Denying the state through law: the case of the German Reichsbürger movement

Thesis

This dissertation explores the appeal of ‘sovereignism’, a loosely connected movement characterised by the rejection of state authority and the reinterpretation of legal concepts. Employing a multi-sited anthropological approach, this study uses online research, court observation, case file analysis, and interviews with state employees and sovereignists to understand how these groups construct alternative legal realities.

In Germany, sovereignism emerged among far-right groups advocating for the restoration of the German Empire – hence the colloquial name ‘Reichsbürger’ (citizens of the Empire) – but has since blended with diverse fields of alternative knowledge. The dissertation argues that sovereignism attracts individuals who feel alienated and perceive the exercise of government to have been captured by economic or foreign interests. However, sovereignists are not merely rejecting state authority; they seek to prefigure a different social order by adapting legal forms – creating documents with complicated formatting, challenging courts with ritualised performances, and drafting alternative legal frameworks. Through such practices, sovereignists assert their own understanding of law, which they believe to be binding and superior to the state’s legal framework. The study reveals that while sovereignist practices are often legally ineffective and can be costly, they provide users with a sense of agency, community, and control. This is achieved on the one hand, by an emphasis on the process of doing law, and, on the other hand, an interpretation that favours an intuitive style of reasoning. Both, I demonstrate, result from re-reading law through the lens of conspiracy. In this way, sovereignists create a parallel legal universe that offers a narrative of empowerment and resistance. This research contributes to understanding how law can be repurposed by groups in radical opposition to the current order.

Authors: Löbbert, A

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-zbdodoake
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: conspiracy theory; sovereign citizens; non-state law; pseudolaw
• Subjects: Anthropology; Socio-Legal Studies