In recent weeks in Germany.....mostly around Berlin, anti-Covid-19 protests have occurred, and the chief group running them are Reichsbürgers (Reich 'citizens'). It has the government (both at the Berlin-City level, and nationally) disturbed and worried.
So for a non-German, this is a basic introduction.
As Germany emerged out of WW I (1919), with the Kaiser gone, the Weimar Constitution was written and a federalized government came into reality.
It had various elements of political disaster built into the parties of the era....from far-left wing to far-right wing.
In 1933, the Nazi apparatus took over the government, and this element ceased in 1945. In 1949, with approval of the US, France, and UK.....a new Constitution was drafted and approved. The Weimar period basically ceased to exist.
At some point in the 1970s, a treaty was drafted and signed by the East Germans and the West Germans, with the German Constitutional Court talking over legal implications, and noting some reference to the old Weimar Constitution. It was more of a historical note, than a legal note. But in that small context, this element is left on the table to suggest that the Weimar Constitution lives on (it doesn't).
So around the mid-1980s in West Germany.....we have this German (Wolfgang Gerhard Günter Ebel) who stands up and says that 1919 Reich standards and elements still exist. The Weimar Republic Constitution never dissolved, at least in his mind. He starts a 'club' and folks gather around this idea. One single guy starting this fringe group? Yes.
Right-wing? YES. Attracting mostly men? Yes. In this original stage....mostly interest from Bavaria? Yes. Nazis? Well, this part of the discussion is debatable. Some journalists and historians will say that even the true neo-Nazis in Germany 'laugh' over the Reich 'citizen' movement (they don't take them serious).
After unification? Well, this gets more interesting....a fair number of East German men drifted into the idea, and attached themselves to it.
How many Reich 'citizens' exist? This is debatable too. In terms of actual groups (paying members)....the number probably doesn't exceed 10,000 (at least before the Covid-19 episode came along). Some journalists will hype it being closer to 20k, but you can't really see any true evidence to this.
Are all the anti-Covid-19 protesters Reich members? No, you can't prove that point either. Some obviously are....because of the flags and symbology used in the protests.
Is the movement growing? According to the Protection of the Constitution folks, yes....they say definitely more than a decade ago...the numbers were going up.
The internet and social media helping? No doubt.
I might suggest though, there are probably three levels to 'members'. There are definitely associated club membership. There's probably people (non-members) who routinely like to protest and see it as a social occasion to be around like-minded people. And then there's probably the group who are drifting into an agenda that fits their political goals.
So why is the government hyped up and worried? I think this goes to three basic issues:
1. There's several state elections next year, along with the national election. Everyone had their agenda built along certain lines. You don't want some wildcard group showing up and challenging you into silly ban rule discussions....which Covid-19 would be a harsh reality in an election.
2. If you look over the weekend images from Berlin (38k protesters)....I'd say at least 60-percent were under the age of forty, and included a lot of women. The legendary status of Reich 'citizens' were that they were mostly all male and over the age of fifty. This youth development challenges the model that journalists have talked about for several decades.
3. Finally, you come to this quiet discussion going on....that a fair number of police around Germany.....are potential Reich 'citizen' supporters. Maybe it's true....maybe it's only a couple dozen nationally. Factual data doesn't exist, and this probably does worry the national authorities.
Bottom line? As silly as it sounds....this leads back to the Weimar Republic of 1919, and some marginal Constitutional judge 'chat' from the early 1970s talking over one single treaty between East and West Germany. Frankly, the symbology of the pictures at the Reichstag....worries the hell out of German politicians. And if Covid-19 issues trigger a massive layoff period or downsizing of the economy? It boosters the Reich 'citizen' agenda.
It ought to be a one-star comedy, and instead is a two-star drama that has started to develop.
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