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EXTREMISM

Germans jailed over far-right plot against state

A German court jailed members of a far-right group on Thursday for planning attacks on politicians, asylum seekers and Muslims as part of a plot to overthrow the country's democracy.

Published: 30 November 2023 12:14 CET
Far-right terrorism in Germany
Werner S., the ringleader of the far-right group, is tried in court in Stuttgart. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-pool | -

The ringleader, named only as Werner S., was handed a six-year prison term after a lengthy trial in Stuttgart that started in 2021.

Another nine members of the organisation, known as Gruppe S (Group S) after the ringleader, were handed sentences ranging from one year and nine months suspended, to five years and three months in jail.

They were convicted of being members of and founding a terrorist organisation. One defendant was acquitted.

Federal prosecutors previously said the suspects planned to spark “a civil-war-like situation” by carrying out “attacks on politicians, asylum seekers and people of Muslim faith”.

The group’s founding members had the goal of “destabilising and ultimately overthrowing” Germany’s democratic order, they said.

Those on trial, all German citizens, had an “openly National Socialist attitude”, referring to the Nazi party, and made no secret of their hatred of foreigners, Muslims and Jews, according to prosecutors.

READ ALSO: Why are some Germans turning towards the far-right?

Investigators say three meetings were organised, where members took part in discussions and shooting exercises.

The group is said to have arranged to buy weapons through a handler known to one of the members, and several other weapons were found during raids when the arrests were made.

They were also accused of planning attacks on politicians including Robert Habeck — who was one of the co-leaders of Germany’s Green party at the time and is now the country’s vice-chancellor.

Concerns have been growing in Germany over the rise of violent right-wing extremism and there have been a series of plots and attacks in recent years.

Last year, members of a group known as the Reichsbürger were arrested over a plan to attack parliament, overthrow the government and install a self-styled prince as head of state.

READ ALSO: Who are ‘Reichsbürger’ and how big a threat do they pose in Germany?

There were around 38,800 people in the right-wing extremist spectrum in Germany in 2022, according to a report presented by the BfV federal domestic intelligence agency in June — up from 33,900 in 2021.

The number considered potentially violent also rose from 13,500 to 14,000.

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EXTREMISM

Who are ‘Reichsbürger’ and how big a threat do they pose in Germany?

Members of the 'Reichsbürger' movement have become increasingly radicalised and are considered a security threat by German officials. How big a threat do they pose?

Published: 29 November 2023 12:51 CET
Who are 'Reichsbürger' and how big a threat do they pose in Germany?

On the outskirts of the eastern German town of Wittenberg, a corrugated iron gate painted with green leaves welcomes visitors to the “Königreich Deutschland” (Kingdom of Germany).

Those who step through the gate to the cluster of buildings on the other side are entering place that styles itself a country, complete with its own
flag, laws, currency and ID cards.

The so-called Kingdom of Germany was founded by former chef and karate teacher Peter Fitzek, who anointed himself as “king” in 2012 in an elaborate ceremony complete with a crown and sceptre.

Fitzek and his followers are part of a movement known as the Reichsbürger (Citizens of the Reich), a loose grouping of in some cases violent extremists and conspiracy theorists who reject the legitimacy of the modern German republic.

Long dismissed as malcontents and oddballs, the Reichsbürger have become increasingly radicalised and are considered a security threat by German authorities who launched their latest raid Wednesday on the Wittenberg site.

 

Fitzek, 58, ran unsuccessfully as a mayor and a member of the German parliament before deciding that founding the place was the only answer to the “mass manipulation” he saw in German society.

His territory has since grown to encompass several different sites across Germany and has more than 5,000 self-proclaimed citizens.

The so-called Kingdom of Germany was founded by former chef and karate teacher Peter Fitzek, pictured here in September 2023. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Heiko Rebsch

They tend to be people with a “pioneering spirit” who “want to make a positive change in this world”, Fitzek told AFP in Wittenberg, the group’s original base.

“We are open to all people who have their heart in the right place,” he said, sitting on a salmon-coloured sofa in the corner of a drab open-plan office.

Anti-vax

The Wittenberg complex comprises several office buildings, a carpentry workshop, a gift shop selling items made on site and a canteen that serves only vegan food.

