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Baden-Württemberg Finance Ministry Apologizes for Police Probe into Pensioner's Satirical Fee Complaint

Deeming the Kriminalpolizei intervention excessive, the ministry offered a public apology, settling the dispute through direct calls with the retiree

Auch diese Illustration von 1861 verschickte der 72-Jährige mit seinem Brief
Image
Einsatzkräfte der Polizei Baden-Württemberg bei einem Einsatz (Symbolbild).
Minister. Soll sich mittlerweile beim Rentner entschuldigt haben: Danyal Bayaz (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) Foto: picture alliance/dpa | Bernd Weißbrod

Overview

  • The ministry admitted that forwarding the 72-year-old’s €9.50 late-fee complaint to the police under a 2022 Reichsbürger decree was excessive.
  • Officers from the Kriminalpolizei visited pensioner Karlheinz Falkenstein’s Heddesheim home on July 7 to assess a possible threat to the democratic order.
  • Falkenstein’s May letter to Finance Minister Danyal Bayaz included satirical medieval-themed illustrations depicting “Raubritter, Strauchdiebe und Wegelagerer” to protest perceived tax unfairness.
  • The finance minister’s spokesperson and the head of the Weinheim tax office held conciliatory phone calls with Falkenstein to clarify the harmless intent of his drawings.
  • The episode has prompted public discussion over the balance between citizen satire and state security protocols in tax administration.