The self-proclaimed 'King of Germany' who claims to rule a nine-hectare kingdom with 3,500 subjects, has been sent to prison for using a fake driving licence. He was caught using a licence from his fantasy realm 'New Germany'.
Officers caught Peter Fitzek, who claims to have a established his own kingdom outside Wittenberg in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, behind the wheel with a counterfeit license from his made-up realm. On Thursday he was sentenced to three months in prison. The former cook appeared before the court in a shirt emblazoned with his kingdom’s coat of arms. But judge Thorsten Steufert was less than sympathetic to the self-proclaimed monarch, "You have built a fantasy world with a fanciful political worldview," he told the 48-year-old.
Although Fitzek showed no repentance, "I do own a driving license. That of my kingdom," he said. The judge at the court in Neustadt, Lower Saxony, could not help but laugh.
He has racked up 24 traffic offences and was caught driving with the false driver's licence eight times. In 2012 he gave up his real license in favour of a homemade copy, which he claims to be valid in his kingdom which he founded last year.
In Garbsen, Lower Saxony, on January 8th this year Fitzek was stopped by police for driving 116 km/h in a 70 km/h zone in his BMW. Police also discovered he was using the made-up driving licence and because he refused to pay the €2,400 fine he was taken to court.
The 'King of New Germany' has vowed to appeal against the ruling, insisting that "the jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Germany does not apply to other heads of state." His 'kingdom' covers nine hectares, boasts 3,500 voluntary citizens and has its own currency - Engel-Geld meaning Angel money. Fitzek has even issued his own passports.
Fitzek was also in the spotlight recently regarding a dispute with Germany's Financial Supervisory Authority over the purchase of hospital buildings in his Kingdom, according to Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. He ended his letter to the body with Pluralis Majestatis (the Royal We) and signed it Peter, Imperator Fiduziar (Peter, the trustworthy commander). Fitzek has also featured in a video documentary for cult news site Vice.
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