Learning and Skill Development in Upper Franconia
In a significant development, German authorities have dismantled a suspected terrorist plot aimed at violently overthrowing the state order. The arrests, carried out in August 2025, targeted members of the far-right Reichsbürger movement, a group that denies the legitimacy of modern Germany's government and constitution.
At the centre of the movement is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß, a noble and purported leader who would have been installed as head of state if the coup succeeded. The group is known for engaging in paramilitary weapons training, with evidence suggesting they prepared for a violent insurrection targeting the Bundestag in Berlin.
The recent raids and arrests took place in multiple German states, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. These actions were a response to evidence that members of the Reichsbürger group had taken part in weapons training at a former army shooting range in 2022 near Bayreuth. The training, believed to be preparations for a coup attempt on the Reichstag building in Berlin, saw the seizure of weapons and electronic devices for forensic analysis.
Several arrest warrants had already been issued for the three arrested men before the search action. Three more suspects were arrested in the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia, and Bavaria. Court proceedings are ongoing against about 27 suspects, including Reuß and other alleged leaders of the group.
The arrests reflect German law enforcement's efforts to prevent a far-right violent overthrow aimed at disrupting Germany's constitutional democratic order. Jochen Kopelke, the chairman of the Police Union, stated that the arrests demonstrate the threat to democracy from extremists and active terrorist groups. It is important to note that the presumption of innocence applies to the suspects until a final conviction.
The arrests were made by special forces of the police, with around 300 officers involved in the search action in the morning. Objects subject to the Weapons Act and data carriers were secured during the searches. The Oschenberg, a former military facility near Bindlach, was a meeting place for alleged "Reichsbürger" suspected of training for the coup attempt.
This is not the first time the Reichsbürger movement has come under scrutiny. The group became known after an anti-terror raid at the end of 2022. Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß and Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former AfD member of the German Bundestag, are among the accused in the ongoing trials.
As the trials continue, the German public and law enforcement remain vigilant in their efforts to protect the country's democratic institutions from extremist threats.
- Despite the ongoing trial of Reichsbürger members, including Heinrich XIII Prince Reuß and former AfD member Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, security forces are working to seize any opportunities for free time and engaging in paramilitary training, as evidence suggests such activities could lead to war-and-conflicts that disrupt Germany's democratic order.
- In the aftermath of the dismantled coup attempt by the Reichsbürger movement, general news, crime-and-justice sectors are paying close attention to political developments regarding the group, as the arrests and ongoing court proceedings are shedding light on a possible revival of extremist activities that could pose a threat to the country's constitutional order.
