Germany's 'Coup d'?tat' Plot Was Already Known by Hundreds

German Federal Prosecutor Announces Results of 'Reich Citizen' Coup Plot Case
Hundreds of Confidentiality Agreements, Crossbows, Firearms Discovered
Clues Revealed Regarding Gold Bars Worth 8.3 Billion KRW

Heinrich XIII, a member of the 'Reich Citizen' group known as the ringleader of the German coup attempt, was arrested by police on the 7th (local time).
[Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] The recent attempted coup d'?tat in Germany has caused a major shock, revealing that hundreds of people were aware of the plot's details. It has also been reported that the overthrowing forces possessed weapons such as firearms and crossbows, as well as gold bars worth tens of billions of won, while attempting the coup.

On the 13th (local time), according to German DPA news agency and others, Peter Frank, the Attorney General, reported the investigation results on the so-called 'Reichsbuerger' coup attempt to the Parliamentary Judiciary Committee the day before. Federal prosecutors and police authorities conducted a coordinated crackdown on the 7th, deploying over 3,000 personnel across about 130 locations in 11 of Germany's 16 states. As a result of the crackdown, secret non-disclosure agreements signed by hundreds who knew the inner workings of the 'Reichsbuerger' plan to overthrow the state were discovered. During this process, 25 anti-government activists, including the key suspect known as 'Heinrich XIII,' were arrested.

The suspects were found to have been concretely planning armed attacks nationwide in Germany since November last year with the aim of overthrowing the state. They are presumed to be linked to the far-right 'Reichsbuerger' movement, which denies Germany's democratic federal government and pursues the 'Second Reich' of Germany that lasted from 1871 until just before the defeat in World War I. In particular, they reportedly revered 'Heinrich XIII,' known to be from the noble House of Reuss that ruled parts of Thuringia in eastern Germany until 1918, as the new leader after the overthrow.

Another suspect, R?diger von P, is said to have aimed to establish an army composed of current and former soldiers with the goal of "eliminating democratization groups at the regional level." The 'Reichsbuerger' organized 286 combat units and planned to build regional homeland defense forces, even preparing uniforms and official seals for this purpose.

During the coordinated crackdown, about 90 weapons believed to have been prepared for the coup were found, including crossbows, broad and heavy bladed weapons, gas guns, and firearms. Clues also emerged regarding storage lockers containing 400,000 euros (approximately 550 million KRW) in cash, gold coins, silver coins, and gold bars worth about 6 million euros (approximately 8.3 billion KRW), prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

Meanwhile, the 'Reichsbuerger' is an organization based on anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories that has refused modern democracy and tax obligations. German authorities estimate that about 21,000 people follow the 'Reichsbuerger' movement. Approximately 500 members legally possessed firearms at the end of last year. In 2016, a member of the organization killed a police officer, and in April of this year, they were involved in a failed attempt to kidnap the German Minister of Health in protest against COVID-19 quarantine measures. Some members have dreamed of building an autonomous state, issuing their own currency and identity cards, and even purchased land in the Saxony region earlier this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.