Self-Proclaimed 'King of Germany' Fitzek Goes on Trial in Düsseldorf, Accused of Leading a Criminal Organisation and Building a Parallel State
Düsseldorf — Four alleged leaders of the banned 'Kingdom of Germany' (Königreich Deutschland) group, including its self-proclaimed 'king' Peter Fitzek, went on trial in Düsseldorf, Germany, on November 6. The four face charges including membership in a criminal organisation, and federal prosecutors accuse the group of seeking to replace the Federal Republic of Germany with state structures of its own.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office says the indictment covers several hundred individual offences, with damages exceeding €10 million. The group is part of the far-right 'Reichsbürger' (Reich Citizens) movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state. Fitzek styled himself 'Peter I', appointed deputies and a 'finance minister', and ran unlicensed banking and insurance operations.
Fitzek founded the 'Kingdom of Germany' in Wittenberg in 2012, claiming it had its own currency, identity documents and legal system. In May 2025, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt banned the organisation, around 800 police officers raided linked properties across seven states, and Fitzek and three other senior figures were arrested the same day. Dobrindt said at the time that the group claimed about 6,000 members, while officials put the real figure at around 1,000.
Fitzek has previous convictions, including for assault and insulting behaviour, and has denied violent intentions. No timetable for the rest of the trial or a verdict has been announced. (Source: German Federal Public Prosecutor General)
Source: German Federal Public Prosecutor General
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：德国杜塞尔多夫天际线（资料图）；「德意志王国」领导层案件11月6日在该市开庭。照片：Anil Öztas，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Düsseldorf skyline, Germany (file photo); the trial of the 'Kingdom of Germany' leadership opened in the city on November 6. Photo by Anil Öztas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
