German Court Upholds Pay Cuts for Teacher Linked to 'Reichsbürger' Movement

The teacher's challenge to a disciplinary action for behavior denying Germany's legal existence was rejected by the Sigmaringen Administrative Court.

A teacher in Baden-Württemberg, identified as being linked to the 'Reichsbürger' movement, had her pay reduced for three years due to a violation of her constitutional loyalty obligations.
The disciplinary action followed a letter she sent questioning the legitimacy of Germany's founding documents and referencing pre-Bundesrepublik legal norms from 1896.
The court ruled that denying the legal existence of a state while being employed by it is incompatible with constitutional loyalty requirements.
The teacher's legal challenge to overturn the pay cut was dismissed, though the decision is not yet legally binding and may still be appealed within a month.
The 'Reichsbürger' movement rejects the legitimacy of the Federal Republic of Germany, claiming the German Empire of 1871 still exists, and is monitored by the German domestic intelligence agency.