Germany has outlawed the extremist far-right group “Königreich Deutschland” (Kingdom of Germany), linked to the “Reichsbürger” movement, and arrested four of its top members during coordinated dawn raids across several states, the interior ministry announced on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the organization, which has about 6,000 members, had established a “counter-state” within Germany and “built up economic criminal structures.”
The self-proclaimed Kingdom of Germany was declared by its founder, Peter Fitzek, in 2012 in the eastern town of Wittenberg. Fitzek was among those arrested during the operation. The group claims to be an independent state that has broken away from the German federal government.
According to Dobrindt, the group’s ideology is rooted in antisemitic conspiracy theories. “We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,” he stated.
As part of the ban, the group’s digital platforms will be shut down and its assets seized to prevent the continuation of its extremist activities.
The broader “Citizens of the Reich” movement rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state. Its members claim that the German Reich still exists and refuse to acknowledge democratic institutions, laws, or courts. They commonly reject paying taxes, social security contributions, or state-imposed fines.
Berlin has long warned of the increasing danger posed by far-right extremism and has intensified efforts to dismantle such networks. In March, five individuals affiliated with the “Reichsbürger” movement were imprisoned for attempting to stage a far-right coup against the German government.
