Peter Fitzek is a self-proclaimed king of a made-up state called the Kingdom of Germany which promises to “not serve capitalism, but the people.” This was possible because of a lesser-known subarticle of German law which entitles the citizens to establish non-profit organizations with their own legislation, executive and judiciary structures.
Fitzek started off as a chef working in a renowned restaurant. He then founded several businesses such as a video store, shoe and jeans shop, a disco bar and tattoo parlor. When he got bored with them, he turned to martial arts. He had always been interested in being healthy and in great shape, thanks to his father who always rode a bike on his way to judo class and because of his mother who was physically disabled. Her condition gave him the determination not to be ill since, according to him, being handicapped is a matter of choice. He believes every man has utter control over what happens to his body. “I control every thought I have. Every emotion, every action. I observe very carefully what those ‘bodies’ do and I carefully decide what I allow them to do and what I don’t allow them to do,” Fitzek says. After participating in some karate tournaments, getting married and having two children, he met a mysterious person who gave him some “ancient magical writings.” Fitzek was so captivated by what he read in those books that from then on, he rejected the rational scientific worldview and embraced the magical, surreal world and beliefs the books described. He soon started teaching that belief system to others, holding seminars in his apartment. “I am a teacher with all my heart. I love to teach people new things and set a good example,” he states. In his seminars, he talked about big issues such as humanity’s problems and political systems which, according to him, were flawed. He now believes democracy too is flawed since “the masses never came to a wise decision. It’s always been a small amount of people or individuals who served the further development of mankind.”
Convinced that he was a natural leader and that he could serve the people better than those already in charge, he ran as an independent candidate in the 2009 parliamentary elections. But after receiving only 0.7% of the votes, he decided he was better off creating his own micronation and proclaimed himself King of a 9 hectare property on the outskirts of Wittenberg that he bought and named the Kingdom of Germany. “I concluded that neither the existing systems, nor the consciousness of the people can be taught. So I tried to find my own solutions and started to teach people. Then I searched for people who would support these ideas,” he explains. Not much construction has been done on his domain so far, but Fitzek sees its potential. Some buildings have already been set up, such as a technology center and seminar halls where he talks to “foreigners” curious about his vision. In addition to the talks, he also enjoys giving tours around the property, although there’s really not that much to see. One woman who participated in his seminar and tour said smiling “He has a leader personality, no doubt. And that’s exactly what it takes. I see that if I grow into it, this will be pioneer work. Something completely new. Marvelous!” She’s smitten alright – must be that irresistible ponytail.
The Monarch also imports products and materials that he sells in the kingdom’s own “Angel Store”- the only place where the unique “angel” currency is of any use. In the future, he hopes to open a university, a diesel fuel station and what he calls “health house”, which I imagine means hospital. However, this won’t be your average hospital. “In our ‘health houses’ we are not planning on performing surgeries. We would much rather work on the causes, so that surgery won’t be necessary,” he says. According to him people in Federal Germany get ill because they lack a proper dietary education and also because they do not following the divine laws. “Most people still don’t understand the laws of creation and why it makes sense to follow these laws. If people followed these laws they would suffer less. Nothing happens by chance on this planet. Everything follows a natural order and everyone’s role is determined before their human incarnation,” Fitzek declares.
The Kingdom of Germany currently has 25 citizens who work on the kingdom’s estate and live in the kingdom’s apartments where they don’t have to pay for electricity or water. They also get 300 angels to spend in their Angels Store and 3oo Euros to spend on… things in the real world. While sitting at the dinner table, where the meals are also free, one happy cult member says that he heard about the kingdom and the perks of being a loyal subject from his mother who attended one of Fitzek’s seminars. “Honestly, this is the only place I’ve learned what’s really going on in the world,” he explains. These people are under the false belief that they, the people, matter. As the ruler puts it, “every wolf pack, every group of deer, any large group of organisms organizes itself, adjusting to one individual who sets the agenda. In this individual enjoys everybody’s trust, they will follow him voluntarily because they recognize his competence, his ethics, his values and if those values are to be pursues, then great!”
Despite all his vast knowledge about wolves and deer, Fitzek confesses that he is not all-knowing and that he still has a lot to learn. Nonetheless, he does have inside information from the Creator Himself, courtesy of his girlfriend who talks to an invisible spirit and is fortunate enough to be the only one who can. “I gathered many experiences throughout my life that showed to me that it was logical, that there was a Creator. I’ve had encounters with creatures that most people wouldn’t be able to see. Unfortunately I can’t see them myself but I have a girlfriend who can,” Fitzek says.
But while being the King of a made-up nation may seem fun, it can get you into trouble . As of this month, Peter is serving a three month jail sentence for driving with a fake license and speeding. “I do own a driving license. That of my kingdom,” he said in court. The judge apparently laughed at him when stating the verdict. “You have built a fantasy world with a fanciful political worldview,” he told the 48-year-old. The King has vowed to file for an appeal. His subjects are obviously outraged by the ruling.
Sources: VICE, Wikipedia, The Local
