Around 400 Reich citizens in the district - several weapons confiscated - intersections with lateral thinkers

Created: 2022-12-17 07:36

By: Roland Lory

Pistols, revolvers and ammunition lie on a table.

Since 2015, seven gun owners in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district have had their gun licenses revoked.

© Friso Gentsch/dpa

A nationwide raid on the Reich citizen scene recently dominated the headlines.

In the district, too, the authorities are repeatedly confronted with this clientele.

Weapons were confiscated from several Reich citizens.

They did not give them out voluntarily.

District

– If you address Seehausen's Mayor Markus Hörmann (CSU) on the subject of Reich citizens, he immediately thinks of a special case.

One day, a person came to the town hall, which is also the seat of the administrative community (VG) Seehausen, and tore up her passport.

This is "not a valid document".

A referendum took place a few weeks later.

The person concerned wanted to take part – and “quickly applied for an ID card again,” says Hörmann.

You could laugh about that.

However, a recent large-scale raid has shown that the Reich citizens who question the legitimacy and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany are not to be trifled with.

An armed group of Reich citizens and lateral thinkers is said to have planned a coup.

Among the 52 accused are ex-elite soldiers and a former AfD member of the Bundestag.

Searches were carried out in eleven federal states.

"There were no measures in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen," says Sandra Lücke, deputy press spokeswoman for the Attorney General.

"Strange Letter"

The raid highlights a scene that also includes residents of the district.

This is noticeable in the municipalities, for example, if someone does not want to pay taxes and fees.

According to Hörmann, the reason given is, for example, that there is “no legal basis” for the claim.

Something like this happens two to three times a year in the VG, of which Hörmann is the chairman.

A “strange letter” was received this summer.

The zip code was in brackets, the letter had a self-made stamp.

It was no child's handicraft, but the writing of a Reich citizen.

"It was also about fees."

In the Murnau town hall one is also occasionally confronted with the topic.

"It happens that citizens refuse to pay taxes or fees," says Nina Herweck-Bockhorni, Deputy Manager.

"In these cases, regardless of the cause, the tax claims from the Murnau market will of course be pursued." One means of enforcement is seizure.

"Overall, the topic of Reich citizens is a very sensitive topic," says Herweck-Bockhorni.

In the event of suspected cases, the Murnau store works closely with the responsible higher-level authorities.

According to Mayor Christian Scheuerer (independent), who also heads the VG Ohlstadt, three identity cards have been issued in Ohlstadt in the past year and a half.

He cannot give any details.

He was not aware that people from the Reichsbürger milieu did not pay fees.

By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular GAP newsletter.

There are intersections between Reich citizens and lateral thinkers.

"The transitions are fluid," says Stefan Sonntag, spokesman for the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South.

Experience shows “that Reich citizens have also approached corona deniers and lateral thinkers in order to create a common ground.

You are ideologically close."

According to Joachim Loy, head of the local inspection, 15 to 20 participants from the Reich citizen scene were present at the Murnau Corona demos.

"They went individually, not in a group."

Retired colonel was in Murnau

According to the Tagblatt, one of those arrested during the aforementioned raid appeared in Murnau as part of a Corona protest.

This is Maximilian E. The KSK co-founder and retired colonel belonged to the military arm of the group and radicalized among the lateral thinkers.

In a video message in November, he announced "a lot of upheaval" ahead of Christmas 2022.

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My space

How many people in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen are currently considered Reich citizens?

The weapons authority at the district office of Garmisch-Partenkirchen "a total of 76 people have been reported since 2016 with corresponding indications," says press spokesman Wolfgang Rotzsche.

"The majority were classified as Reich citizens." Since 2015, seven gun owners have had their gun permits revoked.

According to Rotzsche, three revocations are final and four proceedings are still pending.

"A total of 15 firearms were registered in the gun ownership cards."

The owners never gave up their guns voluntarily.

That means the police had to move out.

The district authority estimates that the number of Reich citizens or people who are close to this movement is around 0.4 to 0.5 percent of the district population.

That would be a total of around 350 to 450 people.

Karin Beuting, spokeswoman at the district court of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, says that the problem has "ebbed away".

"It's a declining phenomenon." Two years ago there were significantly more cases.

However: "Bailiffs have a lot to do with it," says the deputy director.

Also interesting:

the number of Reich citizens is growing