Precis

In December last year an attempted coup in Germany took that nation and the rest of the world by surprise.

But the movement behind the coup, the Reichsbürger group, has been fomenting discontent for decades.

This week Foreign Correspondent travels to Germany to take a close look at this far-right "sovereign citizens" movement, many of whom believe they are not bound by German laws.

Some are now on trial for shooting police and engaging in acts of terrorism.

Reporter Eric Campbell visits the state of Thuringia, where a self-styled prince allegedly plotted the coup in his royal hunting lodge.

He meets intelligence officials who claim the Reichsbürger are now in a dangerous alliance with a far-right political party, the AfD.

Its radical policies to end migration and stop action on climate change have made it the second most popular party in Germany.

But State Intelligence chief Stephan Kramer, who is Jewish, describes the AfD as "Nazis in suits" and says he’ll take his family out of Germany if they come to power.

This is an intriguing and disturbing look at how the far right is surging in support in the one country that has shunned far right extremists since the end of World War Two.

Episode teaser.

00:10

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: It was once Europe's bedrock of stability. But Germany is starting to look as divided as the US, with far-right mobs attacking the Reichstag and police thwarting an alleged coup attempt by sovereign citizens they call Reichsbürger.

NICHOLAS POTTER: This is definitely a new quality.

00:13

We're now sort of seeing like high scale attacks on the state.

00:33

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: For the first time in decades, disparate extremist groups are coming together to challenge the State.

00:36

STEFAN: This is a very interesting coalition of course, together joined forces is much more dangerous.

00:44

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: And a far-right political party is surging in the polls.

00:49

STEFAN: I'm very alarmed because AfD, proven right-wing extremist party, by my domestic intelligence, is the biggest opposition party in our state parliament. We are talking about Nazis in suits, basically in the parliament.

00:55

Music

01:10

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: What is going on in Germany's liberal democracy? Could this bastion of anti-fascism be the next European country to fall to the far right?

01:14

Title: CITIZENS OF THE REICH

Music

01:32

Wittenberg GVs. Super:
WITTENBERG, EASTERN GERMANY

FX: Church bells

01:41

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: It's a new dawn in the medieval city of Wittenberg, 90 kilometres south of Berlin. This is where Martin Luther began the Protestant reformation, sparking centuries of religious war.

01:48

- Is there any other evidence you can bring to me?

02:04

Young people perform reformation play

- I'm afraid not.

-Then I'm left with no choice but to instruct the executioner to kill you immediately.

- Do it!

02:07

Martin Luther statue

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: I'm here to meet another man who believes he's changing history, by refusing to bow to the State.

02:24

Fitzek plays piano.

Peter Fitzek is an inspiration to people who no longer recognise or want to be part of modern Germany. He's even set up his own kingdom.

02:31

Eric greets Peter Fitzek.

Super: Eric Campbell

"Hello, Eric Campbell."

PETER FITZEK: Hello, my name is Peter, hello.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Peter.

PETER FITZEK: Peter the First, yes.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: How should I address you?

PETER FITZEK: Peter is fine.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Not Your Highness?

PETER FITZEK: No no, Peter is fine.

02:49

Fitzek coronation

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Peter Fitzek, or Peter the First, is a former martial arts instructor who staged his own coronation in 2012 to anoint himself the King of Germany.

03:02

PETER FITZEK: A kingdom was imperative because the Federal Republic of Germany is not a state. Certainly not a constitutional state.

03:17

Fitzek's passport as King of Germany

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: He prints his own passports and drivers' licences,

03:26

Eric and Fitzek to coin press

mints his own currency…

PETER FITZEK: This is our coin press.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: …and says he hasn't paid tax in 15 years.

03:29

Fitzek interview

PETER FITZEK: No! For God's sake no. We're not going to pay taxes to construct of occupation. When the money is used to produce tanks to ship to Ukraine? That is not possible for ethical reasons.

03:38

Fitzek hugs supporters

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Hundreds have come to live and work in his tax-free kingdom.

03:50

PETER FITZEK: Oh, you're cleaning.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Thousands more are coming to his seminars to learn how to separate from the State.

03:56

Fitzek and Eric into seminar room

PETER FITZEK: Here's where the people sit. I sit up the front.

04:03

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: They pay as much as 2,500 Euros for a weekend course.

