Reichsbürger movement
They maintain that the German Reich continues to exist in its pre-World War II borders, and that it is governed by a (', Provisional Reich Government), or ' ("government in exile"). There are a number of competing s, each claiming to govern all of Germany. Ideologies among members vary, with monarchist, republican, populist, reactionary as well as far-right and antisemitic factions, existing. Arguments. The self-described ' ("Reich citizens") maintain that the Federal Republic of Germany is illegitimate and that the Reich's 1919 Weimar Constitution remains in effect. Most of their arguments are based on a selective reading  of a 1973 decision of the Federal Constitutional Court concerning the 1972 Basic Treaty between West and East Germany. The judgement held that the 1949 Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (') itself assumes that the Reich, as a subject of international law, had survived the collapse of Nazi Germany in spite of the German Instrument of Surrender and the Allied occupation, but is incapable of acting as a state because it lacks any organization, such as governmental authorities. The " do not, however, cite the Court's further holding that the Federal Republic is not a successor state to  the Reich, but identical to it, albeit partially and not necessarily exclusively due to its smaller territorial extent. Instead they claim to have restored the governmental bodies of the German Reich and to be capable of acting on the basis of the Weimar Constitution. One belief of the " is that the Federal Republic of Germany is not an actual sovereign state but a corporation created by Allied nations after World War II. While Donald Trump was president of the United States, movement members adopted QAnon beliefs and expressed their hope that Trump would lead an army to restore the Reich . History. The original ' was founded in 1985 by Wolfgang Gerhard Günter Ebel, a former traffic superintendent in West Berlin. Ebel, who appointed himself Reich Chancellor, claimed to be acting on the authority of the Allied occupation authorities. Some of the members of his "cabinet" later fell out with Ebel, and established provisional governments of their own with names such as ' or "" (the latter being based in Nevada, United States). s engage in activities such as issuing currency and stamps, as well as promoting themselves through the Internet and other media. Where the number of their adherents allows, they also emulate  the "re-established" institutions, such as courts or parliaments, of the Weimar Republic or of earlier German states. A restored ' temporarily existed as well as several Reich Ministers, state governments, and a '. Ideology. The movement is part of the far right. The movement espouses some conspiracy theories, radical conservatism, nordicism, kulturkampf beliefs and right wing populism. Many supporters of the Reichsbürger movement are also monarchists or republicans (who support the authority of either the Weimar Republic or Imperial German Government, over modern day Germany). The movement is characterized by a rejection of the modern Federal Republic of Germany; denial of  its legality and legitimacy; and denial of the authority of the federal, state, and local governments in Germany. believe that the German Empire borders of 1932 or 1871 borders still exist and that the modern Federal Republic of Germany is "an administrative construct still occupied by the Allied powers". Membership. , Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), estimated that movement membership had grown by 80% over the previous two years, more than estimated earlier, with a total of 18,000 adherents, of whom 950 were categorized as right-wing extremists. This marked an  increase from BfV's 2016 estimate of 10,000 adherents and 2017 estimate of 12,600 adherents. The increase in numbers may be attributable to more adherents becoming known to authorities, rather than an actual increase in the number of adherents. The heterogeneity of the movement and its division into many small groups that are often independent of one another makes it difficult to estimate the number of active . Adherents tend to be older, with most aged 40–60 years old and an average age of over 50. The majority are male and socially disadvantaged. The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which monitors far-right  activities in Germany, states that adherents are "often isolated" and "completely cut off from reality". German counterextremism official Heiko Homburg states that the movement is an amalgamation of right-wing extremists, esoterics, and "sovereign citizens", and that the movement attracts conspiracy theorists, the economically troubled, and "people who are a little mentally disordered". Activities. As of 2009, there was no reliable count of the number of KRRs then existing, but the "KRR FAQ", an online registry maintained by a German jurist, lists some 60 persons or organizations associated with operating competing KRRs. Several (though by no means all) KRRs have  links to far-right extremist or neo-Nazi groups, and are under observation by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Some KRRs are ready to issue, for a fee, "official" documents such as