Self-styled 'king of Germany' goes on trial accused of heading criminal group

BBC News · Bethany Bell · 2026-11-06 11:52 UTC

Peter Fitzek is a member of a banned Reichsbürger group that sought to set up the "Kingdom of Germany" (KRD).

A self-declared "king" of Germany has gone on trial in Düsseldorf accused of leading a criminal organisation along with three other men described as his senior "subjects".

Peter Fitzek, who calls himself Peter the First, is a member of a banned Reichsbürger (Citizens of the Reich) group that sought to set up a "Kingdom of Germany" (KRD).

Reichsbürger are defined by German intelligence agencies as conspiracy theorists who reject the existence and legitimacy of the post-war German state.

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