04:07

PETER FITZEK: The seminars are about renouncing the system. People learn how to leave Germany and become part of the kingdom. People learn how they can be free. How they can be sovereign again. This is what we teach.

04:12

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The idea is spreading?

PETER FITZEK: Exactly. The idea should spread across the whole world.

04:31

Archival. Germany WWII

Music

04:39

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The idea that Germany is illegitimate goes back to the end of World War Two when Hitler's Third Reich was overthrown, and Germany was occupied by the victorious Allies. Many believe the country was never sovereign again, meaning the Federal Republic of Germany is a fake State.

04:49

Reichsbürger men at rally

MAN AT RALLY: It's important to realise that Germany up to the present day is occupied and administered by the Anglo-American occupation regime.

05:15

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Germans who don't recognise the State are known as Reichsbürger, meaning citizens of the Reich, or empire. Some of them believe Hitler's Reich never legally ended. Some others believe the only real Germany was the 19 ^th century empire ruled by the Kaiser. They tend to carry imperial flags, coloured black, white and red, to assert the Kaiser Reich lives on.

05:23

Music

05:50

Eric walks in Berlin

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: I've come to Berlin to meet a man who's spent years trying to make sense of these disparate Reichsbürger groups.

05:53

Eric meets with Nicholas potter

"This is where you monitor the goings on in the far right?"

NICHOLAS POTTER: Exactly. This is our HQ.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Nicholas Potter is an analyst with the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, an NGO dedicated to fighting racism and far-right extremists.

05:59

Reichsbürger rally at Brandenburg Gate

He says the one thing that all Reichsbürger agree on is that they're still under occupation.

NICHOLAS POTTER: This is essentially the belief that

06:16

Potter interview. Super:
Nicholas Potter
AMADEU ANTONIO FOUNDATION

the state of Germany doesn't exist in its current form, because there was never a peace treaty after the second World War. It means that Germany's being exploited and dominated by evil forces who are there to, you know, keep Germans down.

06:25

Eric with Peter Fitzek looking at constitution

PETER FITZEK: Here's the constitution of our kingdom.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Peter Fitzek insists his kingdom is neither dangerous nor extremist.

06:42

Fitzek interview

PETER FITZEK: The 'King Reich' has the word 'Reich' in its name, so you could say, yes, was are 'King Reichsbürger', but we have nothing in common with the people who want to use violence to change the country.

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: While Peter Fitzek claims to advocate for peaceful change,

06:49

Potter looking at Reichsbürger propaganda on computer

Nicholas Potter says thousands of Reichsbürger are dangerous extremists.

NICHOLAS POTTER: For example here, they're sharing the conspiracy narrative of the Great Reset, which is some ominous plan by financial and or Jewish elites.

07:06

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: He monitors Reichsbürger channels on the social media app Telegram, many spouting far right ideology and anti-Semitic conspiracies.

07:21

NICHOLAS POTTER: In the last few years of Telegram, this has just exacerbated this even more. And I think when you're just bombarded with disinformation, ideological conspiracy narratives day in, day out, this reinforces the idea that this is some kind of higher truth and you're now like seeing the light.

07:31

Various, right wing protests and rallies at parliament building

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: COVID helped transform militant Reichsbürger from fringe dwellers into something more potent as they joined forces with other groups opposed to State restrictions. This protest in front of the Reichstag parliament building in 2020 showed the new order. Reichsbürger stood with QAnon conspiracists, far-right politicians, militant anti-vaxxers and people who really do wear tinfoil hats.

07:54

PROTESTORS: "Lying press! Lying press!"

08:24

NICHOLAS POTTER: It was utterly bizarre to sort of see Reichsbürger we'd been following for years alongside yoga teachers, hippies with dreadlocks, Neo-Nazis. So you had a really bizarre cross-section of people finding their way to each other, forming new alliances.

08:27

Protestors storm Reichstag

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Some even carried Trump flags. The day started peacefully, but soon turned violent as protestors tried to storm the Reichstag. This was four months before Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

08:47

NICHOLAS POTTER: They got the photo opportunity they wanted. Symbolically, it was very important for the movement. It empowered them. It gave them a feeling of strength, and they were able to use these images online effectively.

09:05

Potter interview

So I think this definitely emboldened the scene. And then of course, we later then saw similar scenes happening in Washington, at the Capitol. So this is clearly like a blueprint or this idea of the far right rising up and marching on the parliaments. We saw it later in Brazil as well.

