The reappraisal of the nationwide raid against "Reichsbürger" is ongoing. An expert explains how they are to be assessed in terms of character – and why a lot of money in the wrong hands is dangerous.
Cologne – How to fight "Reichsbürger" most effectively is controversial. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wants to enforce stricter gun laws and Stephan Weil (SPD), Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, demands: The Office for the Protection of the Constitution should take a closer look. SPD General Kevin Kühnert sees the problem primarily in Bavaria, because a quarter of all nationally known "Reich citizens" live there.
First of all, it would be important to start at the beginning and understand what makes the characters tick in this scene. In its current annual report, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution counts 21,000 people among those who deny the authority and sovereignty of the Federal Republic. What kind of people are they?
The profile of the "Reichsbürger": Understanding oneself as a sovereign
For David Meiering, one thing is clear: their worldview is reminiscent of Elon Musk. At the Humboldt University of Berlin, he investigates the narratives that hold extremist groups together. In the case of the "citizens of the Reich", this mechanism is very clear. "It's about seeing oneself as a sovereign," he told IPPEN's Frankfurter Rundschau. MEDIA.
+"Libertarian authoritarianism" is what experts call what unites Elon Musk (left) and Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss.
© Dimitrios Kambouris/Boris Roessler/afp/dpa (montage)
Take Wolfgang P. from Georgensgmünd in Bavaria, for example: In 2016, he shot and killed an SEK officer when the police wanted to take away his weapons. Wolfgang P. only came to the attention of the authorities because he refused to pay his vehicle tax. He chased the customs from the court with the words that they were "entering foreign state territory". For Meiering, this is a symbol: "I am the state – and I recognize and solve my problems myself."
Tackling things yourself, not wanting help and living a self-determined life: It stands to reason that the type of entrepreneur is often found among the "Reich citizens". Meiering tells the story of Peter Fitzek, who proclaimed the Kingdom of Germany in Saxony-Anhalt. He considers himself the "King of Germany". Fitzek founded, among other things, a supposedly own pension fund. The goal: to build pseudo-legitimized parallel structures and thus make the actually existing state and economic structures obsolete, says the Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
"Reichsbürger": Ideological overlaps with the American tech scene
"Fitzek's approach is typical of the 'Reichsbürger'," says Meiering. There is now a separate expression for this character profile in sociology: "libertarian authoritarianism". It's an unwieldy term, but it opens up an international perspective. "We are dealing with an over-the-top form of liberalism. We see this more advanced in the US, especially in the tech scene. There are people on the road who see themselves as the center of the world and adhere to the belief that they can change the world on their own. Elon Musk is the best example of this," says Meiering. Narcissism also plays a very important role in this.
About IPPEN. MEDIA:
The IPPEN. MEDIA-Netzwerk is one of the largest online publishers in Germany. At our locations in Berlin, Hamburg/Bremen, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Stuttgart and Vienna, journalists from our central editorial office research and publish for more than 50 news services. These include brands such as Münchner Merkur, Frankfurter Rundschau and BuzzFeed Germany. Our news, interviews, analyses and commentaries reach several million people in Germany every day.
Now you might think: Let them stop. But the case of Musk in particular shows that megalomania becomes more dangerous when a person has a lot of money. The "citizens of the Reich" are also well equipped. "The assets found are unique. Gold bars worth 6 million euros, 400,000 euros in cash and the real estate," says Meiering. "The houses are particularly important in order to be able to meet conspiratorially."
Expert on "Reichsbürger": "The Office for the Protection of the Constitution underestimates the overlaps"
The question remains: what about the right edge? The Office for the Protection of the Constitution says: everything is not so dramatic. In its report, presented in June 2022, just over five percent of all "Reichsbürger" are classified as right-wing extremists. A mistake? "The Office for the Protection of the Constitution underestimates the overlaps, there are some – for example, anti-Semitism, which is very pronounced among right-wing extremists and 'citizens of the Reich'," says Meiering.
+David Meiering's research interests include radicalization research and democratic theory.
© Tobias Winkel
He refers to Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, an arrested judge and former AfD member of the Bundestag. She has always been assigned to the moderate wing. "This misjudgement is deeply revealing. The links with Parliament must now be reviewed. Since Björn Höcke published his book in 2018, we know that it is a strategy to infiltrate the security authorities. That's why it would be important to take a closer look there and also to control the parliamentary arm, the AfD, more closely."
Nevertheless, Meiering thinks it is right to differentiate. Because there are big differences between right-wing extremism and "Reichsbürger": "Right-wing extremism divides people into higher and inferior groups. In the case of the 'citizens of the Reich', the abolition of democracy is in the foreground." To prevent this, the German government now wants to spend more money on civic education. The aim is to strengthen citizens' trust in democracy. It is to be hoped that the "citizens of the Reich" do not want to solve the loss of confidence in democracy themselves.
Category list image: © Dimitrios Kambouris/Boris Roessler/afp/dpa (montage)
