Germany Bans Far-Right Group and Arrests Leaders

Germany banned a secessionist group known as “Kingdom of Germany” that opposed Germany’s constitutional order and proclaimed to run a “counter-state” under the rule of an absolute, self-appointed monarch that called himself “King Peter,” Politico reported. 

The ban was announced by Germany’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, on Tuesday. Officials said there were raids on the group across seven German states, with four alleged leaders of the group, including its “king,” Peter Fitzek, arrested. Another property was searched in Switzerland.

“These extremists created a counter-state in Germany and ran criminal financial operations,” Dobrindt said. “They reinforce their bogus claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy theories. A constitutional democracy cannot tolerate this.”  

The group was founded in the eastern city of Wittenberg in 2012 and became known for running unlicensed banking operations and promoting its own laws and institutions. Fitzek, once convicted of running illegal banking operations, ruled as “King Peter I” and appointed two deputies and a finance chief.  

This ban follows Germany’s increased scrutiny of the country’s Reichsbürger scene, or Citizens of the Reich. Last year, nine men, including a judge and a lawmaker, went on trial for an attempted coup in 2022 by one of these groups, noted Reuters.  

The Reichsbürger movement is made up of individuals and small groups who deny the legitimacy of the modern German state, claiming that democracy is illegitimate and that the German Reich still exists. Many believe that Germany is still under the Allied occupation. 

The “Kingdom of Germany,” which counts about 6,000 supporters, aims to secede from Germany and establish a counter-state with its own police force and jurisdiction. 

German law allows for the ban of organizations, including political parties, that are deemed to violate or threaten the constitutional order. German politicians are currently debating whether to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the biggest opposition party in parliament.