Another peak in the number of "Reich citizens" in Saxony

The number of so-called Reichsbürger in Saxony reached a new high in 2024. The Ministry of the Interior attributed around 3,100 people to this scene at the end of the year. This is around 100 more than in 2023, when the previous peak was reached, according to an answer from the ministry to a question from Left Party politician Jule Nagel in the state parliament. At the end of 2022, the number was 2,500 people.

79 so-called Reich citizens are also considered right-wing extremists, which is a slight decrease compared to the previous year (87). "Reich citizens" do not recognize the Federal Republic of Germany as a state. For example, they deny the legitimacy of the Basic Law, authorities and courts and do not accept official decisions. In Saxony, they have been monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution since 2016.

Hundreds of investigations related to Reichsbürger

The scene also keeps the Saxon judiciary busy. Last year, 444 investigations were related to "Reich citizens", in which a total of 240 people were assigned to the scene, as the Ministry of Justice announced in an answer to another question from Nagel. This is a decrease compared to 2023, when there were 514 relevant proceedings with 267 known participants. Most of the proceedings were pending at the public prosecutor's offices in Dresden (103) and Leipzig (99).

The Ministry of Justice lists 81 different criminal offenses in connection with so-called Reich citizens, most frequently coercion (60 proceedings) and insult (48). "Obviously, many cases are in the area of general crime, without a political background," said Nagel according to the press release. "But this only underlines the high level of criminal energy in the scene." It remains a persistent challenge for Saxon courts.