A group led by Peter Fitzek, who declared himself as the “king” of Germany, along with three of his top followers, have been apprehended for their involvement in a conspiracy to topple the government, as per reports from various media outlets.
Peter Fitzek, 59, was taken into police custody during morning raids conducted Tuesday in seven German states, the BBC reported.Â
Fitzek’s group, the Reichsbürger, or “citizens of the Reich,” has also been banned by the government.Â
In October 23, 2023, Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed leader of the so-called “Kingdom of Germany,” proudly displayed the counterfeit currency he printed himself in Wittenberg, Germany. This event was captured in a photo by Jens Schlueter of AFP.
He said the group finances itself through crime.Â
Fitzek, who claims to have thousands of “subjects,” denied having violent intentions but also called Germany “destructive and sick.”
Back in 2022, a significant number of individuals linked with the Reichsbürger movement were arrested for scheming to overthrow the German government in Berlin. They were alleged to have devised a violent plan, which entailed the abduction of the health minister to incite “civil war-like circumstances” with the aim of undermining German democracy, according to BBC sources.Â
Self-made identity and banking documents of the so-called “Kingdom of Germany” are pictured in Wittenberg, Germany, Oct. 23, 2023. (Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images)
Once dismissed as eccentric by critics, the group is now seen within Germany as a serious threat as the far right has grown politically over the past decade, the report said.Â
