Alarm at the castle: Reich citizens gather for the big meeting in Karlsruhe!

Alarm at the castle: Reich citizens gather for the big meeting in Karlsruhe!

Where does the path of the so-called Reich citizens lead? This question concerns many people and becomes particularly relevant when one considers the upcoming event “Great Meeting of the 25 + 1 Federal States”, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 26, 2024, in Karlsruhe Castle. According to a report in the Badische Neuesten Nachrichten, hundreds of Reich citizens and self-administrators have been invited, which has once again brought the mobilization potential of this movement into focus since 2023. The state constitutional protection authorities observe a particularly high level of interest in such meetings, not least because of the atypical public presence of the participants, who usually act very cautiously. What is particularly striking is their appearance with flags of the former Grand Duchy of Baden, which was seen in the past at a similar meeting in Munich in August 2024. The question here is: What drives these people?

The Reich Citizens' Movement itself is a colorful hodgepodge of different, often extremist tendencies. This movement is made up of anti-constitutional and revisionist groups that reject the legitimacy of today's Federal Republic of Germany. They believe that the German Reich, within its borders before the two world wars, continues to exist and that the Federal Republic only functions as an “administrative construct”. A current overview shows that, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Reich Citizens' Movement has an estimated 21,000 members in Germany and is becoming increasingly influential. Some of these groups are closely linked to neo-Nazis and openly promote anti-Semitism, racism and dangerous conspiracy theories, making them a serious threat.

A look at ideology

The core ideology of the Reich citizens is characterized by a deep aversion to the existing democratic system and historical revisionism, which also includes the denial of the Holocaust. Many of its representatives are convinced that the Basic Law merely represents a continuation of the war against the German Reich. They refuse to pay taxes and deny the validity of German laws while issuing their own documents such as passports and driving licenses. The Interior Ministry estimates that there are only a few hundred active members nationwide, but the Reich citizens endanger public safety, particularly through their willingness to use violence.

A particularly infamous incident took place in 2016 when a Reich citizen shot at officers during a police raid near Nuremberg, resulting in one death and several injuries. Such events have led to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution keeping a close eye on the movement since 2016. Particularly explosive was a planned armed attack on the Bundestag in 2022 by members of the group known as the Patriotic Union, which had connections to former Bundeswehr members.

A network of connections

The Reich Citizens' Movement is also very heterogeneous in its structure. In addition to neo-Nazis, the group also includes esoterics and individuals who believe in bizarre conspiracy theories. Prominent names such as Horst Mahler and Sylvia Stolz are often discussed because they act as mouthpieces for these ideologies. It is important to emphasize that this movement is not homogeneous and there is often fierce internal struggle for influence and the right strategy.

The upcoming meetings like the one on July 26th in Karlsruhe are not only a reflection of the Reich citizens' own self-image, they are also a warning for society. At a time when conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies are mixing, the Reich Citizens' Movement relies on mobilization and tries to consolidate and expand its ideology through such events. The explosiveness and potential of this movement are clearly shown in the Report of the Badische Neuesten Nachrichten and the Wikipedia entry on the Reich Citizens' Movement, which show the alarming tendencies as well as illustrate the explosive growth in followers. The Federal Agency for Civic Education warns that the movement remains under observation while it expands.