Who was Prince Heinrich XIII and what is the Reichsbürger movement in Germany?
On December 7, 25 people were detained in Germany in major police raids on suspected far-right extremists.
A group reportedly plotted to overthrow the German government by force – and planned to install a self-declared prince as the country’s new leader.
The raids were described by Germany’s Justice Minister Marco Buschmann as ‘a major anti-terror operation’ – and he wrote on Twitter (translated from German) that ‘there is a suspicion that an armed attack on constitutional bodies was planned’.
Among the suspects is a man, 71, going by the nickname ‘Prince Heinrich XIII’, believed to be the leader of the so-called ‘Reichsbürger’ movement.
But who exactly is the leader named after – and what is the movement about?
Here is everything you need to know.
The nickname a thought to be a reference to the real-life Prince Heinrich XIII, who was Prince Reuss of Greiz (a town in Germany) from 1800 to his death aged 69 in 1817.
The Prince is best known for rebuilding Greiz after it was devastated by a fire in 1802.
He ordered that the city be rebuilt in a neoclassical style, and he moved his residence from the Oberes Schloss (Upper Castle) to the Unteres Schloss (Lower Castle), to be more in contact with his people.
Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, Henry XIII joined the Confederation of the Rhine and was a member of the German Confederation. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, he was involved in a territorial dispute with the Kingdom of Saxony – from which he won the domain of cities Altgommla and Kühdorf.
What is the Reichsbürger movement in Germany?
The ‘Reichsbürger’ in Germany is a far-right, extremist movement.
It is believed to be made up of individuals and smaller organisations, who reject the Federal Republic of Germany (the current state of Germany), its government and the authorities.
They are said to want the country to be returned to its pre-war state, the German Reich, which existed before the end of the Second World War.
‘Reichsbürger’ means ‘Reich Citizens’ or ‘Citizens of the Reich’ – while ‘reich’ itself refers to a ‘realm’ or ’empire’ in English.
France24 reports that the movement comprises ‘conspiracy theorists, neo-nazis and gun enthusiasts’.
According to DW, the group – largely located in states Bavaria, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – refuse to pay taxes, often file lawsuits with local authorities, and declare their own small ‘national territories’ (such as the ‘Free State of Prussia’) with documents or flags to that effect.
DW also reports that its members were among those storming the Reichstag (Parliament) building in Berlin in protest of Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines in 2021.
Reichsbürger has been associated with a number of violent attacks, including against police officers.
In 2016, a Bavarian police offer was shot and killed, and two others were injured, by an alleged member of Reichsbürger – who was later sentenced to life in prison for murder.
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