09:17

Berlin GVs

Music

09:39

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: For decades, security agencies paid little attention to Reichsbürger, dismissing them as cranks.

09:43

Police on street

That changed after militants started attacking police. In 2019, for example,

09:50

Adrian Ursache. In Mister Germany sash/on trial

a former Mister Germany, Adrian Ursache, was convicted of attempted murder after shooting a policeman in the neck. The officer had tried to evict him from a home he had declared to be an independent State.

NICHOLAS POTTER: If you reject the state of Germany,

09:57

Potter interview

you also don't believe that the police are entitled to do that, because the police are just, you know, like actors or employees or they're not really, you know, like the legitimate arm of the state.

10:13

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Each of Germany's 16 federal states has its own intelligence service.

10:27

Beate Bube interview

Beate Bube is intelligence chief for the state of Baden-Württemberg, which has the second highest number of known Reichsbürger.

10:32

BEATE BUBE: The typical reaction to state intervention, say a bailiff, or a police check, leads to a heightened level of risk and state officials have to be prepared for the possibility of violent behaviour.

10:41

Inside courthouse

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: This is the latest suspected Reichsbürger to be charged with attempted murder. Known as Ingo K, he allegedly fired on police with a semi-automatic weapon when they came to his house in Baden-Württemberg, to confiscate firearms.

11:07

NICHOLAS POTTER: The police turned up with like a special forces unit, and then he completely opened fire on them.

11:23

Suspect's burned down house

It's unclear exactly what happened. He may or may not have set his own house on fire. Either way, his house is burnt down. It's an explosive ideology that's led time and time again to violence. For a long time we were saying these are dangerous people. They're also gun nuts.

11:28

Welcome to Bobstadt signage

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The Reichsbürger movement isn't new.

11:47

Bube interview

Did you perhaps see them for too long as just eccentrics?

11:49

Super:
Beate Bube
INTELLIGENCE CHIEF, BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

BEATE BUBE: The Internet has had a strong spreading effect. When you look at this in connection with the crimes in Bavaria, it's clear we're dealing with a scene that's becoming stronger and is courting more followers.

11:53

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Are they all dangerous?

BEATE BUBE: No, certainly not all Reichsbürger are dangerous in the sense that they will engage in violence. Of the 3,800 Reichsbürger in Baden- Württemberg, we estimate about 10% are dangerous.

12:17

Stuttgart New Palace

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Federal authorities say they know of 23,000 Reichsbürger.

12:35

People GVs

The real number could be many times higher, but that's still relatively small in a country of 83 million.

12:41

AfD flag, montage

But that can't be said of the far right AfD party that wins the votes of millions. The Federal Intelligence Service has it under formal surveillance as a potential threat to democracy, claiming a third of its 30,000 members are known far-right extremists.

12:49

Haldenwang interview on street

The intelligence director is Thomas Haldenwang.

13:10

Super:
Thomas Haldenwang
FEDERAL INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

THOMAS HALDENWANG: Inside the party we see a strong current of people who don't respect the constitution and we see a lot of hatred and agitation towards minorities.

13:12

Von Storch addresses parliament. Super:
Beatrix von Storch
DEPUTY LEADER, AFD

BEATRIX VON STORCH: "A fish is not a bike, a man is not a woman, gender is gaga."

13:25

AfD protests at Brandenburg Gate

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The AfD is anti-trans, anti-Islam, anti-immigration and anti any action on climate change. It's currently the second most popular party in Germany.

13:30

AfD video

AfD VIDEO: "The Euro, gender, climate, refugees, energy, corona. We warned about the mistakes of others and on every issue we were right! That's why we are demonised. That's why the intelligence service is against us. That's why we have to keep going."

13:45

Von Storch interview

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Beatrix von Storch is the AfD deputy leader.

14:06

BEATRIX VON STORCH: The public opinion is just shifting, and the government is losing track, and one must say, the opposition is gaining. And the opposition party, which is gaining, is not the CDU of the former Chancellor Merkel, but it's our AfD, because people realise that we are the only ones who will not go into alliance with the Greens and keep on going with mass migration and energy politics like the government is actually doing.

