Prince Reuß describes his career - "Naturally rejects violence"
Prinz Reuß - purported ringleader of an alleged "Reichsbürger"-group - testifies in court for the first time. In his statement, he doesn't yet address the charges. Instead, he talks about his family, bullying in school, and his efforts to restore the family estates in Thuringia.
Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuß is believed to have been the ring leader of a purported "Reichsbürger"-group - now he has testified in court for the first time. On the eleventh hearing day in the trial against him and eight other defendants, the Frankfurt real estate dealer declared, "I am a strict opponent of violence. Of course, I reject violence - but the prosecution is trying to imply the opposite."
The 72-year-old took his seat in the middle of the courtroom in a dark blue suit. His attorney 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 stand from the spectator and press area. Once back in his seat, he wiped tears from his face. His ex-wife watched on, sitting next to his daughter.
Pony breeding and furniture design - the first businesses
In his approximately two-hour testimony, he mainly provided insights into his personal relationships and biography. According to him, his parents fled from Thuringia to Hessen 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. For example, one teacher once said to him, "you all should be dispossessed." School was generally not important to Reuß. 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 consequences from riding accidents in his childhood. In this context, he repeatedly emphasized that he abhorred violence and was often sick and health-impaired. After two traffic accidents, he claimed, he had nearly undergone a leg amputation and a spinal cord injury. He also mentioned his studies in Hamburg and Munich and listed participations and purchases of real estate and businesses, such as a fitness studio.
Reuß: "Erd-Allianz was a Trojan horse"
Reuß also commented on the "Erd-Allianz," which is believed to be a right-wing extremist group. He called it a "Trojan horse," suggesting it was a disguise for something more sinister. The prosecution alleges that Reuß and his co-defendants were members of this group and planned to overthrow the German state. The trial is ongoing.
Over his children and ex-wife, Reuß spoke at length. He mentioned that his first marriage was burdensome because it was not accepted by his family. "At the House of Reuß, only marriages that were closed in a Christian church were considered valid marriages," he said. His ex-wife is from Iran. Regarding his relationship with his co-defendant Vitalia B., he said: "It was a friendship that evolved into an intimate relationship."
Reuß became increasingly preoccupied with the "so-called reunification" of Germany and the return to family affairs in Thuringia, as his father had assigned him. The restitution and proof of ownership for the House of Reuß's inheritance cost him a great deal of energy and money. In the past 32 years, until his arrest in December 2022, the family estate had absorbed most of his efforts. For instance, he bought the hunting lodge Waidmannsheil back in the Thuringian Saaldorf. In 2022, Reuß intended, according to his own statements, to have the "Reussen people" recognized as an indigenous people.
Regarding the charges, Reuß made no comments, as these are currently being excluded from the trial. He only made a brief and cryptic statement about the "Earth Alliance," the supposed group that allegedly instigated the "Reichsbürger" of the "Patriotische Union" to launch a coup: "The Alliance turned out to be a Trojan horse and caused nothing."
Ex-soldier Eder refuses to answer any questions
An unusual procedure preceded Reuß's statement, as Judge Bonk referred to it. For the past two days, the ex-soldier Maximilian Eder had spoken about his personal relationships. Plans called for further questions to him during the hearing on Friday. However, Eder's lawyer Ralf Dalla Fini announced that his client would not answer any questions. As a result, 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 defendants are currently under the presumption of innocence until judgment. 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 prosecution claimed. The trial will continue on Tuesday, 2. July, with planned questions from the court to Reuß, as well as further statements from co-defendants Hans-Joachim H. and Johanna F.-J.
In the ongoing trial against right-wing extremists, Prinz Reuß emphasized that the "Erd-Allianz," believed to be a right-wing group, was a "Trojan horse." Despite being accused of planning an armed coup, Reuß rejected the allegations of violence, stating, "I am a strict opponent of violence."
The processes in the courtroom revealed that the 'Reichsburger' movement, which Prinz Reuß is believed to have been a part of, is deeply entwined with political extremism. The defendants in this trial face severe charges, including membership in a terrorist organization or supporting it, threatening the stability of German politics and society.
