Who is Prince Heinrich XIII, accused of plotting far-right Germany coup? - The Washington Post

But prosecutors placed the 71-year-old astatine the caput of a countrywide web that planned to overthrow the German authorities and instal its ain authorities operation done convulsive means. He was among the 25 radical arrested connected Wednesday arsenic portion of 1 of the biggest counterterrorism raids ever carried retired successful Germany.

His partner, a Russian nationalist named by prosecutors arsenic Vitalia B., was besides arrested connected suspicion of supporting the organization.

Heinrich, whom 1 German paper dubbed the “Putsch Prince,” has agelong espoused the views of the Reichsbürger movement, a extremist fringe ideology that rejects the modern German authorities and seeks to reinstall the German monarchy. It’s a imaginable with evident entreaty to the insignificant royal, who complains his blue-blood household was pressured to abdicate arsenic the German Empire was overthrown successful the years pursuing World War I and was subsequently “dispossessed.”

Born successful 1951, Heinrich was 1 of six children of Heinrich I and Woizlawa Feodora, Prince and Princess Reuss. His 4 brothers were each besides called Heinrich — similar each different antheral heir successful the household — nether the dynasty’s antithetic naming traditions that are successful tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI.

“He was a reasonably modern, energetic entrepreneur 30 years ago,” Heinrich XIV, a household spokesperson who said helium is lone distantly related to Heinrich XIII, told MDR quality channel connected Wednesday. “He has, of course, radicalized himself done disappointments.” He added that helium hadn’t had interaction with Heinrich XIII, who is 17th successful enactment to the household spot successful the German authorities of Thuringia, for a decade.

An nonfiction successful the Berliner Zeitung German regular successful 1998 described the prince arsenic a “multi-entrepreneur” based successful Germany’s occidental metropolis of Frankfurt and progressive successful businesses spanning existent estate, creation and sparkling vino production. But it noted helium was “angry” implicit spot disputes stemming from expropriation of household land.

While helium has been surviving successful Frankfurt’s upmarket Westend neighborhood, the prince besides is reported to ain a hunting lodge adjacent Bad Lobenstein successful eastbound Thuringia, from wherever the dynasty hails.

His household — which earlier this week had already distanced itself from him — was successful “shock” pursuing the arrest, Heinrich XIV said. “We were a tolerant, cosmopolitan, princely location successful Thuringia for 850 years,” helium said. “And present we’re seen arsenic terrorists and reactionaries each implicit the world, close down to America.”

Signs of radicalization had been connected show successful the prince’s nationalist statements. In a 2019 code astatine the Worldwebforum successful Zurich, which bills itself arsenic a gathering constituent for “thought leaders of the integer world,” helium gave an astatine times rambling code titled, “Why Blue-Blooded Elite Became Servants.”

When the monarchy was around, things ran smoothly, helium said: “If thing was not going well, you approached the prince. Who are you expected to crook to today? To your parliamentarian, local, national oregon E.U. level? Good luck.”

He continued with classical tropes of the Reichsbürger movement, saying helium believed that societal problems and wars were caused by the Jewish Rothschild household — a changeless entity of antisemitic baseless theories — and arguing that Germany’s national republic was not a sovereign state, but inactive occupied by satellite powers.

German prosecutors person described Heinrich XIII arsenic the “ringleader” and cardinal “council” caput of the radical plotting to overthrow the authorities and instal its ain order.

The radical included a sitting justice and doctors and lawyers, with “the prince connected top,” said 1 information official, who similar others spoke to The Washington Post connected the information of anonymity owed to the sensitivity of the subject.

Another German information authoritative described him arsenic much of a figurehead — and said it was interest implicit the group’s subject helping that had spurred the raids and arrests. Many Reichsbürger groups run imaginary sub-states, with immoderate issuing their ain passports. But German authorities impeach this 1 of posing a existent equipped threat.

Part of the group’s conspiracy communicative is the conception that a caller authorities bid successful Germany would necessitate negotiations with the Allied powers of World War II.

According to prosecutors, Heinrich had tried to interaction representatives of the Russian Federation successful Germany, but “there are nary indications that the interaction persons person reacted positively to his request.” In his 2019 speech, helium said helium had tried to interaction Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “without immoderate result.”

The Russian Embassy successful Berlin said it “would similar to marque wide that Russian diplomatic and consular offices successful Germany bash not support contacts with representatives of violent groups oregon different amerciable entities.”

However, successful June, Heinrich and his spouse were invited to enactment successful Russian National Day celebrations astatine the Russian consulate successful Leipzig, the archetypal information authoritative said.

The prince has expressed admiration for Moscow. In a video posted online successful 2020 and distributed connected QAnon and Reichsbürger channels, helium said helium was related to Russia’s imperial location of Romanov done his parent — “one of the reasons we similar Russia.”

He went connected to repetition much Reichsbürger narratives astir the deficiency of legitimacy of the German state.

Before gathering his existent partner, the prince was joined to an Iranian pistillate with whom helium had 2 children, according to the Berliner Zeitung article. His son, calved successful 1991, is named Heinrich XXVIII.

Mekhennet reported from Washington.