Provisional Imperial Government

[[File:Berlin proteste 15.09.2013 18-36-30.JPG|thumb|right|400px|''Reichsbürger'' protesters in Berlin, 2013. The larger of the signs says, in [[German]]: "The peoples of [[Germany]]: [[France|liberation 1813 from Napoleon]], liberation 2013 from [[Bullshit|EU-fascism!]]"
<br>The "GG" there ''does not'' stand for [[Gamergate|'''G'''amer'''g'''ate]]; it stands for '''''G'''rund'''g'''esetz'' ("Constitution", in [[German]]) and references article 146 of it, which confirms the legitimacy of [[Germany]].<ref>[https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_146.html Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland Art 146] ''Bendesministerium der Justiz''.</ref>]] {{pseudolaw}}
A '''Provisional Imperial Government''' ('''{{hint|oink oink|PIG}}'''; German: '''''Kommissarische Reichsregierung''''') or the movement of the '''''Reichsbürger''''' (German: '''''Citizens of the realm''''') is composed of organizations and groups that claim that the modern [[Germany|German state]], also known as the [[Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]], is an illegitimate state within the historical territory of [[Germany]], and the [[German Empire]], or Second Reich (German: ''Zweites Reich'', "2<sup>nd</sup> realm") should be restored, along with the House of Hohenzollern (the last ruler of this house was Wilhelm II, Kaiser of Germany and King of Prussia) ruling it. Many within the movement see {{wpl|Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia}} and great-great-grandson of Wilhelm II as the legitimate ruler of Germany.<ref>[https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-march-of-germanys-extreme-monarchists/ The march of Germany’s extreme monarchists] by Katja Hoyer (05 November 2022) ''The Spectator''.</ref>

There are multiple competing groups and individuals making these claims. Currently, approximately 60 "real" Germanys exist.<ref>[http://www.krr-faq.net Acting Government of the German Reich] ''The KRR-FAQ''. According to a pro-Reichsbürger site located in [[Vermont]] with linkbait.</ref>

In practice, many ''Reichsbürger'' tend to be [[neo-Nazis]] and/or people trying to get out of speeding tickets or debts. However, some do actually believe that the 2<sup>nd</sup> Reich was legitimate while the [[Nazi Germany|3<sup>rd</sup> Reich]] (German: ''Drittes Reich'', "3<sup>rd</sup> realm") wasn't.
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==Reichsargumente or Reichsbürger arguments==
[[File:Kaiser_Wilhelm_II_of_Germany_-_1902.jpg|130px|left|thumb|Wilhelm II, German Kaiser, King of Prussia and the complete loser that the ''Reichsbürger'' venerate.]] 
==="The German Reich still exists"===
This is achieved by heavy [[quote mining]] from politicians up until the [[Germany|German Reunification]] in 1990. Very popular is referring to a 1973 ruling of the German Constitutional Court ([[German]]: ''Bundesverfassungsgericht'', {{hint|abbreviated as|abbr.}} ''BVerfG''), which states that the [[German]] Empire (German: ''Deutsches Reich'') did not end with the fall of [[Nazi Germany]] and endures, although it cannot act as an entity. What is '''not''' quoted is the next part, which elaborates that the German Federal Republic (German: ''Bundesrepublik Deutschland'', {{hint|abbreviated as|abbr.}} ''BRD'') ''is'' a reorganisation of the German Empire and thus the same entity, but not with the same borders;<ref>''[http://www.servat.unibe.ch/dfr/bv036001.html#Rn054 BVerfGE 36, 1 ff.]</ref> it is, therefore, the {{wpl|succession of states|successor state|.}}

After the reunification, the entire German state is represented by the Federal Republic; despite that, ''Reichsbürger'' (PIGs) continue to bloom. Or wallow, if you prefer.

