The prince, the plot and a long-lost reich

The Citizens of the Reich were considered a local nuisance in their small east German town until Prince Heinrich XIII came along.

Erika Solomon and Katrin Bennhold

Dec 14, 2022 – 8.00am

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The crenelated hunting lodge of Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss sits atop a steep hill, looking out over homes laced with snow and Christmas lights in Bad Lobenstein. Popular with the local mayor and many nearby villagers, the prince spent his weekends in the spa town, giving an aristocratic flair to this sleepy corner of rural eastern Germany.

But there was a darker side to his idyll.