Beer Garden Chatter About Government Takeover: Ex-General Testifies Against Maximilian Eder
Discussion about Plotting a Government Overthrow Overheard in a Beer Garden - Discussion in Biergarten Regarding Alleged Government Overthrow Plans
In the ongoing trial of the self-proclaimed "Reichsbürger" group, led by Heinrich XIII. Prince Reuß, a testimony surfaces detailing a discussion about a violent overthrow of the federal government in a Bavarian beer garden. The defendant, former soldier Maximilian Eder, was the subject of the conversation.
The retired General, who once served in the German military, remembers Eder asking him to switch off his devices during their 2021 meeting. Following this, the retired colonel echoed criticisms of the federal government. Remarkably, they also discussed the potential "eradication" or assassination of key politicians such as the then Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn.
Eder reportedly envisioned changes in the Ministry of Defense post-coup, and the former General was to serve a vital role alongside another high-ranking officer in the new administration, according to the testimony. Alarmed by these plans, the witness reported his concerns to the military intelligence agency the very next day.
Their friendship dates back to 1990, when they were together in a general staff course with the German armed forces. Through the years, they kept in touch sporadically and occasionally met. But their outlooks on the coronavirus pandemic gradually diverged; Eder took an extreme stance against the measures, while the witness maintained more mainstream views.
Describing Eder, the witness characterized him as an individual who "has a strong emotional drive to do good, but his solutions are often more pipe dreams than sensible strategies."
Prosecution claims Eder orchestrated coup schemes
Bavarian ex-soldier Eder has allegedly been one of the founding members of the association and is said to have agreed with fellow group members to overthrow the German government unconstitutionally. Active Bundeswehr soldiers were reportedly targeted by Eder to support the association's ideals. In January 2022, he drafted a declaration laying out plans for the government's deposition.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the nine defendants – now on trial in Frankfurt – of being associated with a terrorist organization or supporting it. They stand accused of conspiring to violently subvert the existing political order and establish their own alternative form of governance.
A total of 26 individuals are under investigation in this complex case, with separate trials ongoing in Munich and Stuttgart. Until there's a verdict, all the accused continue to enjoy the presumption of innocence. The Frankfurt trial resumes on May 13.
- Eder
- Beer Garden
- Bundeswehr
- Government Overthrow
- Heinrich XIII.
- Reuß
- Frankfurt
- Federal Government
- Frankfurt am Main
- Higher Regional Court Frankfurt
- Jens Spahn
- Maximilian Eder, a self-proclaimed "Reichsbürger" and former soldier, was alleged to have discussed a violent government overthrow in a Bavarian beer garden, as detailed in his trial.
- The retired General who testified against Eder recounted their friendship that started in a general staff course with the German armed forces in 1990.
- Remarkably, during their 2021 meeting, Eder asked the retired General to switch off his devices and the conversation turned to a potential removal or assassination of key politicians, such as the then Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn.
- Eder reportedly envisioned himself playing a significant role in the post-coup Ministry of Defense, with the retired General serving as a vital member in the new administration, accused testimony claims.
- Eder, currently on trial in Frankfurt alongside eight others, has been accused by the Federal Prosecutor's Office of being associated with a terrorist organization or supporting it, aiming to overthrow the German government unconstitutionally.
