Two missing children from the Reichsbürger scene found in Leipzig

Two missing children from the Reichsbürger scene found in Leipzig

Today, June 27, 2025, there was a remarkable incident in Saxony, especially in Leipzig. Two children who have been hidden by their mother for around two years are now safe. The seven-year-old boy and the eight-year-old girl were taken into care by the police after suspicions arose that the mother, a 45-year-old from Lower Saxony, had deprived them of their welfare. This belongs to the right-wing extremist Reichsbürger and self-management scene. L-IZ reported.

The mother had been in hiding with the children in an unknown location since 2023 in order to deprive them of state supervision, medical care and school attendance. The authorities had already taken action and temporarily withdrawn sole custody from the mother. The children were found after the police discovered them on a property belonging to the “Indigenous People of the Germanites” group in Seiffen in the Ore Mountains. The Tagesspiegel added, that the mother claimed that her children were taught by her group. But for a long time the children were not able to attend a state school.

The Reich Citizens' Movement under the microscope

The Reich Citizens' Movement relies heavily on isolating education and stays away from state institutions. A trend can be observed in which women are specifically recruited and children are indoctrinated into the group's ideology at an early age. In other families who represent similar ideologies, it was found that the children often do not go to school and their social development is severely limited. BR reported that radical content is spread particularly via social networks such as Telegram, with schools being viewed as “brainwashing places”.

The police took action against the mother and her children with around 60 officers, but the operation went off without incident. It appears that authorities have become increasingly sensitive to the dangers posed by this scene. In the Bautzen district, where storms caused damage, the safety of children was also discussed. These incidents are another sign of the challenges society faces when it comes to radicalized movements and protecting children.

Current events in Saxony

In the last few days, Saxony has not only been in the headlines because of this family situation. Storms hit the region and caused considerable damage - the fire brigade had to be called out in Hoyerswerda, while in Koitzsch a woman was taken to hospital because of a fallen tree. The police estimated the total damage at around 200,000 euros. The L-IZ reports also about it.

These developments cast a shadow over the upcoming metalcore and hardcore festival “Impericon,” which is scheduled to take place in Leipzig this weekend. While the party scene there is rejoicing, the discussion around security, both in terms of extremism and forces of nature, remains an important topic.