BERLIN โ In a decisive move against a dangerous extremist faction, the German government has outlawed the most significant โReich citizenโ group known as the โKingdom of Germany.โ This far-right organization actively challenges the democratic framework of the nation and, in a coordinated operation, authorities have detained four of its leading figures.
Early on Tuesday, an extensive police effort swung into action, involving 800 officers who conducted raids on various properties and homes associated with the groupโs leaders scattered across multiple states.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt commented on the severity of the groupโs activities, stating, โThe members of this association have set up a โcounter-stateโ within our nation and have constructed economic criminal networks.โ Dobrindt emphasized that this groupโs power aspirations are deeply rooted in antisemitic conspiracy ideas, a stance that Germany resolutely refuses to accept. โWe will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,โ he declared.
The Reichsbรผrger movement, from which this group emerged, does not acknowledge the legitimacy of the current German state. Many adherents assert that the old German Reich still exists, dismissing modern democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws, or judicial systems. Their defiance extends to refusing to fulfill financial obligations like taxes and social dues.
Peter Fitzek, the groupโs proclaimed leader, who was among those taken into custody on Tuesday, announced the creation of the โKingdom of Germanyโ in Wittenberg in 2012. Although the groupโs size is claimed by adherents to be about 6,000 strong, the Interior Ministry estimates its membership at closer to 1,000. This faction positions itself as a secessionist โcounter-stateโ opposing the federal government.
โItโs important to realize that this isnโt about harmless nostalgics, as the associationโs name might misleadingly suggest. Instead, it concerns criminal structures and networks,โ Minister Dobrindt told the press in Berlin. The organizationโs digital presence will be dismantled, and their financial assets seized to prevent them from fueling extremist endeavors.
Germany has historically taken firm stands against the Reichsbรผrger movement. In 2023, authorities conducted raids on the homes of around 20 individuals linked to investigations into this far-right scene, which bears resemblance to the QAnon movement in the United States.
A year prior, the trial of alleged leaders suspected of orchestrating a far-right conspiracy to overthrow the German government commenced. This case, revealing alarming plots against the state, captured national attention late in 2022.