Self-styled 'king' Peter Fitzek goes on trial in Düsseldorf over banned group

The trial opens

The trial of Peter Fitzek and three other men opened on Friday, 6 November, before the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf. Fitzek, who is 61 and calls himself Peter the First, is accused of leading a criminal organisation together with three men his prosecutors describe as senior 'subjects'. Reports identify the co-defendants only as Benjamin M, Mathias B and Martin S. The charges include membership of a criminal organisation as a ringleader, document forgery and tax evasion. The defendants face up to 10 years in prison, and hearing dates have been set until September 2027, with more than 50 trial days planned.

What prosecutors allege

Prosecutors say the Kingdom of Germany (KRD) was founded in 2012 to replace the system of the Federal Republic of Germany, a state the group did not recognise. The group allegedly built pseudo-state structures, including a banking and insurance system with branches in Dresden, Ulm, Menden and Lutherstadt Wittenberg. It also ran a 'registration office' that issued fake identity documents and, according to the prosecution, issued its own currency. Prosecutors put the group's takings at about 10 million euros over the five years up to 2025, drawn from unauthorised banking and insurance deals, donations and fee-based seminars. Those revenues were not declared to the tax authorities, and no income tax or social security contributions were paid for employees. Prosecutors also say the group put more than 2 million euros of tax beyond the state's reach and promised recruited companies they could operate free of tax and duties.

Background and the ban

Fitzek, a former chef and karate instructor, declared himself supreme sovereign of the 'kingdom' in 2012 and had himself crowned, dressed in ermine robes and holding a medieval sword. He then bought land and property across the country. The group is part of the Reichsbürger movement, which German intelligence agencies describe as conspiracy theorists who reject the existence and legitimacy of the post-war German state. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt banned the KRD in 2025, and the federal interior ministry has described the group's activities as unconstitutional. The key dates are set out in the timeline below.

Membership and raids

The size of the group is disputed. The KRD claimed around 6,000 members, while authorities put the figure at a few thousand, and Deutsche Welle reported an estimate of around 1,000 followers at the time of the ban. When the group was banned in May 2025, hundreds of police officers raided 15 properties across Germany. Officials said the searches uncovered further evidence of the group's anti-constitutional goals and activities. Since the ban, the four defendants have been held in pre-trial detention.

The defence

Fitzek denies committing a crime, and his defence lawyers said he would make a detailed statement. In a 2022 BBC interview, he denied having any violent intentions but described the German state as destructive and sick. The defence's detailed statement has not yet been reported, so the court's first sessions will set the framework for how the prosecution's evidence on the banking system, the identity documents and the tax claims is tested.