Reich citizens in Löcknitz: Convicted gun nut fights for his freedom

Reich citizens in Löcknitz: Convicted gun nut fights for his freedom

Dirk B., a 56-year-old resident of Löcknitz in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, is making headlines again. At the beginning of July 2025, the controversial Reich citizen was sentenced to a total sentence of three years and ten months for several violations of the weapons law. This strict decision was made by the Pasewalk District Court, which found him guilty of the unauthorized acquisition of war weapons, handling explosive substances and threatening a bailiff. Despite an existing arrest warrant of one year and ten months, which has now been included in the new sentence, Dirk B. is dissatisfied with the verdict and has hired a new defense attorney to file an appeal. He refuses to accept the jurisdiction of the court and did not appear in the trial regarding the allegations. As [nordkurier.de](https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/pasewalk/reichsbuerger-und- Waffennarr-will-sich-mit-Judg-nicht-abenden-3758404) reports, searches of his properties took place three years ago as part of extensive investigations on suspicion of acts of violence that were a threat to the state.

The Dirk B. case shows how seriously the authorities take the movements surrounding the so-called “Reich citizens”. These people have become increasingly important in recent years and are classified as dangerous. This was particularly evident in an incident in which a police officer lost his life. The circumstances surrounding Dirk B. are worrying: he was already under surveillance in 2019 and 2020 and is known to have purchased demilitarized weapons on the Internet. There are said to have been 37 such purchases in total, although only two weapons and almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition were seized during searches.

Risks of gun ownership

The authorities' assessment is clear: people who sympathize with the ideology of the Reich citizens often do not have the necessary reliability under firearms law, as [juracademy.de](https://www.juracademy.de/rechtsprachung/article/reichsbuerger-zuverlaessige- Waffenowner) explains. A striking example is the case of another member of this movement, whose gun ownership card was revoked due to unreliable behavior. This happened because the people of the Reich Citizens' Movement did not recognize the essential foundations of the constitutional order and repeatedly distanced themselves from laws. In this case, it was made clear that the revocation of his firearms ownership card was lawful because, according to Section 45 (2) of the Weapons Act, there were new facts that resulted in his application being rejected.

The legal regulations are clear: Anyone who is classified as unreliable loses their right to own weapons. This also applies to the possession of unlicensed weapons, as a ban can also be imposed against unreliable people. This means that as a member of this movement, Dirk B. not only risked his freedom, but also his right to own weapons.

The effects

The incidents surrounding the group headed by Dirk B. should not be underestimated. The “National Alliance Löcknitz”, which he led, provided a large event hall in a garage complex, which illustrates the presence of the Reich Citizens' Movement in the region. The authorities also successfully closed the alliance's meeting point. The threat to the bailiff, which was raised during the trial, also led to him expressing fears that even affected his children. This development illustrates how strongly the entanglements and threats posed by such movements can influence society.

It remains to be seen whether Dirk B. will actually follow through with his appeal and what further steps the courts will take in this controversial case. What is certain, however, is that the Reich Citizens' Movement and its activities will continue to be a hot topic in the future, putting public safety to the test.