Bavarian authorities detain individuals associated with the far-right Reichsbürger movement

In the heart of Germany, a far-right group known as the "Reichsbürger" has been under increased scrutiny due to growing links to extremism and violence. Emerging in the 1980s, this loose network of conspiracy theorists rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state.

The group rose to notoriety in 2016 when a member fatally shot a police officer during a raid. In response, Germany's domestic intelligence service began officially monitoring the movement. Since then, investigations have revealed that the group intended to install a provisional head of state following the overthrow of the government, and that they had been preparing for a possible armed assault on the German Bundestag in Berlin.

Recent arrests have shed more light on the group's activities. On May 13, 2025, Peter Fitzek and three other persons were arrested as alleged ringleaders of the banned "Kingdom of Germany" group. Fitzek was taken into pretrial detention for founding a criminal organization. The arrests were the result of raids targeting six suspects - five men and one woman - in the German states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia.

In April 2022, six suspects, including Fitzek, allegedly took part in a training event with other members of the group at a former German army shooting range near Bayreuth. The operation was supported by roughly 300 officers, including special forces units.

The General Prosecutor's Office in Munich confirmed the arrest of three male suspects on Thursday. The group's central figure, Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, and other key leaders of the far-right group were arrested in December 2022. Around 300 investigators searched four properties believed to be linked to the group's past activities.

Some members of the Reichsbürger refuse to pay taxes, ignore court rulings, or create self-declared "micronations" with names like the "Free State of Prussia" or the "Principality of Germania." Many also produce fake passports, driver's licenses, and even royal titles.

In one case, a court in the western city of Koblenz jailed five people who planned to abduct former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach as part of the plot. The evidence seized during the raids may help determine the level of involvement of the suspects and whether the group received wider support.

Long dismissed as eccentrics, the Reichsbürger have drawn increased scrutiny in recent years due to increasing radicalization. Court proceedings against 27 alleged ringleaders are ongoing in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Munich, with more suspects under investigation. The fight against extremism and violence continues as Germany works to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

Bavarian authorities detain individuals associated with the far-right Reichsbürger movement