The second trial against a group of Reichsburgers began in Frankfurt

A second trial against a group of Reichsburgers began in Frankfurt. Nine suspects appeared before the Hessian High Court. Among them are the head of the group, Prince Henry XIII Royce, a 71-year-old descendant of a noble family, as well as the head of the military unit, Rüdiger von Pescatore. Federal prosecutors accuse them of preparing an armed coup.

Nine members of the group are also charged with membership in or support of a terrorist organization. Among the accused are former Bundeswehr soldiers and former judge, member of the Bundestag from the Alternative for Germany party Birgit Malzak-Winkelmann.

The suspects were arrested in December 2022. According to investigators, since August 2021, the group had been planning and preparing for a coup on “Day X,” the indictment says. The defendants allegedly wanted to seize the Reichstag building in Berlin and then arrest the deputies. The group’s intent did not exclude victims, the prosecution argues.

Half a million euros and a large arsenal of weapons were collected to carry out the coup. The prosecutor’s office emphasizes that the accused have a deep aversion to state institutions and a free democratic system. “They follow conspiracy myths,” the indictment says.

The Reichsburgers are seeking to restore Germany’s borders from 1871 to 1945. Members of the group do not recognize the existence of Germany and its laws. After the coup, Prince Henry XIII Royce was to become the head of the transitional government, and Malzak-Winkelmann was assigned the role of Minister of Justice.

The defendants face up to 15 years in prison. They are subject to the presumption of innocence until a verdict is passed.

The trial in Frankfurt is the second of three in the case of a group of Reichsburgers. The first began in April in Stuttgart, the third is expected on June 18 in Munich.

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