==="There has never been a peace treaty"===
Several ''Reichsbürger'' supporters also point to the way in which Germany lost [[World War II]]. While the military capitulated unconditionally, there was never — so they argue — any sort of peace treaty. However, various agreements made during the occupation of Germany by the Allies as well as the Helsinki Accords and the treaties that led to reunification 1989/90 were explicitly signed "in lieu of a peace treaty". The main reason being that the question of reparations was put off "until the signing of a peace treaty" and it would have been awkward for the newly reunified Germany to pay reparations for a war over four decades past. 

At any rate, peace treaty or not,{{efn|Whether a document is ''called'' a peace treaty has no importance on whether it functions as a peace treaty.}} World War II is over and German sovereignty has never been called into question since reunification either by the [[United Nations]] (UN) or by the international community as a whole.

==Reality==
[[File:Dem Deutschen Volke.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sign of a true believer.]]
Most, if not all, Provisional Imperial Governments are watched by the German {{wpl|Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution}} (''Bundesverfassungsschutz'', the German domestic security agency).<br/>
Typically they can be put into one of two camps:<br/>
*'''[[True believers]]''', such as neo-Nazis (who just hate the modern Federal Republic of Germany that made their party illegal) and [[Far right|extreme right-wing]] [[wingnuts]] (who think the Federal Republic will crash and burn any minute now and ''their'' Germany will take over)
*'''Opportunists''', who like to avoid paying [[tax]]es, speeding tickets,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090419094311/http://observedreality.com/geschwindigkeit.pdf Correspondence from Christian Joswig to Landratsamt Kamenz] (April-June 2002). Archived Correspondence between a Reichsbürger supporter and German authorities over a speeding ticket, where the former pretty much [[Chewbacca Defense|chewbacca-defended]] his way out of paying the ticket. You'd wish we made that up (archived from April 19, 2009).</ref> and the likes.
 
It is odd that such far right groups would attempt to claim that the Weimar Republic is still in effect, considering how its [[constitution]] in effect was [[democratic]] then, but was brought down thanks to the [[Great Depression]] and [[Adolf Hitler|some Austrian ex-corporal who had a chip on his shoulder]].
Several Provisional Imperial Governments have issued death threats against "traitors".<ref>[http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=archivseite&dig=2000/08/15/a0194 Die Reichsminister drohen mit dem Tod by Philipp Gessler (15. 8. 2000) ''Taz Archiv''] The imperial ministers are making death threats (in German).</ref>

Regardless of whether self-proclaimed Reichsbürger just want to evade paying fines and taxes or they actually believe their own nonsense, German authorities and law enforcement agencies have a hard time dealing with such individuals, given that they outright refuse to cooperate with the law.
As of April 2018, the ''Federal Office for the Protection of the'' (very legitimate) ''Constitution'' has about 18,000 Reichsbürger on their watchlist<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20221112053022/http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-far-right-reichsb%C3%BCrger-movement-larger-than-earlier-estimated/a-43580603 Germany's far-right Reichsbürger movement larger than earlier estimated] (04/29/2018) ''Deutsche Welle'' (archived from November 12, 2022).</ref> and the ''Federal Criminal Police Office'' reported that Reichsbürger had at least 10,500 crimes on their conscience<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/bka-reichsbuerger-veruebten-mehr-als-10-500-straftaten-a-1202798.html "Reichsbürger" verübten mehr als 10.500 Straftaten] (13.04.2018, 15.49 Uhr) ''Der Spiegel''. Reichsbürger committed more than 10,500 crimes.</ref> between 2015 and 2017 alone.

==Coup plotting==
===Prelude===
In 2016, a Reichsbürger killed a police officer when his stash of weapons was raided.<ref name=bbc1>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63889792 Reichsbürger: German 'crackpot' movement turns radical and dangerous] (December 7, 2022) ''BBC News''.</ref> Reichsbürger believers tend to have an [[Gun nut|unusual fascination with guns]].<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germanys-reichsbuerger-searching-an-emperor-fascinated-by-guns-2022-12-07/ Explainer: Germany's Reichsbuerger — Searching for an emperor and fascinated by guns] by Sabine Siebold (December 7, 20223:55 AM PST) ''Reuters''.</ref> During the [[COVID-19]] lockdown in Germany, some elements of the Reichsbürger movement began to fuse with [[antivaxxer]]s and [[QAnon]] [[conspiracy theorists]], and a mob of them attempted to storm the Bundestag (German parliament building) in 2020.<ref name=bbc1/> Notably, American QAnon believers were also involved in the [[2021 U.S. coup attempt]].

