Germany bans extremist 'Kingdom of Germany' group, arrests self-proclaimed 'King' in nationwide raids

Berlin – May 14, 2025 - German authorities have banned the extremist group known as the "Kingdom of Germany" and arrested its self-declared leader Peter Fitzek, as part of a large-scale crackdown on far-right conspiracy movements. 

In coordinated raids across seven states, police searched multiple properties linked to the group on Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry declared the organisation illegal, accusing it of attacking Germany's liberal democratic order and operating as a pseudo-state complete with its own currency, identity documents, and insurance system.

Founded by Fitzek, a 59-year-old former chef and karate instructor, the "Kingdom of Germany" claims around 6,000 followers and is considered part of the broader “Reichsbürger” (Citizens of the Reich) movement. This network of far-right conspiracists rejects the legitimacy of the modern Federal Republic of Germany, asserting instead the continued existence of the German Empire as of 1871.

“The members of this group have created a counter-state within our country,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, “and built up economic criminal structures that undermine Germany’s legal system and monopoly on force.”

Key Arrests and Seizures

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe confirmed the arrest of Fitzek and three other leading members, describing the group as a criminal organisation. As the “so-called supreme sovereign,” Fitzek had "control and decision-making power in all key areas" of the group’s operations, prosecutors said.

Authorities say the organisation financed itself through illegal banking and insurance activities, as well as through donations, and aimed to expand its self-declared "national territory" to the borders of the historic German Empire.

In a previous interview with AFP, Fitzek claimed his group offered an alternative to what he called the "mass manipulation" of German society, describing his followers as having a "pioneering spirit" seeking positive change.

Wider Reichsbürger Threat

The raids spanned the states of Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Germany's domestic intelligence agency estimates the broader Reichsbürger movement included around 23,000 members in 2022, with over 2,000 considered potentially violent.

While the movement is fractured into numerous groups, it has increasingly drawn security scrutiny. In 2022, members of a Reichsbürger-linked group—among them a former MP and ex-soldiers—were arrested for plotting to storm the Bundestag, overthrow the government, and install Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss as head of state.

In another high-profile case, Reichsbürger conspirators were charged with plotting to kidnap then-health minister Karl Lauterbach over COVID-19 restrictions.

The German government has pledged to continue its efforts to dismantle extremist groups that threaten democratic institutions, as far-right networks become more coordinated and openly hostile toward the state.