Three people suspected of belonging to the far-right “Reichsbürger” group have been arrested, the Bavarian state criminal police in southern Germany said Thursday.
Authorities accuse the suspects of being members of a terrorist organization that aimed to violently overthrow Germany’s constitutional order.
What do we know about the Reichsbürger raids?
The General Prosecutor’s Office in Munich confirmed that German special police forces had taken three male suspects into custody early Thursday.
The arrests followed 6 a.m. raids targeting six suspects — five men and one woman aged between 40 and 61 — in the German states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia.
Around 300 investigators searched four properties. These locations are believed to be linked to the group’s past activities, including weapons training and planning meetings.
The six suspects are alleged to have taken part in a training event with other members of the group in April 2022 at a former German army shooting range near Bayreuth.
Investigators believe the firearms training was meant to prepare for a possible armed assault on the German Bundestag in Berlin. Prosecutors view the event as part of broader paramilitary preparations by the network, which rejects the legitimacy of Germany’s Federal Republic.
What were investigators looking for?
The operation was supported by roughly 300 officers, including special forces units. Investigators seized weapons-regulated items and electronic data storage devices for further analysis.
Authorities say the evidence may help determine the level of involvement of the suspects and whether the group received wider support.
Who are the Reichsbürger?
The “Reichsbürger” — or “Reich citizens” — are a loose network of conspiracy theorists in Germany who reject the legitimacy of the modern German state.
Though some members overlap with the far right, the movement is defined by four core beliefs: that the German Reich still legally exists; that post-war Germany lacks a valid constitution; that the Federal Republic is merely a private company; and that Germany remains under Allied occupation.
The group’s central figure Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss and other key leaders of the far-right group were arrested in December 2022.
Court proceedings against 27 alleged ringleaders are ongoing in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Munich, with more suspects under investigation.
In one case, a court in the western city of Koblenz jailed five people who planned to abduct former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach as part of the plot.
Prosecutors say the group intended to install Reuss as a provisional head of state following the overthrow of the government.
Emerging in the 1980s, Reichsbürger members operate as both organized groups and individuals. Some refuse to pay taxes, ignore court rulings, or create self-declared “micronations” with names like the “Free State of Prussia” or the “Principality of Germania.” Many produce fake passports, driver’s licenses, and even royal titles.
Long dismissed as eccentrics, they have drawn increased scrutiny in recent years due to increasing radicalization. In 2016, a Reichsbürger adherent fatally shot a police officer during a raid. That same year, Germany’s domestic intelligence service began officially monitoring the movement, citing growing links to extremism and violence.The group’s central figure Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss and other key leaders of the far-right group were arrested in December 2022.
Court proceedings against 27 alleged ringleaders are ongoing in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Munich, with more suspects under investigation.
In one case, a court in the western city of Koblenz jailed five people who planned to abduct former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach as part of the plot.
Prosecutors say the group intended to install Reuss as a provisional head of state following the overthrow of the government.
Emerging in the 1980s, Reichsbürger members operate as both organized groups and individuals. Some refuse to pay taxes, ignore court rulings, or create self-declared “micronations” with names like the “Free State of Prussia” or the “Principality of Germania.” Many produce fake passports, driver’s licenses, and even royal titles.
Long dismissed as eccentrics, they have drawn increased scrutiny in recent years due to increasing radicalization. In 2016, a Reichsbürger adherent fatally shot a police officer during a raid. That same year, Germany’s domestic intelligence service began officially monitoring the movement, citing growing links to extremism and violence.
