Higher Regional Court - From nobility to defendant: Reuß testifies in court
Heinrich XIII. Prince Reuß is alleged to have been one of the ringleaders of a "Reichsbürger" group - now he has spoken out in court for the first time. On the eleventh hearing in the trial against him and eight other defendants, the Frankfurt real estate dealer declared that he is an implacable opponent of violence. "Of course I reject violence - but the prosecution is trying to imply the opposite," he said on Friday morning.
Sitting in the dark blue suit in the middle of the courtroom, the 72-year-old took his place. His lawyer Roman von Alvensleben pointed out the special circumstances before the proceedings began - Reuß' family was present. Before the trial began, the defendant was allowed to greet his daughter. He leaned towards her at the glass partition separating the witness box from the spectators and press room. Once back in his seat, he wiped tears from his face. His ex-wife was also present, sitting next to his daughter.
Reuß visibly emotional
It was a struggle for Reuß to speak. He paused frequently, on the verge of tears, as he spoke of his family history surrounding his four siblings, the life of his parents, and his youth. "My condition is unstable, I don't know what's happening, I can't honestly tell you what's going on," he said to Presiding Judge Jürgen Bonk. Bonk interrupted the session three times - Reuß winked cheerfully at his daughter several times.
In his nearly two-hour testimony, he provided insight into his personal relationships and background. His parents reportedly fled from Thuringia to Hesse during the Second World War. Reuß was born in 1951 in Büdingen - as the fifth of six siblings.
He spoke of "violations of his psyche and soul" by teachers. Once, a teacher told him, "They should all be deprived of their property." School was not important to Reuß in general. He often worked hard in his father's pony breeding business and supplemented his pocket money with the breeding of Canaries and Lovebirds. Later, he designed and built furniture under the name "Linea Tredici" - Italian for "Line Thirteen."
He was discharged from the Bundeswehr due to after-effects of riding accidents in his childhood. In this context, he also emphasized several times that he abhors violence and was often sick and health-challenged. After two traffic accidents, he reportedly came close to having a leg amputation and a spinal cord injury. He also mentioned his studies in Hamburg and Munich and listed investments and purchases of real estate and businesses, such as a fitness studio.
He spoke extensively about his children and ex-wife. His first marriage was burdensome, as his family did not accept it. "Only marriages concluded in a Christian church were accepted in the Reuß household," he said. His ex-wife is from Iran. About his relationship with his co-defendant Vitalia B., he said, "It was a friendship that ripened into an intimate relationship."
Family estate in Thuringia
With the so-called German reunification, Reuß became increasingly engaged in returning to the family estates in Thuringia, as his father had assigned him to do. The restitution and proof of ownership for the Reuß estate had cost him much energy and money. In the past 32 years, until his arrest in December 2022, the family property had absorbed most of his efforts. For instance, he bought back the hunting lodge Waidmannsheil in the Thuringian Saaldorf. In 2022, Reuß also intended, according to his own statements, to have the "Reussen tribe" recognized as an indigenous people.
Regarding the charges against him, Reuß made no comments, and these are currently being excluded from the trial. He did, however, briefly commented on the "Earth Alliance," the alleged group that reportedly instigated the "Patriotic Union" members, who were called "Reichsbürger," to initiate the coup: "The Alliance has shown itself to be a Trojan horse and has caused nothing."
Continuation on Tuesday
The statement from Reuß preceded an unusual procedure, as Judge Bonk called it. For the past two days, the former soldier Maximilian Eder had testified about his personal relationships. It was planned to question him further on the trial day on Friday. However, Eder's lawyer Ralf Dalla Fini announced that his client would not answer any questions. Consequently, they both sat on the witness stand, and Dalla Fini declared twice that Eder would not answer questions. The interrogation was then terminated.
In Frankfurt, nine defendants are accused of being members of a terrorist organization or supporting it. It is alleged that a armed coup was planned. The indictment states that they knowingly put lives at risk. Until the verdict, the defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence. In addition to two other proceedings in Munich and Stuttgart, a total of 26 alleged conspirators must answer for their actions in this complex.
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the group had access to a substantial arsenal of weapons. Military personnel were reportedly recruited repeatedly.
The trial will continue on Tuesday, 2. July. Initially, questions from the court to Reuß, as well as further statements from defendants Hans-Joachim H. and Johanna F.-J., are planned.
- Reuß' opposition to violence in the "Reichsbürger" group is in stark contrast to the allegations of extremism associated with his involvement.
- Despite being emotional during the court proceedings, Reuß emphasized his rejection of any involvement in violent crimes.
- Sitting in the courtroom in Frankfurt am Main, Reüss shared his personal history with his siblings, parents, and youth, highlighting his upbringing in Hesse during the Second World War.
- Reuß' father, who had assigned him to manage the family estate in Thuringia after German reunification, was a significant influence in his life.
- The defendant's testimony revealed his struggles with mental health, including repeated hospitalizations and strained relationships with teachers due to their abuse.
- As a teenager, Reuß supplemented his income by breeding Canaries and Lovebirds, which led to his eventual establishment of the "Linea Tredici" furniture business.
- Reuß' contentious marriage, which was not recognized by his family due to religious reasons, lasted until divorce, leading to a strained relationship with his ex-wife, a woman from Iran.
- Reuß' personal relationships with co-defendants, such as Vitalia B., were complex and fraught, as their friendship and intimate relationship developed against the backdrop of the group's extremist activities.
- In the aftermath of his divorce, Reuß became increasingly focused on regaining control of the family estate in Thuringia, spending three decades and significant financial resources on accomplishing this goal.
- The complex trial against the nine defendants, including Reuß, continues in Frankfurt, as the court seeks to determine their involvement in a terrorist organization and the planning of a coup, with the defendants still enjoying the presumption of innocence.
