Exercising in Upper Franconia: A Guide
In a significant development, three men have been arrested and raids have been conducted across several German states in connection with a suspected coup attempt by the far-right extremist group, the Reichsbürger.
On August 7, 2025, Bavarian police, supported by around 300 investigators, carried out early-morning raids in Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. The arrests were announced by the Bavarian LKA and the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office.
The suspects, aged 40 to 61, are accused of participating in weapons training in April 2022, which prosecutors believe was in preparation for an armed attack on the German Bundestag in Berlin.
This latest action is part of a broader crackdown on the Reichsbürger movement, which denies the legitimacy of the modern German state and holds anti-democratic views, often intertwined with antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Earlier in 2025, the German federal government banned "Königreich Deutschland," a key Reichsbürger organization, arresting four of its leaders and conducting searches across seven German states.
Ongoing trials against 27 suspects, including Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss, who was arrested in December 2022, are part of the efforts to dismantle the Reichsbürger group's violent plans and uphold Germany’s constitutional order.
Jochen Kopelke, the chairman of the Police Union (GdP), stated that the arrests demonstrate a significant threat to democracy from extremists and active terrorist groups.
The training session took place on a shooting range in Upper Franconia, and items subject to the Weapons Act and data carriers were secured during the searches.
It is important to note that the accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until a final conviction.
This news comes after the German federal government banned "Königreich Deutschland" in May 2025 and the arrests prevented potential worse outcomes, according to Kopelke.
The Reichsbürger group became known following an anti-terror raid at the end of 2022. The suspects in these trials are alleged to have planned a violent overthrow of the federal government and accepted potential deaths.
Heinrich XIII. Prince Reuß and Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former AfD member of the German Bundestag, are among the accused. Three terrorism trials against the "Reichsbürger" group Reuß are currently ongoing nationwide.
Until a final conviction, the suspects are entitled to the presumption of innocence. However, the investigations suggest that the exercises were preparatory for a potential attack on the German Bundestag.
[1] Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz [2] Bundeskriminalamt [3] Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt [4] Staatsanwaltschaft München I [5] Deutschlandfunk
- Following the recent arrests of three men suspected of participating in a planned coup attempt by the Reichsbürger group, the general news has been filled with updates on war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice, with ongoing trials against 27 suspects being a significant part of these discussions.
- Radio broadcasts, such as those on Deutschlandfunk, have been holding discussions on this matter, highlighting the concerns of Jochen Kopelke, the chairman of the Police Union (GdP), who echoes the need for constant vigilance against extremists and active terrorist groups, like the Reichsbürger movement.
