Germany's far-right Reichsbürger movement

Authorities say the conspiracy theorist and anti-semitic group – once dismissed as cranks – are of increasing concern

A defendant in the Reichsburger trial arrives in court with his face covered with a magazine
A defendant arrives with his face covered on the first day of the Reichsbürger trial in Stuttgart, Germany, which began this week
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The first of three trials linked to a far-right plot to overthrow the German government began in Germany this week, as the country grapples with the growing threat of far-right violence.

The suspects, part of the so-called "Reichsbürger" movement – which translates as "Citizens of the Reich" – were arrested in December 2022 after police uncovered a suspected plot to overthrow the German government.

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 Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.