We characterize an important class of generalized projective geometries $(X,X^{\text{'}})$ by the following essentially equivalent properties: (1) $(X,X^{\text{'}})$ admits a central null-system; (2) $(X,X^{\text{'}})$ admits inner polarities: (3) $(X,X^{\text{'}})$ is associated to a unital Jordan algebra. These geometries, called of the first kind, play in the category of generalized projective geometries a rôle comparable to the one of the projective line in the category of ordinary projective geometries. In this general set-up, we prove an analogue of von Staudt’s...