Der SpiegelDer Spiegel

The motley crew that wanted to topple the German government

By Wolf Wiedmann-Schmidt, Fidelius Schmid, Sven Röbel, Ann-Katrin Müller, Roman Lehberger, Tobias Großekemper, Matthias Gebauer, Martin Knobbe, Roman Höfner, Jörg Diehl and Maik Baumgärtner

10 Dec 2022 · 22 min read

Editor's Note

You've probably heard about the coup plot in Germany. Der Spiegel dives deep to describe in greater detail than we've seen elsewhere the "strange menagerie" of alleged far-right conspirators.

The Waidmannsheil hunting lodge is enthroned on a hill on a bend of the Saale River in the southeastern part of the eastern German state of Thuringia. It belongs to the Reussens, a former noble family who ruled the area for 800 years before the end of the German monarchy.

It was built for Henry the 72nd between 1834 and 1837, a single-story structure surrounded by trees and a steep rocky embankment that falls away behind the building. The entrance portal is flanked by sculptures of a bear and boar, both of stone. A tower with battlements makes the whole thing look a lot like a small fortress. Stag antlers hang from the very top of the façade.

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