In just a few months, the number of people attributed to the "Reich Citizens' Movement" has been revised upwards several times across Germany and in NRW. While the North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Protection of the Constitution counted 300 so-called Reich citizens in NRW in 2016, the figure had already risen to 2,200 by January 2018. Today, six months later, the number stands at 2,750. This rapid increase is due on the one hand to the security authorities shedding light on the Reich citizens' scene and the public and all authorities becoming more aware of the issue, resulting in a continuous flow of reports. On the other hand, Reichsbürger are spreading their propaganda and offers on the internet, which leads to a large dark field and a further influx into the Reichsbürger movement. The size of the dark field is worrying, given the high affinity for weapons in the scene and the non-recognition of the Federal Republic of Germany as a state.
In October 2016, a police officer in Bavaria was fatally injured by a Reichsbürger. Since this terrible incident, there has been increased public interest in the Reichsbürger scene. Almost ten percent of Reich citizens known to the authorities have a firearms license. Their anti-constitutional stance and their actions are an indication that they are unreliable under firearms law. The weapons authorities therefore consider revoking this permit for every known Reichsbürger.
As of February 28, 2018, 115 people belonging to the Reichsbürger and self-administration scene had weapons permits. Revocation proceedings had been initiated against 59 of these 115 people in accordance with the Weapons Act, which have not yet been finalized. Since the start of the review of firearms licenses and their revocation in the case of persons who can be attributed to the Reichsbürger and self-administration scene, a further 47 persons had their firearms licenses revoked with final effect by the reporting date. The number of firearms licenses exceeds the number of people, as individual people register several reasons for needing them, such as hunters and marksmen, and therefore hold several firearms licenses.
Criminal offenses committed by the Reichsbürger scene in NRW
Since 01.01.2015, 2,907 criminal offenses have been recorded by persons attributed to the Reichsbürger scene. 335 offenses have been reported as politically motivated. Of the 2,907 total crimes recorded, 322 were violent crimes, 28 of which were reported as politically motivated crime (PMK).
Ideology of the "Reich Citizens' Movement" in NRW
According to the ideology of the "Reich Citizens' Movement", the German Reich continues to exist within the borders of the 1930s. The Federal Republic of Germany is not a sovereign state, but is often referred to as a limited liability company. Reich citizens therefore recognize neither the applicable law nor the state's monopoly on the use of force. As a result, they form fictitious governments and repeatedly commit acts of resistance against civil servants. Even if people are attracted to the "Reich Citizens' Movement" for various reasons (e.g. not paying taxes and fines), the core of the Reich Citizens' ideology with its reference to the German Reich within the borders of the 1930s is clearly right-wing extremist.
The internet plays a prominent role in spreading Reichsbürger claims and motivating sympathizers. There are numerous websites and social media profiles (for example on Facebook) of groups or individuals from the Reichsbürger scene. Among other things, they offer sample forms for dealing with public authorities. Some people use sample forms and recommendations for action from Reichsbürger to evade government payment demands without organizing themselves into Reichsbürger groups. The alleged arguments of the Reichsbürger are also disseminated on the internet. In online comments and discussions, posts repeatedly appear stating that the Federal Republic of Germany does not exist or has no legal legitimacy.
Groups and organizations of the "Reich Citizens' Movement" in NRW
The Reichsbürgerbewegung is a nationwide phenomenon. Structurally, however, it is generally more widespread in rural regions. The main areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are East Westphalia, Lippe, Soest, the Hochsauerland district and the greater Cologne area.
Due to the heterogeneous structures, a sometimes divergent orientation and a generally high fluctuation rate in the personnel environment, a relevant stable organizational structure is only achieved in a few cases. Nevertheless, the offensive use of the internet means that there is constant interaction with radicalization tendencies. In addition to the well-known nationwide groups of Reich citizens, or at least those with such a claim, such as the Commissarial Reich Governments and their derivatives, the following groups have established themselves in NRW:
Reichsbürger and self-administrators - recognize, classify, act correctly
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are an increasing number of incidents involving so-called Reichsbürger. This is why the authorities are taking consistent action against them
Reichsbürger and self-administrators keep authorities, especially local authorities, very busy with their activities. They confront public authority employees with absurd applications and hinder the speedy processing of procedures through unruly behavior. Their ultimate aim is to distract government agencies from taking legally required action and to refuse to meet their own payment obligations, such as taxes or fees, or to prevent enforcement proceedings. They often even try to intimidate or threaten law enforcement officers or employees in citizens' offices.
Tips on how to deal with Reich citizens can be found here.
