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'King of Germany' back on trial

February 24, 2016

A man who calls himself the King of Germany has been ordered to court after being caught driving without a license. This is not the first time the so-called "Peter I" has run into trouble with the law.

https://p.dw.com/p/1I1GO
Peter Fitzek
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt

The self-proclaimed "King of Germany" graced the court in Dessau-Rosslau with his presence on Wednesday, after he was caught driving without a license for the eighth time.

The 50-year-old, who claimed to preside over a "kingdom" encompassing an abandoned hospital in eastern Germany, has had run-ins with the law before.

In 2012, he gave up his German license in favor of one he "authorized" himself. The following year, he flashed the self-issued license after being pulled over by a police officer for speeding. When he refused to pay the subsequent fine imposed for driving without a valid license, he was brought to court.

Germany's DPA news agency reported that many of Peter I's followers were at the court on Wednesday. The "king" himself was reportedly in good spirits during the trial, arriving with an embroidered crowd on his head and a box of file folders.

Before dubbing himself the "King of Germany," Peter Fitzek trained as a cook.

blc/sms (DPA)