===Coup plot===
{{cquote|We’re going to wipe them out now, the time for fun is over!|||Prince Heinrich<ref name=connolly/>}}
In December 2022, German authorities arrested 25 Reichsbürger members for allegedly plotting a coup involving storming the Bundestag (again).<ref name=kirby>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63885028 Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup] by Paul Kirby (December 7, 2022) ''BBC News''.</ref> Among the arrestees were a minor{{efn|So minor, in fact, that by the time of his arrest, he didn’t even have his own Wikipedia article.}} aristocrat and real estate businessman, Heinrich Reuß (Heinrich XIII or Prince Heinrich), and a former German MP from the [[Alternative für Deutschland]] party, Birgit Malsack-Winkemann.<ref name=kirby/><ref name=connolly>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/07/reichsburger-the-german-conspiracy-theorists-at-heart-of-alleged-coup-plot Reichsbürger: the German conspiracy theorists at heart of alleged coup plot: Despite description of alleged plotters by prosecutors as a ‘motley crew’, the threat was considered very real] by Kate Connolly (7 Dec 2022 12.29 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> Other arrestees included Reichsbürger members and QAnon believers.<ref name=kirby/><ref>Anna Noryskiewicz, [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-terror-plot-prince-heinrich-reichsburger-alleged-qanon-inspired-coup/ Germany arrests dozens as QAnon-inspired "Reichsbürger" group accused of plotting to overthrow government]. ''CBS News'', 7 December 2022.</ref> Aside from the coup plot, the Reichsbürger members schemed to kidnap German health minister {{wpl|Karl Lauterbach}}{{efn|Since 2020, Lauterbach was frequently a target of German far-right terrorist kidnapping plots due to his role in setting [[COVID-19]] social distancing policies.}} and (with echoes of other extremists such as [[Atomwaffen Division]]) attempted to foster a German [[civil war]] through actions such as sabotaging and disabling the power grid.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/06/five-jailed-for-far-right-plot-to-overthrow-german-government "Five jailed for far-right plot to overthrow German government"], Guardian, 2025 March 6</ref>

===Further arrests===
In May 2025, the German government arrested self-declared "king" {{wpl|Peter Fitzek}} and three of his senior subjects. The German also banned the [[cult]]-like group Fitzek ran, ''Königreich Deutschland'' (KRD), one of the largest subgroups within the Reichsbürger movement. The German government alleged that the KRD were attempting to create a "counter-state" and had established a "criminal economic" structure that challenged the rule of law and the justice system.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/13/ban-major-part-of-far-right-movement-kingdom-of-germany-seeking-to-undermine-state "Germany bans major part of far-right movement seeking to undermine state"] by Deborah Cole, Guardian, 2025 May 13</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5v27zn248o "Germany arrests self-declared 'king' and bans his extremist group"] by Damien McGuinness, BBC News, 2025 May 13</ref>

==See also==
*[[Freeman on the land]]
*[[PEGIDA]] has quite a large overlap with those folks
*[[Sovereign citizen]]

==External links==
*"[http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21709989-reichsb-rger-maintain-federal-republic-jewish-controlled-conspiracy-hundreds?fsrc=scn/fb/te/pe/ed/hundredsofgermansarelivingasifthereichneverended Hundreds of Germans are living as if the Reich never ended]", ''[[The Economist]]''.
*{{wpa|Reichsbürger movement|''Reichsburger'' movement}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement ]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Coups]]
[[Category:Crank magnetism]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:German politics]]
[[Category:Pseudolaw]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:QAnon]]

Categories: Alt-right, Anti-vaccination movement , Conspiracy theorists, Convicted felons, Coups, Crank magnetism, Fascism, Germany, German politics, Pseudolaw, Racism, QAnon