this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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[–] federalreverse@feddit.org 2 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

This seems like a good context to plug Munecat's excellent comparative video about Sovereign Citizen movements in various countries: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KcxZFmKrxR8 (Granted, the longest section is about US Sovcits.)

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 25 points 19 hours ago (4 children)

Stupid Reichsbürger. Dumb as bricks.

Reich Citizens believe that the modern German republic illegitimately replaced the German Reich that was founded in 1871 and continued under the Nazi regime until 1945. They reject the legitimacy of Germany's modern federal state and its laws.

They have a form they print off the internet which, when signed, absolves them of following German law. Or so they believe. They have a King, for fucksake.

[–] You@feddit.org 11 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

They have a King

They are a heterogenous scene and therefore not uniformly organised (something to be thankful for). There's more than one King (I haven't read about a selfproclaimed queen though), different "Governments", self-governing bodies... some of them cooperate, some can't cooperate... As long as you don't have to deal with them it sounds quite funny - They produce their own ID cards and driving licences because they do not believe in the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany. But if it exists it's only a Ltd. Or Germany is still under military occupation. But if you encounter them irl... oh boy. And funny left as soon as some of them got their hands on weapons and actually started attacking people.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 3 points 12 hours ago

There’s more than one King

Oh that's ok then. Diverse! 🤪

[–] snuggledick@lemm.ee 6 points 17 hours ago

I read a more in-depth analysis some time ago and a lot of them are just desperate people with financial or other problems, and becoming a Reichsbürger is more like a form of escapism from reality than something they really believe in. Imagine you have a crippling amount of debt and/or are about to be evicted for example, and then you read on some nutjob website that the state actually doesn't exist so you don't owe them anything and they have no authority to evict you, doesn't that sound great? All your problems solved by just burning your German ID card and printing out a new one of some made-up country. Of course reality gets them eventually but psychologically it's easier to bear for some people to believe that they're the victim of a huge conspiracy rather than face the fact that they fucked up and are screwed.

[–] TheLadyAugust@lemmy.world 9 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

That sounds like the "American Sovereign Citizen". Maybe if they just believe really really hard...

[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 2 points 10 hours ago

That exists elsewhere too! At least here in the UK.

[–] DicksAndPizza@lemm.ee 2 points 18 hours ago

Sounds like mental illness to me. Like serious delusion.

[–] Franconian_Nomad@feddit.org 34 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Meh, she changed her mind and alerted the police on her own. She should probably get some punishment, but I can see her why they acquitted her in this case.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 8 points 21 hours ago

Her punishment is going through the justice system.

[–] lilmo037@infosec.pub 18 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

She should come to the US, she'll be appointed a cabinet position I'm sure

[–] Lemmist@lemm.ee 10 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

She's German, she would just be deported:)

[–] CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 21 hours ago

Na, first some incarceration under undignifying conditions.

[–] PeripheralGhost@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

These sucker's are everywhere...