About 30 people live and work on the site in a commune-style arrangement.

They are all non-smokers, non-drinkers and not vaccinated against Covid-19 – the kingdom has its own health insurance system for which this is a prerequisite.

As Fitzek strode around the Wittenberg site, pointing out everything from eco-friendly heating systems to a coin press machine for making “new German marks”, he promoted his project glowingly.

But in the latest raid, investigators said Wednesday they targeted 10 sites belonging to the “kingdom” on suspicion that it was running “banking and insurance businesses without the necessary permits”.

Despite authorities’ suspicion, life at Wittenberg is attractive to its adherents.

Laina, 47, and Roland, 50, who did not want to give their last names, moved to Wittenberg from the Munich area last year with their three children now aged six, nine and 12.

“We had been unhappy with the situation we were in for a while,” said Roland, who used to work in management for a TV shopping channel.

“Then the pandemic came, with all the restrictive measures, and we had a real feeling of unease.”

For Laina, a graphic designer, the move was about achieving a better work-life balance and a healthier lifestyle.

“During my pregnancies, I really began to notice what was important for me and what I needed,” she said.

The couple’s children do not attend a private or public school – something considered illegal in Germany.

But Laina said it is better for them to learn at their own pace.

‘Real danger’

There were around 23,000 members of the Reichsbürger movement in 2022, according to Germany’s federal domestic intelligence agency – up from 21,000 in 2021.

The number considered potentially violent also rose from 2,100 to 2,300.

Archive photo from November 18th shows police operation at a Bavarian hotel where so-called Reichsbürger members were gathering for a meeting

Photo from November 18th shows police operation at a Bavarian hotel where so-called Reichsbürger members were gathering for a meeting. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jason Tschepljakow

While Reichsbürger members subscribe to a similar ideology, the movement is made up of many disparate groups.

In November, German officials raided apartments nationwide over an alleged plot by a group of Reichsbürger to spread conspiracy theories and “destabilise” the state through social media.

In December 2022, members of a group including an ex-MP and former soldiers were arrested over a plot to attack parliament, overthrow the government and install aristocrat and businessman Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss as head of state.

READ ALSO: Germany busts far-right cell planning attack on parliament

Another high-profile case saw a group of Reichsbürger charged with plotting to kidnap health minister Karl Lauterbach in protest at Covid-19 restrictions.

Fitzek himself has had several run-ins with the law and has served time in prison for illegal insurance transactions, among other things.

Most recently, he was sentenced to eight months in jail in July for assault, though he has appealed the conviction and remains free until a final decision is made.

According to Jochen Hollmann, head of the domestic intelligence agency in Saxony-Anhalt state, the Reichsbürger pose a “real danger” to German society.

Far-right overlaps

Some have already resorted to violence and with the movement growing, “there is always a danger that… more will feel called upon to take action against the state order,” Hollmann told AFP.

Many ordinary Germans are also concerned about the rise of the movement.

In the village of Halsbrücke, near Dresden, local residents have formed an association to oppose plans by Fitzek’s “kingdom” to build an organic farm, in the hope of getting authorities to impose a right to refuse.

“It all sounds quite harmless at first,” said Jana Pinka, 60, an engineer and local councillor. But it is the “context” of the plans that troubles her.

“We see both this rejection of the state, including Germany’s borders, and the fact that people are seeking proximity to right-wing populist groups.

That scares us a little,” she said.

Only around eight percent of Reichsbürger in Saxony-Anhalt are classified as right-wing extremists, according to Hollmann, though “there are certainly overlaps”.

‘Marginalised’

What they do tend to have in common is that they are from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, especially in the former East Germany.

“Many people (here) feel marginalised and that is of course always a breeding ground for extremist parties or structures,” Pinka said.

“People look for a strong leader, which unfortunately we have already had bad experiences of in Germany. And that is something that all of us… need to think about.”

Fitzek, meanwhile, is undeterred. His ultimate aim is for his project to become so big that “the old order… simply dissolves peacefully,” he said.

“And we would not regret this loss at all, because we would have a much, much better order,” he said with a determined grin.

By Femke COLBORNE

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