A research project on the "Reichsbürger" trial against the Reuß group
In March 1920, the young Weimar Republic faces one of its greatest challenges. Following the end of World War I and the entry into force of the Treaty of Versailles, parts of the military refuse to disband.
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Grafik WORX "Sturm auf Berlin"
The Ehrhardt Naval Brigade of the Freikorps marched on Berlin to overthrow the democratically elected government. The so-called Kapp Putsch forced members of the Reichstag to flee—but a nationwide general strike thwarted the coup.
About 100 years later, in August 2021, a member of the Bundestag leads former elite soldiers through the Reichstag. Did this group intend to storm the parliament by force? Since 2024, 25 defendants from the so-called Reuss Group have been on trial at three different locations—including former soldiers, a former member of parliament and judge, a nobleman, and a former police officer.
This documentary theater performance explores what happens when the state is attacked from within—by parliament, the judiciary, the military, and the police: a play about right-wing extremism, conspiracy theories, and the fragility of democracy.
Director Marie Schwesinger works at the intersection of documentary theater and journalism. Since 2021, she has been researching right-wing extremism and has attended numerous trials as a court observer.
"Sturm auf Berlin" is based on over 1,200 pages of trial notes that Schwesinger took during the ongoing trial in Frankfurt.