14:12

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Is your party a far right extremist party? Many in the intelligence services claim that the AfD is an extremist far right party.

14:38

BEATRIX VON STORCH: Yeah, they keep on going saying so, but that doesn't change our program, that doesn't change our position and that doesn't prevent people from supporting us.

14:45

Merkel support rally

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The AfD is riding a backlash against the energy and migration policies of long-term chancellor Angela Merkel, particularly the decision to welcome in more than a million asylum seekers.

ANGELA MERKEL: "I'm happy that Germany has become a country

14:54

Super: 2015

that many people abroad now associate with hope. This is something of great value when you consider our history.

15:17

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: But Chancellor Merkel, who retired in 2021, had less success in taking the German public with her.

15:26

AfD rallies

The AfD's popularity soared as it promised to end the expensive energy transition and slam the door on migrants.

15:35

Von Storch address

BEATRIX VON STORCH: Ladies and gentlemen, we've decided that migrants who want to come here and have less than 5 million Euros are no longer welcome. 4.5 million will not allow you entry.

15:46

Young people take selfies with Von Storch

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Latest polls suggest one in five Germans plan to vote for the AfD and the number is rising. Frau von Storch denies the party is racist and claims its migration policies are no tougher than Australia's.

15:56

BEATRIX VON STORCH: People are not starting travelling towards Australia because they know no one will come in without any visa or let -- so are you state of law or what is kind Australia something like a criminal country? Or should we blame Australia for this migration politics? Are you all just racists? Are you all just right-wing extremists?

16:14

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: But Australia has not suggested shooting migrants at the border.

BEATRIX VON STORCH: No one-

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: You initially made a comment on Facebook saying it would be permissible to shoot people…

BEATRIX VON STORCH: No, no, no.

16:38

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: You later clarified that you didn't mean shooting children, but it would be permissible to shoot the mothers.

16:45

BEATRIX VON STORCH: No, I, we had the debate, and I will not go into it any longer. There's a law saying how borders are protected. I just, we would like to have it addressed like Australia's addressing it, and we will not call the Australians and every single one who is in support of the Australian system of managing the borders call them racists or murderers or something.

16:50

Thuringia village GVs

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: In the state of Thuringia, in eastern Germany, the AfD already sees itself as the alternative government.

17:13

Eric greet Stephan Kramer

Stephan Kramer is the Thuringia intelligence chief.

STEPHAN KRAMER: I'm very alarmed because you look in Thuringia, the AfD, a proven right-wing extremist party by my domestic intelligence,

17:21

Kramer interview

is the biggest opposition party in the moment in our state parliament. They have growing numbers. In Thuringia, way over 28%, and they have probably a potential of between 32% and 50%, depending on the coming months and the political situation and the emotions of the people.

17:36

East Germany commuters

Music

17:58

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The AfD's support has always been strongest in East Germany, which became a Soviet-dominated communist state after World War Two. East Germans have only been part of the democratic state since 1990, when the two Germanies re-united.

18:05

STEPHAN KRAMER: Not everyone who votes for the AfD is automatically right-wing extremist or Nazi or something like that. Because we see a lot of frustration, we see a lot of anger about political decisions. We see a lot of fear in people about crises surrounding us, take the Ukraine war, take the economic crisis, the pandemic, take the environmental crisis.

18:23

Kramer interview. Super:
Stephan Kramer
INTELLIGENCE CHIEF, THURINGIA

So not one single but altogether, it leads to a situation that obviously a lot of people in Germany are seeking a führer, a leader, seeking one party that is solving all the problems. I think that's a very natural feeling and demand of the people. The question is how politics is dealing with it.

18:50

Von Storch

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Beatrix von Storch bristles at any talk of a führer. It's a very sore point.

19:12

Photo. Von Storch grandfather with Hitler

Her grandfather was Hitler's Finance Minister.

19:20

BEATRIX VON STORCH: I know he was guilty. He knew he was guilty, and he was sent to prison. It doesn't affect my politics.

19:25

Kramer interview

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Stephan Kramer also accuses the AfD of forging close links with fringe movements like the Reichsbürger.

19:30

STEPHAN KRAMER: They figured out, now, a couple years ago, that working together would serve both purposes, the ones of the Reichsbürger, as well as the ones of the new right. And this is a very interesting coalition and makes it also very dangerous because, of course, together joined forces is much more dangerous than each of them single-ised and separated.

