ABSTRACT
There is hardly a conspiracy theory that fascinates the German public as much as the theories of the so-called Reichsbürger (‘Reich Citizens’). Supporters of this theory assume that the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is not a sovereign state, as the Americans have remained in the country since 1945. Therefore, Reich Citizens do not feel obliged to obey German authorities, since they are not the legitimate representatives of the FRG but instead merely puppets of evil occupation forces. Apart from this basic thesis, the Reich Citizens’ Movement is very heterogeneous and is permeated by different ideological currents. Reactionary Reich Citizens romanticise the German Empire (1871–1918) and consider themselves its members, true successors and representatives. They reject modernisation processes and long for an old European order with a homogeneous people and national self-determination. On the other hand, there are individualistic Reich Citizens, who do not identify with an old German Empire but rather consider themselves stateless. One group wants to rediscover an old European order and the other group wants to overcome old and current geopolitical orders completely. These internal lines of division parallel those of the right-wing scene in general, oscillating between a reactionary and a progressive pole.
