Following the Reichsbürger operation, three individuals are presently detained.
German Aristocrat and Far-Right Leader Accused of Plotting Coup
In a high-profile case, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß, a German aristocrat and leading figure in the far-right Reich Citizens movement, is facing accusations of planning a violent coup against the federal government. The arrest warrants for Prince Reuß and three other individuals were issued at the Higher Regional Court in Munich.
Heinrich XIII, born in 1951, is a member of the historically significant House of Reuss, which ruled small German principalities until 1918. He has primarily worked as a property developer and invested in legal battles to reclaim family assets lost after World War II. However, his role in the Reich Citizens movement has brought him under scrutiny.
This movement, which denies the legitimacy of the modern German state and its legal system, has been classified as extremist by authorities. They accuse it of undermining the Federal Republic's legal order and engaging in illegal activities. The group is said to have been planning its activities under the guise of a legal movement.
In May 2024, a trial began against Heinrich XIII and others for their alleged roles in planning a coup. The movement, with Heinrich XIII as one of its leaders, claims sovereign status, rejects the current German state's authority, and aspires to restore the borders of the German Empire from 1871 or similar prior entities.
The arrests and trials followed a raid at the end of 2022, during which three men, aged between 45 and 61, were arrested. A total of six suspects, including five men and one woman, are being investigated. Searches were conducted in Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia during the raid, and approximately 300 police officers were involved.
Data carriers secured during the searches are currently being evaluated for evidence. Items subject to the Weapons Act were also secured during the searches, and the suspects are alleged to have been willing to accept casualties. The training session took place on a former military shooting range near Bayreuth in April 2022, where the three men, along with other suspected supporters of the group, allegedly participated in a shooting training session with short and long firearms.
The exercises were allegedly intended to prepare for a possible attack on the German Bundestag. The group is said to have been planning their activities with the intention of violently overthrowing the state order. However, until a final conviction, the presumption of innocence applies to the suspects.
Three major terrorism trials against the "Reich Citizens" group Reuß are currently underway nationwide. The case against Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß and his associates is one of the most notable recent criminal cases in Germany. As the trial progresses, the public will be closely watching the proceedings to understand the extent of the group's activities and the role of its leading figures.
[1] Reuters [2] BBC News [3] Deutsche Welle [4] The Local [5] The Guardian
- The general-news outlets have reported extensively on the high-profile trial of Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a German aristocrat and far-right leader, who, along with his associates, is accused of plotting a violent coup against the federal government.
- In the realm of politics and crime-and-justice, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, a prominent figure in the extremist Reich Citizens movement, faces serious charges related to a coup plot, which could have far-reaching implications for Germany's legal order and national security.
