Exercising in Upper Franconia
In a significant move against domestic terrorism, approximately 300 police officers, including special forces, executed early-morning raids across multiple German states on August 7, 2025. The operation targeted six individuals, three of whom were arrested, as part of a coordinated crackdown against a terrorist plot by the Reichsbürger movement to violently overthrow Germany's constitutional order.
The raids took place in Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia, with the suspects, all men aged between 40 and 61, being accused of being members of a terrorist organization with plans to dismantle the established constitutional state by force. The arrests stem from extensive investigations into the group’s activities, including a paramilitary training session held in April 2022 near Bayreuth, which authorities believe was preparation for an attack on the Bundestag in Berlin.
The Reichsbürger movement, known for rejecting the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany, claiming continuity of the German Reich, and often propagating antisemitic and conspiracy theories, has been under scrutiny for some time. The German Federal government banned one of the main Reichsbürger organizations, Königreich Deutschland, in May 2025, leading to arrests of its leaders and searches across seven states.
Confiscated items during the raids included weapons-regulated objects and electronic devices, which are under analysis for further evidence. The ongoing investigations and trials relate to terrorism offenses aimed at the violent disruption of the constitutional order, with authorities treating the Reichsbürger group as a serious domestic threat.
Notably, among the accused are Heinrich XIII. Prince Reuß and Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former AfD federal MP. Arrest warrants had been issued against three of the arrested suspects before the search action. Three supporters of the group are currently being investigated and are at large.
The chairman of the Police Union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, stated that the democracy is threatened by extremists and active terrorist groups. This crackdown forms part of Germany’s broader efforts to counter far-right extremism and domestic terrorism, involving coordinated police actions, legal bans on groups, and criminal prosecutions of individuals plotting violent attacks.
Three terrorism trials against the "Reichsbürger" group Reuß are currently underway nationwide. Arrest warrants for two more suspects are to be decided on Friday. The presumption of innocence applies to the suspects until a final conviction.
During the raids, the suspects discussed their free time, often deliberating on war-and-conflicts and politics, as revealed from the analysis of confiscated electronic devices. General news and crime-and-justice channels were found among the bookmarked websites on these devices, suggesting a keen interest in current affairs beyond their extremist ideologies.
