that we can expect any of our current cities to enjoy such peace?

I should mention this is just an idle thought. I'm just thinking of all the major cities of Europe, China, Russia, and Africa seem like they've been attacked at one point or another, and the Americas/Australia haven't had cities long enough to qualify, with the exception of some Native American cultures, who certainly fought plenty of wars themselves.

[Rukentuts]

Define peace. No crime? No war?

[Reeve]

Define peace. No crime? No war?

No war. Let's say the city was never besieged or occupied by hostile forces.

[semaphore]

Hmm, I'll be genuinely surprised if any city has experienced such prolonged peace. Unless it's a settlement so small its barely a city in the remotest parts of Earth or something (some Arctic town perhaps?)

The world hasn't been at peace for more than ~1 month or so since WW2, so yeah. I hope our cities will experience such peace, but I don't expect it.

[Deleted]

I've never heard of any, maybe a lost village on some island in the middle of nowhere?
But i think that more and more cities and countries will get the experience a longer period of peace in today's society compared to how it was in the past.

Oh and next year Sweden celebrates 200 years of peace

[Rukentuts]

No war. Let's say the city was never besieged or occupied by hostile forces.

Should we ask the Swiss?

[Reeve]

Should we ask the Swiss?

Switzerland was conquered in Napoleonic Europe.

[Deleted]

Somewhere on Iceland perhaps?

I don't think they've been in war, i don't think the Cod War with Britain actually counts.

[Rukentuts]

Switzerland was conquered in Napoleonic Europe.

Well who knows, Africa has tribal things, Europe had World Wars (and to an extent Asia as well), Aussieland probably isn't old enough, as is the Americas.

[semaphore]

Somewhere on Iceland perhaps?

Iceland had a period of internal fightings during the 1200s IIRC.

[Reeve]

Somewhere on Iceland perhaps?

I don't think they've been in war, i don't think the Cod War with Britain actually counts.

Hmmm, good thought, but the Sturlung Era (1200s) was apparently a period of civil war in Iceland, and probably had some city sieges/occupations. I can't find the specifics on the conflict though. Anyone know?

[Reeve]

I cant really think of a city in Britain that was unscathed by the world wars. Apparently Nepal hasnt ever been conquered.

I see lots of stuff about the kingdom being split and re-unified in the middle ages, which suggests civil war, but nothing concrete. There was a decade long civil war in the 90's and 2000's though, apparently.

[Rukentuts]

I see lots of stuff about the kingdom being split and re-unified in the middle ages, which suggests civil war, but nothing concrete. There was a decade long civil war in the 90's and 2000's though, apparently.

Would you classify a peaceful "conquering" as being at peace?

[Topornic]

If such place existed for over one thousand years and wouldn't be touched by war/raids/whatever it would be probably isolated and primitive(no need to improve if you are safe from other people or animals even).

[Ave07]

New Guinea?

[Reeve]

Would you classify a peaceful "conquering" as being at peace?

I'd say that if a city was integrated into a territory by treaty it's "peaceful," but if hostile troops entered the city even without a struggle to take control, I wouldn't consider that peaceful.

[Ashnazg]

New Guinea?

I am pretty sure none of the former colonies qualify because they were all contested, annexed, and conquered at some point.

[Reeve]

I am pretty sure none of the former colonies qualify because they were all contested, annexed, and conquered at some point.

If they were annexed after a thousand years of peace, and included a city, they would count.

[semaphore]

Those colonies certainly had tribal conflicts if nothing else prior to annexation.

[breadisfunny]

antartica maybe. but thats not a city.