Meet aristocrat behind bizarre German coup attempt
Story by Brad Hunter • Toronto Sun
COUP LEADER? Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, the alleged German coup attempt leader. REUTERS© Provided by Toronto Sun
Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss — as he calls himself — is a conspiracy-loving aristocrat who wants to bring back the monarchy to Germany.
Cops say the 71-year-old is behind the bizarre far-right plot to overthrow the German government in a coup.
On Wednesday, German investigators arrested 25 people belonging to a terrorist network called the “Reichsbürger” or “Citizens of the Reich.” Members reject the modern German state and have called for a return to a monarchy which was torpedoed by Germany’s defeat in the First World War.
Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, is the ringleader, police have alleged.
According to reports, the aristocrat is an actual descendent of the House of Reuss, the family that ruled huge swaths of Germany for hundreds of years.
Cops say the plotters wanted to restore the German monarchy, abolished in 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm was the last monarch. PUBLIC SPHERE
However, relatives of the “Prince” said he is a “confused old man” and a “conspiracy nut.” But members of the Reichsbürger are said to worship him.
He is said to have one son, Heinrich XXVIII, with Iranian-born wife Susan Doukht Jalali. She asks to be addressed by the name Princess Susan Reuss.
Born in 1951, he inherited a fortune from the family dynasty that was said to have been established in the 12th century. All of the male sons have been named Heinrich in tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.
All was well until the German revolution of 1918 after the empire’s collapse. That’s when his great-grandfather — Heinrich (again) XXVII — was forced to abdicate at gunpoint and the family’s vast holdings were absorbed into the German state.
A policeman stands behind a car of the forensic experts during a raid on December 7, 2022 in Berlin that is part of nationwide early morning raids against members of a far-right “terror group” suspected of planning an attack.© TOBIAS SCHWARZ
While the family kept much of its wealth and numerous castles and palaces, their power was profoundly diminished.
Apparently, the dissolution of Germany’s monarchy has long been a bee in the bonnet of Heinrich XIII.
He delivered a keynote address at a Worldwebforum event in Zurich in 2019 and for 15 minutes railed against Germany’s lack of a monarchy and his family’s loss of influence.
“[People who liver under his ancestor’s rule] lived happy lives because the administrative structures were straightforward and transparent,” he claimed.
“When things aren’t going well … who are you supposed to turn to today? Your parliamentarian? Local, federal, EU-level? Good luck!”
But other family members are said to be aghast and spokesman Heinrich XIV said Heinrich XIII was disillusioned and a “confused old man who now gets caught up in conspiracy theory misconceptions.”
German detectives said Heinrich XIII was the movement’s ideological standard-bearer and Herr Moneybanks.
The goal was to overthrow the German government and replace it with a monarchy. They alleged Heinrich XIII had also been in contact with Russian officials to create the new order.
Of course, the new German leader was slated to be Heinrich XIII. Russian diplomats have denied any involvement or links to the aspiring kaiser.
Story by Brad Hunter • Toronto Sun
COUP LEADER? Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, the alleged German coup attempt leader. REUTERS© Provided by Toronto Sun
Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss — as he calls himself — is a conspiracy-loving aristocrat who wants to bring back the monarchy to Germany.
Cops say the 71-year-old is behind the bizarre far-right plot to overthrow the German government in a coup.
On Wednesday, German investigators arrested 25 people belonging to a terrorist network called the “Reichsbürger” or “Citizens of the Reich.” Members reject the modern German state and have called for a return to a monarchy which was torpedoed by Germany’s defeat in the First World War.
Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, is the ringleader, police have alleged.
According to reports, the aristocrat is an actual descendent of the House of Reuss, the family that ruled huge swaths of Germany for hundreds of years.
Cops say the plotters wanted to restore the German monarchy, abolished in 1918. Kaiser Wilhelm was the last monarch. PUBLIC SPHERE
However, relatives of the “Prince” said he is a “confused old man” and a “conspiracy nut.” But members of the Reichsbürger are said to worship him.
He is said to have one son, Heinrich XXVIII, with Iranian-born wife Susan Doukht Jalali. She asks to be addressed by the name Princess Susan Reuss.
Born in 1951, he inherited a fortune from the family dynasty that was said to have been established in the 12th century. All of the male sons have been named Heinrich in tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.
All was well until the German revolution of 1918 after the empire’s collapse. That’s when his great-grandfather — Heinrich (again) XXVII — was forced to abdicate at gunpoint and the family’s vast holdings were absorbed into the German state.
A policeman stands behind a car of the forensic experts during a raid on December 7, 2022 in Berlin that is part of nationwide early morning raids against members of a far-right “terror group” suspected of planning an attack.© TOBIAS SCHWARZ
While the family kept much of its wealth and numerous castles and palaces, their power was profoundly diminished.
Apparently, the dissolution of Germany’s monarchy has long been a bee in the bonnet of Heinrich XIII.
