German far-right coup plot trial to begin

The first of three trials linked to a far-right coup plot begins in Germany on Monday, with the defendants accused of preparing to commit high treason and belonging to a terrorist organization.

All the suspects, part of the so-called "Reichsbürger" movement, were allegedly plotting to overthrow the German government. The Reichsbürger, or "citizens of the Reich," reject Germany's post-war state, claiming it was installed and controlled by the Allied powers who won World War II.

Police uncovered the suspected plot in a series of nationwide raids on December 7, 2022. Some 25 people were arrested and are now in detention awaiting the upcoming trials. More than 380 firearms were confiscated, along with almost 150,000 pieces of ammunition.

The alleged military arm of this group is to face court in Stuttgart on April 29. The nine defendants are represented by 22 lawyers, while more than 300 witnesses have been named, including 270 police officers.

On May 21, the most high-profile trial begins in Frankfurt against the ten ringleaders of the plot. A further eight suspected members of the alleged association will have to stand trial in Munich from June 18.

'Reichsbürger' ringleader Prince Reuss will stand trial from May 21Image: Boris Roessler/dpa/picture alliance

The alleged ringleader of the "Reichsbürger" group facing charges is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a 72-year-old estate agent from Frankfurt and descendant of an aristocratic family. He was allegedly earmarked for the role of provisional head of a German state by his supporters.

His group is accused of planning to storm the German parliament and detaining prominent politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz , Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock  and conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz .

Among Reuss' co-conspirators to stand trial in Frankfurt is Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a judge and former representative of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the federal parliament, the Bundestag. She was allegedly to become Justice Minister after the coup.

AfD lawmaker Birgit Malsack-Winkemann had been earmarked as Justice Minister in a 'Reichsbürger' governmentImage: Metodi Popow/IMAGO

Following the high-profile arrests of the group surrounding Reuss in December 2022, there were more raids and arrests of Reichsbürger conspirators. In November 2023, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said: "We cannot say loudly enough on the day of one of the biggest raids against state subversive activities carried out by the right that this kind of polarization is increasing. And we have to defend our democracy anew each day."

QAnon-inspired fantasies

Reuss' supporters allegedly fantasized about deploying German army helicopters, flown by soldiers that back their cause. They are even accused of planning a violent takeover of the arms business Heckler & Koch, based in Oberndorf am Neckar, the Bundeswehr's main supplier of small arms.

The prosecution alleges that Prinz Reuss and his supporters believe that a "deep state" runs Germany and was planning to murder hundreds of children and teenagers. The group apparently believed the floods in Germany's Ahr Valley in 2021 were an attempt to cover up murders already committed by flooding old government bunkers. Among Reuss' supporters, there was talk of 600 dead children.

The federal prosecutor's office says the group was planning a violent coup d'etat and aiming to negotiate a new treaty with the World War Two allies, particularly Russia. The group allegedly carried out firearms training and reconnaissance missions in the Bundestag in preparation.

Almost 20,000 'Reichsbürger'

German intelligence agencies estimate that the "Reichsbürger" movement comprises around 20,000 people in Germany, about 2,300 of whom are described as "prepared to use violence." What they have in common are xenophobic and antisemitic beliefs. They reject democracy and have pro-monarchist tendencies.

Court proceedings recently began against "Reichsbürger" activists accused of threatening to abduct German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), in connection with government activities to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reporter Tobias Ginsburg spent eight months researching undercover in the "Reichsbürger" scene. He also carried out similar investigations among radical anti-vaxxer groups and conspiracy theorists during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2022.

When asked by DW last March whether he thought the movement was a real threat to the German state, Ginsburg said: "That is not so easy to answer as it might seem. The "Reichsbürger" are not a coherent group or an independent form of extremism. It is more of a conspiracy theory that is deeply anchored in German society and National Socialism." But he said that the group shared the fantasies of all far-right activists: "That is the idea of a homogenous society without aliens."

Rulings in all three trials linked to the alleged coup attempt of Prince Reuss and his co-conspirators are not expected before 2025.

This article was originally written in German.

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