building permits, and driving licences, which their adherents or gullible citizens may attempt to use in everyday life. In one instance, Wolfgang Ebel's KRR issued an "excavation permit" to the Principality of Sealand (a micronation), who then had men dig up a plot of land in the Harz region in search of the Amber Room for two weeks, until the landowner hired  a private security service to drive them off. Similarly, in 2002 Ebel's KRR "sold" the , a manor in Kleinmachnow south of the Berlin city limits that had been owned by the German Reichspost (and therefore, according to Ebel, by his KRR) to one of the two competing governments of Sealand, thus creating, in their view, an enclave of Sealand in Germany. KRR adherents have also on occasion refused to pay taxes or fines, arguing that the laws providing for such sanctions have no constitutional basis. In the ensuing judicial proceedings, they refuse to recognize the courts as legitimate. Some  also pursue their activities abroad. In 2009, after Swiss authorities refused to recognize the "Reich Driving Licence" of a German KRR adherent, he unsuccessfully appealed the case up to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. Wolfgang Ebel's original organization, in particular, continues to attempt enforcing its asserted authority through attempts at intimidation. According to Ebel, his "government" has issued more than 1,000 "arrest warrants" against people who have disregarded documents issued by the KRR. These warrants inform the addressee that, once the Reich Government is in power, they will be tried for high treason, for which the penalty is  death. Ebel has also admitted owning a "government helicopter" painted in the national colours, but has denied using it for intimidating fly-overs. Several attempts to prosecute Ebel for threats, impersonating a public servant and so forth have failed because, according to German prosecutors, all courts have found him to be legally insane. The (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution; Germany's federal domestic security agency) has been monitoring since November 2016, and the security services of individual states have been monitoring the activities of the group for longer. In Höxter, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 2014, one group  (the "Free State of Prussia") attempted to smuggle weapons into Germany in an attempt to create its own militia. Police raids have found large stockpiles of guns and ammunition hoarded by adherents. In 2018, the German magazine "Focus" reported that adherents had been attempting to build an armed militia in preparation for "Day X"—"an imagined day of reckoning or uprising against the German government". In April 2022 four members of a "Reichsbürger" group called United Patriots () were detained for plotting to overthrow the government. They planned to destroy electrical substations and power lines through bomb attacks to cause a nationwide  power outage to create 'civil war-like' conditions. Two members are also alledged to have been plotting to kidnap the German health minister Karl Lauterbach. Lauterbach was said to have been aware of the plans. Interaction with law enforcement authorities. On 25 August 2016, Adrian Ursache, a self-proclaimed and former Mister Germany, violently resisted the eviction of his house. The original eviction was scheduled for 24 August 2016, with the official justification for the eviction being the liquidity issues of his household. When the German police arrived on scene they encountered a group of around 120 people, who were  staying on Ursache's and his in-law's property. To Ursache his property was part of the state of "Ur", proclaimed by him. After the first eviction attempt failed, the German police returned with a special response team the day after. When the eviction started, Ursache began firing at them, lightly injuring two officers. Ursache was shot and rushed to a hospital. The trial for attempted murder began on 9 October 2017. On 19 October 2016, in Georgensgmünd near Nuremberg, a self-described fired on a special response unit of the Bavarian Police when they attempted to confiscate his  31 firearms. Three police officers were injured. One of them later died from his injuries. The weapons confiscation followed the revocation of the murderer's firearms permit and his repeated refusal to co-operate with local authorities. German authorities expressed concern at the escalation in violence. The event attracted international attention. Bavarian ministers called for increased surveillance of the "right-wing extremist" movement. On 23 October 2017, Wolfgang P. was sentenced to imprisonment for life. There were renewed calls for more serious measures against the movement, including revocation of firearms permits and seizure of their weapons, following disciplinary action against  police officers with alleged connections to the movement. On 27 October 2016, a Bavarian police officer was suspended from his duties because of his connections to one of the movements. There have been allegations of similar kind against other police officers in different states of Germany as well. List of "Reichsbürger" groups. The following is a non-exhaustive list of KRRs that have received media coverage.