19:39

German flag flies/AfD conference Magdeburg

Music

19:58

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: While the AfD hopes to gain power through the ballot box, authorities believe militant Reichsbürger have twice planned violent attacks on the State.

20:07

Trial of suspected kidnappers

In April 2022 Germans were shocked by the arrest of five people, including a 75-year-old woman, on suspicion of plotting to kidnap the Federal Health Minister. But the intelligence didn't come from security services.

20:17

Potter at computer

One of Nicholas Potter's team was monitoring a Reichsbürger Telegram channel when he stumbled across the alleged plot.

20:35

Potter interview

NICHOLAS POTTER: He saw that they were planning an attack on the energy grid. They were planning to kidnap the health minister. And this is when authorities became alerted to this threat.

20:44

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: So they weren't aware of it already. They had to be notified by one of your researchers?

20:54

NICHOLAS POTTER: They later claimed that they were aware, but I doubt that.

20:59

Telegram app messages, Patriotic Union web pages

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: When police examined the suspects' digital devices, they came across what appeared to be an even bigger terrorist plot, organised by a Reichsbürger splinter group calling itself the Patriotic Union.

21:04

Drone shot over Thuringia hunting lodge

Intelligence officials suspected a full-scale coup was being planned in this hunting lodge in Thuringia. It belongs to Heinrich the 13^th,

21:19

Prince Reuss

or Prince Reuss, a descendant of princes who ruled the area until Germany became a republic in 1918. Four years ago, he publicly bemoaned the loss of his family's power and property.

21:29

Reuss addresses Worldwebforum

Super:
HEINRICH XIII.
PRINZ REUSS

PRINCE REUSS: "A dispossessed and stateless dynasty after a thousand years of rule. So the story of my family.

21:44

Former Reuss family properties

STEPHAN KRAMER: He tried to get restituted some of the family properties, which was rejected. And that led to a kind of frustration for the prince, which was probably the starting point when he tried to get

21:53

Kramer interview

on the path of being a Reichsbürger. And through that, re-establishing basically his old aristocratic position into the area. So we have him on the radar for a few years, but he's been very active only lately.

22:05

Castle festival. People in costume. Battle re-enactment

Music

22:22

- "Welcome to Schwerin castle on the day of the historical castle festival."

22:30

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Many Germans do have a romantic attachment to the age of royalty, especially the 19 ^th century when rival princes, kings and dukes united into a single empire under the Kaiser. Period re-enactments like this are highly popular. But authorities saw nothing romantic in the prince's alleged plot. It was to be carried out with the same brute force that built the Kaiser Reich. Former military officers were allegedly arming Reichsbürger across Germany.

22:38

Police raids on Reichsbürger properties

On December 7, authorities swooped; 3,000 police raiding more than 130 properties. Local journalist

23:18

Eric walks with Peter Hagen

Peter Hagen filmed the raid on the prince's hunting lodge after being tipped off by police.

23:27

Police raid on hunting lodge/Hagen interview outside hunting lodge

PETER HAGEN: This section here was sealed off by police so that nobody could move in or out. Because the tactical police had gone into the lodge and were searching for weapons or signs of armed resistance. Other searches were carried out simultaneously in the area. Ten kilometres away in Birkenhügel there and another one in Bad Lobenstein.

23:35

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: But Prince Reuss was in Frankfurt?

PETER HAGEN: Prince Reuss was in Frankfurt and was arrested there.

24:07

Arrest of Reuss and others

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Prosecutors allege Prince Reuss planned to name himself head of State, one step from appointing himself the Kaiser, and suspend democracy. Others arrested included an active soldier, former police officers, even a celebrity chef who says he was just doing catering.

24:12

Malsack-Winkemann in parliament

But the most shocking arrest was of a former politician from the AfD.

24:33

Super:
Dr. Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, AfD

Birgit Malsack-Winkemann was allegedly going to be the Justice Minister in the prince's regime. She was an AfD member of parliament from 2017 to 2021 and retained a pass card to the Reichstag building.

24:38

Reichstag exterior, interiors

Prosecutors allege she had smuggled three coup plotters into the Reichstag to study its layout. Now, it's important to remember that these cases have not yet been tried in court, so at this stage they are just allegations.

