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Heinrich XIII. Prinz Reuß
Born	(1951-12-04) 4 December 1951 (age 73) Büdingen, Hesse, West Germany
Known for	Leadership in 2022 Germany coup d'état plot
Movement	Reichsbürger movement, Alternative for Germany
Spouse	Susan Doukht Jalali
Children	Heinrich XXVII
Parents	Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz (father) Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg (mother)

Heinrich XIII. Prinz Reuß (born 4 December 1951) is a German aristocrat who was arrested by German federal police in 2022 due to his alleged leadership in the 2022 Germany coup d'état plot.

Biography

Early life and ancestry

He was born in Büdingen on 4 December 1951 to Prince Heinrich I Reuss of Köstritz and Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg, who was in turn the only child of the German colonial politician Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg.

The House of Reuss, from which Reuss claims descent, dates to the 12th century and historically administered the regions of Gera and Greiz. Heinrich distanced himself from his family around 2009.

Reuss worked as a real estate developer, operating a company named Buero Prinz Reuss in Frankfurt, and also produced sparkling wine. In 2017 he supported the reinterment of the remains of a number of his ancestors, most prominent among them Henry II, Count of Reuss-Gera, in their original location. Their sarcophagi had been moved repeatedly since the church where they were entombed was destroyed in a fire in 1780.

Conspiracy theories and controversy

Reuss has spoken in favor of lower tax regimes, hailing the 10 percent rate in the former Principality of Reuss, saying it let Reuss's citizens lead "happy lives" because it was "straightforward and transparent". Reuss contended that the modern German government and European Union were more distant and inaccessible than feudal princes. Reuss also gave speeches containing antisemitic conspiracies and claims that Germany had been a vassal state since the Second World War.

At a digital business summit in 2019, Reuss gave a speech containing far-right conspiracy theories, blaming the Rothschilds and Freemasons for the wars of the twentieth century. In 2020, Reuss participated in the "Celebrating the First International Day of Conscience" event in Vienna.

In August 2022, after he appeared at a party held in honor of a German politician sympathetic to the Reichsbürger movement and who was accused of assaulting a journalist, the current head of the Reuss family, Heinrich XIV, denounced Heinrich XIII, calling him a "distant relative" and "a confused man peddling in conspiracy theories".

Involvement in 2022 German coup plot

On 7 December 2022, Reuss was arrested at his home in the Westend of Frankfurt during a wide-ranging set of German police raids against alleged far-right conspirators in a planned coup d'état. According to police, the coup's conspirators—which included former Bundestag member Birgit Malsack-Winkemann—were proponents of the Reichsbürger movement who hoped to install the 71-year-old Reuss as head of state. Reuss' estate in Thuringia allegedly was the site of weapons stockpiles and meetings regarding the conspiracy.

Reuss is also reported to have reached out to the Russian government via its embassy in Berlin, presumably for assistance in the coup.

References

1. ^ Fahey, Ryan (7 December 2022). "Everything we know about German coup leader Prince Heinrich XIII who wants to be king". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
2. ^ McNaughton, Arnold (1973). The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy. New York City: Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co. p. 345. ISBN 0-8129-0280-7. OCLC 1340410.
3. Noryskiewicz, Anna (7 December 2022). "Germany arrests dozens as QAnon-inspired "Reichsbürger" group accused of plotting to overthrow government". CBS News. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
4. "Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss: Who is 'ringleader' of German far-right coup plot - and what is the Reichsburger movement?". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
5. Murray, Miranda (2022-12-07). "Germany raids far-right group over plot to install prince in coup". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
6. "Heinrich XIII. Reuß festgenommen: Wer ist der Prinz, der Scholz ersetzen wollte?". euronews (in German). 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
7. "Fürstenhaus Reuss distanziert sich von Weigelt-Gast Prinz Heinrich XIII" (in German). Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
8. ^ Oltermann, Philip (7 December 2022). "Key figures behind alleged far-right plot to overthrow the German government". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
9. "Reußen-Gruft in Gera soll an historischen Ort zurück" [The Reussen crypt in Gera is to be returned to its historical location]. Die Welt (in German). 29 August 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
10. ^ Marsh, Sarah (7 December 2022). "Heinrich XIII: the prince suspected of plotting to be German kaiser in coup". Reuters. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
11. "Heinrich XIII. Prinz Reuss". Federation of World Peace and Love. 7 February 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
12. Koity, Marius (2022-08-25). "Nach „Affäre um Weigelt": Familie Reuß distanziert sich von Prinz Heinrich XIII. „aufs Schärfste"". www.otz.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-12-07.
13. Schuetze, Christopher F. (2022-12-07). "What Do We Know About Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
14. Ramirez, Nikki McCann (7 December 2022). "Germany Arrests QAnon-Linked Extremists Over Plot to Topple Government". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
15. Saric, Ivana (7 December 2022). "Germany arrests 25 people over far-right coup plot". Axios. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
16. Bennhold, Katrin; Solomon, Erika (2022-12-07). "Germany Arrests 25 Suspected of Planning to Overthrow Government". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-08.

• 1951 births
• Living people
• Princes of Reuss
• People from Büdingen
• Prisoners and detainees of Germany
• Monarchism in Germany
• Far-right politics in Germany