Trial begins over massive illegal weapons arsenal hidden in secret rooms in Remscheid
Three men face charges in Wuppertal today after investigators uncovered one of Germany's largest war weapons caches, hidden behind false walls and camouflaged doors in a Remscheid building.
The discovery
Undercover officers were offered weapons for sale, triggering an investigation that led to multi-day searches starting 26 October 2025. In a building complex in Remscheid's city centre, police first found a private museum of militaria and legal deactivated World War II weapons. Then they discovered hidden side rooms shielded by partition walls, concealed locking mechanisms and camouflaged doors.
Behind that were the illegal things.
A further secret room containing 29 machine guns and three anti-tank rifles was found behind a display case in the basement after the main defendant revealed its existence. Ammunition was hidden inside a door frame cavity. In total, around 200 officers were deployed during the searches.
- Multi-day searches begin in Remscheid city centre, uncovering a private militaria museum and hidden rooms.
- Investigators find a secret basement room with 29 machine guns and three anti-tank rifles behind a display case.
- Special forces stop the main defendant's car on the A1 motorway near Remscheid.
- Trial begins at the regional court in Wuppertal.
The arsenal
Prosecutors say the 60-year-old main defendant stored numerous war weapons, firearms and ammunition for sale. The haul included roughly 300 sharp firearms: 125 machine guns, 67 submachine guns, 51 pistols, 32 long guns, 11 revolvers and 13 anti-tank weapons, plus almost 100,000 rounds of ammunition. The public prosecutor's office describes it as one of the largest war weapons finds in Germany in recent decades.
- Machine guns
- 125 units
- Submachine guns
- 67 units
- Pistols
- 51 units
- Long guns
- 32 units
- Revolvers
- 11 units
- Anti-tank weapons
- 13 units
The defendants and charges
All three men are charged with violations of the War Weapons Control Act. The 60-year-old, a trained automotive mechanic with gunsmith knowledge, allegedly sold six submachine guns and a revolver with ammunition to the 38-year-old co-defendant. That man then resold some of the weapons, partly together with the 35-year-old. A workbench and tools found in one room suggest old, demilitarised weapons may have been made functional again.
The main defendant partially admitted the facts: he told investigators that most of the weapons were part of his private collection and not intended for sale, but that he had sold a few individual pieces. His defence lawyers, Bernhard Meiski and Esther Kunz, declined to comment before the trial.
The trial
Special forces stopped the 60-year-old's car on the A1 motorway near Remscheid last year. Today at 9:00 a.m., the trial opens at the regional court in Wuppertal. Ten hearing days are scheduled through the end of September. The presumption of innocence applies until a final verdict.