24:55

Eric to camera outside Reichstag

But what the authorities are alleging is that a small group of armed Reichsbürger were going to use covert information to gain entry to the Reichstag, storm the building and declare a transitional military government. There was even an alleged hit list of politicians and media figures to be arrested or executed.

25:11

Top of the enemies list was the Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. And the CDU leader who ran against him in the last election, Armin Laschet.

25:33

Eric walks with Laschet

ARMIN LASCHET: They are dangerous. That's why the federal prosecutor has cracked down and taken many into custody.

25:40

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: I caught up with Herr Laschet between meetings in the Reichstag. Were you surprised that a member of the AfD belongs to the Prince Reuss group?

25:47

ARMIN LASCHET: No, I could have always imagined that. This is a party with extreme right elements that articulates itself that way. That a former member of parliament worked with them was shocking, but it didn't surprise me.

25:57

Photo. Von Storch with colleagues

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Beatrix von Storch was reluctant to discuss her former AfD colleague.

26:14

Von Storch interview

BEATRIX VON STORCH: I’m not aware of any kind of comments of this lady.

26:20

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: It's clear she was a member of the Patriotic Union, which is a branch of the Reichsbürger. I mean, how could you have had someone in parliament who didn't recognise the German state?

26:26

BEATRIX VON STORCH: I don't know where she has been into. We have not been shown any kind of evidence. The only thing we know is that she has been locked up. And nothing else. So we wait for the evidence and then we make comments on that one.

26:35

Sholz and others to press conference

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: But details of allegations have continued to leak out. German media have reported that Chancellor Scholz and his ministers were to be handcuffed and paraded for Reichsbürger cameras while mainstream media would be shut down.

26:50

Media film arrests

Instead, mainstream media filmed the alleged coup plotters being arrested. It was a PR triumph for the security services.

27:09

NICHOLAS POTTER: There are cameras and journalists waiting at all the high-profile arrests. So they were really able to use this. But what worries me is that they sort of found out about this by chance in a way. So it does sort of make you think like what was presented as a success by the state

27:18

Potter interview

was also a bit of a fluke, which makes me worried. What kind of threats aren't we picking up on?

27:34

Bad Lobenstein GVs

27:40

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: The arrest of the prince shocked his neighbours in the spa town of Bad Lobenstein. But talking to long-time locals, it was clear few took his ideas seriously.

27:45

Helga and Udo interview at cafe

HELGA: Yeah, a bit crazy.

27:58

UDO: They're just nutters in my view.

28:01

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Helga and Udo have been living here since 1989. They don't believe any of the Reichsbürger philosophy, but they share the disdain for the government.

28:06

UDO: With the government? It needs to be thrown out. I'm telling you straight, they deserve to go, they make us poor.

28:16

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: And despite the arrest of the former AfD politician, they plan to vote for the AfD in the next state and federal elections.

28:30

UDO: I've never been to a protest, but everything is covered up. The migrants come here, they get anything they want, but it's all hushed up. And when as a German you say something, you're instantly labelled right-wing. And I don't think you have to be right-wing to feel that way.

28:40

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: And are most people in the town for the AfD.

29:02

UDO: I'm going to vote for them. Yeah, that's how it is in east Germany.

29:06

Von Storch into parliament

BEATRIX VON STORCH: We want to govern, we want to take responsibility for the country.

29:16

Von Storch interview

We are not running only to be the opposition party. We are running for elections. And then, of course, be part of the government.

29:20

AfD montage

STEPHAN KRAMER: I'm not trying to compare it, but if you look into history, we know very well that Hitler didn't come into power with a revolution, but he was voted into his position.

29:31

Kramer interview. Super:
Stephan Kramer
INTELLIGENCE CHIEF, THURINGIA

I'm a Jew, so if I see those neo-Nazis and right wing extremists marching through the instances and establishment of our society, probably and very almost surely, taking over political power, my personal red line and that for my family will be that, at that moment when the AfD becomes a government part in Germany, either in state or on federal level, we will leave the country.

29:46

Battle re-enactment at castle festival

ERIC CAMPBELL, Reporter: Germany is a robust state. Far right extremists are still a small minority. But something appears to be fraying in the threads that have held democracy together since 1949 in the west and 1990 in the east. For the first time since World War Two some are starting to ask could Germany's history repeat itself?

30:12

Credits [see below]

30:41

Outpoint