He delivered a keynote address at a Worldwebforum event in Zurich in 2019 and for 15 minutes railed against Germany’s lack of a monarchy and his family’s loss of influence.
“[People who liver under his ancestor’s rule] lived happy lives because the administrative structures were straightforward and transparent,” he claimed.
“When things aren’t going well … who are you supposed to turn to today? Your parliamentarian? Local, federal, EU-level? Good luck!”
But other family members are said to be aghast and spokesman Heinrich XIV said Heinrich XIII was disillusioned and a “confused old man who now gets caught up in conspiracy theory misconceptions.”
German detectives said Heinrich XIII was the movement’s ideological standard-bearer and Herr Moneybanks.
The goal was to overthrow the German government and replace it with a monarchy. They alleged Heinrich XIII had also been in contact with Russian officials to create the new order.
Of course, the new German leader was slated to be Heinrich XIII. Russian diplomats have denied any involvement or links to the aspiring kaiser.
Dozens detained in Germany on suspected plot to overthrow government: Prosecutor
Thousands of police officers have carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday morning against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force, according to the Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.
Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement.
Prosecutors said 25 German citizens were detained on suspicion of "membership in a terrorist organization" and that the group, which was not identified in their statement announcing the raids, is alleged to have believed in a "conglomerate of conspiracy theories consisting of narratives from the so-called Reich Citizens as well as Q-Anon ideology," according to a statement by prosecutors.
Many had military training and some of those arrested include former soldiers.
Police secures the area after 25 suspected members and supporters of a far-right terrorist group were detained during raids across Germany, in Frankfurt, Germany December 7, 2022.© Tilman Blasshofer/Reuters
The arrests were made at various locations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia. At least two arrests were made outside of Germany's borders -- one in the Kitzbühel region of Austria and the other in Perugia in Italy.
Searches were also conducted in a number of other federal states including Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
"The accused belong to a terrorist organization founded by the end of November 2021 at the latest, which has set itself the goal of overcoming the existing state order in Germany and replacing it with its own form of government, which has already been developed in outline," federal prosecutors said in a statement following the raids. "The members of the association are aware that this project can only be realized through the use of military means and violence against state representatives. This also includes committing homicides. The accused are united by a deep rejection of the state institutions and the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany."
The rise of violent hard-right groups in Germany, including white supremacist and neo-Nazi factions, was detected years before law enforcement in the U.S. was willing to acknowledge the problem existed in America. In the final years of the Merkel government -- and prior to the pandemic -- some German intelligence officials were actively pushing Berlin to be more outspoken and aggressive in calling out the issue for fear that silence was allowing it to fester as the mainstream German population continued to believe it was a problem buried in the past.
With the rise of Q-Anon, the violent far-right and the re-energized militia movement in the U.S., other fringe groups in Europe and America started feeding off each other’s energy and online growth. The movements now, in many ways, mirror each other and cross-pollenate.
Authorities are expected to hold a press conference later today detailing the massive operation.
ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
Thousands of police officers have carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday morning against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force, according to the Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.
Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement.
Prosecutors said 25 German citizens were detained on suspicion of "membership in a terrorist organization" and that the group, which was not identified in their statement announcing the raids, is alleged to have believed in a "conglomerate of conspiracy theories consisting of narratives from the so-called Reich Citizens as well as Q-Anon ideology," according to a statement by prosecutors.
Many had military training and some of those arrested include former soldiers.
Police secures the area after 25 suspected members and supporters of a far-right terrorist group were detained during raids across Germany, in Frankfurt, Germany December 7, 2022.© Tilman Blasshofer/Reuters
The arrests were made at various locations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia. At least two arrests were made outside of Germany's borders -- one in the Kitzbühel region of Austria and the other in Perugia in Italy.
Searches were also conducted in a number of other federal states including Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
"The accused belong to a terrorist organization founded by the end of November 2021 at the latest, which has set itself the goal of overcoming the existing state order in Germany and replacing it with its own form of government, which has already been developed in outline," federal prosecutors said in a statement following the raids. "The members of the association are aware that this project can only be realized through the use of military means and violence against state representatives. This also includes committing homicides. The accused are united by a deep rejection of the state institutions and the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany."
The rise of violent hard-right groups in Germany, including white supremacist and neo-Nazi factions, was detected years before law enforcement in the U.S. was willing to acknowledge the problem existed in America. In the final years of the Merkel government -- and prior to the pandemic -- some German intelligence officials were actively pushing Berlin to be more outspoken and aggressive in calling out the issue for fear that silence was allowing it to fester as the mainstream German population continued to believe it was a problem buried in the past.
With the rise of Q-Anon, the violent far-right and the re-energized militia movement in the U.S., other fringe groups in Europe and America started feeding off each other’s energy and online growth. The movements now, in many ways, mirror each other and cross-pollenate.
Authorities are expected to hold a press conference later today detailing the massive operation.
ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
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