Armed assault on affluent residents in Brandenburg
Title: Far-Right Terror Group "Kaiserreichsgruppe" Under Investigation in Germany
On a Wednesday morning, the Brandenburg police, working in coordination with the General Prosecutor's Office in Berlin, carried out searches at the residences of three individuals suspected of supporting a dangerous terrorist organization and plotting high treason. The suspects, aged 64, 59, and 46, were alleged to have failed to report planned crimes.
During the searches in Stahnsdorf, Spremberg, and Königs Wusterhausen, authorities managed to seize various electronic storage devices, air pressure rifles, and a PTB weapon.
The 64-year-old suspect is said to have held crucial knowledge about the violent overthrow plans of the "Kaiserreichsgruppe" since at least March 19, 2022. He reportedly offered to scout railway signal boxes as potential targets for disrupting the national railway infrastructure in an internal chat of the group.
The two other suspects, aged 46 and 59, were accused of knowing about the group's structures and goals since March 2022. Both are believed to have been aware the group was preparing to violently overthrow the democratic order and had a keen interest in acquiring weapons.
"The suspects had a duty to inform the security authorities but failed to do so," said Prosecutor Petzold.
Context of the "Reichsbürger" Terror Group
Also known as the "Vereinigte Patrioten" or "Germany Tag X", the "Kaiserreichsgruppe" aimed to overthrow the liberal democratic order of the Federal Republic of Germany and establish an authoritarian system based on the German Reich's constitution of 1871.
This far-right terrorist group emerged from the "Reichsbürger" and "Querdenker" movements. By the end of 2023, over eleven individuals were apprehended as alleged members or supporters of the group.
At least five of them had plans to carry out explosive attacks on the power grid, kidnap the then Federal Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, and overthrow the federal government to spark a civil war and trigger a change in the state order on a "Day X".
The legal proceedings against the leading members and supporters of the group have been ongoing at the Federal Court of Justice. Multiple defendants have already been sentenced to several years in prison by a Higher Regional Court in Koblenz. The current investigations stemmed from the proceedings at the Federal Court of Justice.
According to Petzold, "The evidence secured in those proceedings and the subsequent investigations in Berlin made it possible to identify these suspects."
The proceedings against the Brandenburg suspects are still ongoing, and no recent public sentences have been announced. However, previous members of the "Kaiserreichsgruppe" have received significant prison sentences, demonstrating the judicial response to the group's terrorist intentions.
| Name / Age | Role | Allegations | Current Status ||--------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|| 64 years old | Leading member | Detailed knowledge of violent coup plans, planned sabotage | Under investigation, no sentence yet || 59 years old | Supporter | Supporting terrorist group, aiding treason | Under investigation, no sentence yet || 46 years old | Supporter | Supporting terrorist group, aiding treason | Under investigation, no sentence yet || 54 years old | Supporter (from different region) | Offered shooting training, attended meetings, planned participation | Under investigation, no sentence yet |
These investigations include searches of their homes and various police seizures intended to gather more evidence. The group had made explicit plans to attack German infrastructure and government officials, highlighting the severity of the threat.
Policy-and-legislation measures in dealing with far-right terrorist groups, such as the "Kaiserreichsgruppe," are warranted, given the gravity of their crimes and intentions to disrupt the democratic order. The political landscape and general news have been significantly impacted by the emergence and activities of such groups, including crime-and-justice implications for their members.
