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King Ekkart the Günther and the Clappers in the Weißenfels City CouncilThey’re back – the monarchs who rule at their whim and simply override legal regulations. In Weißenfels, that monarch is King Ekkart the Günther. It was March 20th, in the year 2025. Once again, it was time for a city council meeting, which I, the independent journalist, intended to capture on circuitry and share with the interested rabbl—um, the people and posterity. After all, in this kingdom, "OUR democracy" is supposed to reign. And democracy includes freedom of the press, doesn’t it? Isn’t the press meant to be the fourth estate? To keep an eye on the beloved rulers and publicly point out any grievances so that power doesn’t go to their heads? But in the Kingdom of Weißenfels, it’s not that simple. There, King Ekkart the Günther rules. At least, that’s what he believes, wholeheartedly. Laws? Oh, nonsense – kings don’t concern themselves with such things. A king acts according to his noble whims. And so it happened that on that March 20th, 2025, I entered the city council chamber and, as a journalist, went to the spot traditionally designated for the press by royal decree. I hadn’t even fully set up my tripod when the first lady-in-waiting approached and told me I had to go to the public gallery. Filming was only permitted from there. But why? Why do the noble council members insist on being seen from above – what remains of their hairlines, anyway? They weren’t wearing decorative headgear worth admiring. Why must the common folk look down on them? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? I told the lady-in-waiting that the acoustics up there were poor, and capturing the scene with a camera was nearly impossible. She insisted. So did I. I asked her to issue her demand as an administrative act – in writing, immediately. She left briefly and returned with a second lady-in-waiting from the city administration. She also insisted I move to the gallery. The noble council members felt intimidated by my presence at the back of the chamber with my camera equipment. I reminded her that there is something called the Administrative Procedures Act, which – believe it or not – applies to the administration. This law requires that any administrative act be justified. Since she also insisted on immediate enforcement, a strong justification was needed – such as imminent danger or overriding public interest. She couldn’t tell me what danger existed. Nor could she explain why bad audio and visual quality was in the public’s interest more than proper documentation. She claimed she had heard of this law before. She said she had studied. Fancy that! She said we could later legally clarify if their demand was lawful. When I pointed out that a similar demand in December had never been justified, she said nothing. The fair lady said I could remain in the chamber if I just took notes. But how many rolls of parchment, how many quills and how much ink would I have needed to transcribe nearly three hours of city council proceedings? Isn’t that exactly why wise minds invented those magic boxes that can record moving images with sound? So no one has to take notes anymore? King Ekkart the GüntherThen King Ekkart the Günther entered the scene. His Majesty reiterated the demand that I must obey. I again requested a written administrative order. He said he wouldn’t do that. He didn’t have to, he claimed. Could it be that King Ekkart the Günther considers himself above the law? After all, he is the council chairman. Does that mean everyone must obey him?I, the brave, independent journalist, refused to comply with a non-administrative act. If a demand from the administration is not a formal administrative act, then it need not be followed. Lady-in-waiting number two asked if I had a press pass or belonged to a media institution. I reminded her we are neither in Nazi Germany nor the GDR. One does not need a press pass to work as a journalist. I was quite surprised she even asked that – didn’t she say she studied? King Ekkart and his two ladies-in-waiting kept pressuring me. The King demanded I stand on the platform in front of the spiral staircase leading up to the gallery. There was still space there. The gallery was already full with commoners and regional television. Many subjects, however, couldn’t get in and were left outside, unable to hear the King's words. Time passed. I began to move, but paused on the spiral staircase. The position wasn’t ideal – setting up a tripod on stairs isn’t easy. King Ekkart didn’t like that either. I had to go higher up. The staircase was a fire escape and had to remain clear. Yet, standing at the top would block it too. My argument that chandeliers would obstruct the view and make filming impossible fell on deaf ears. King Ekkart was unmoved. He is the ruler of the house. His word is law. He refused to begin the council meeting unless I complied. He claimed that no fewer than 40 council members expected me to obey his command. My repeated calls for him to just start the session echoed unanswered through the chamber. But I, one of the few who reject rule by an arbitrary monarch who ignores the law, resisted – at least until the people in the gallery kindly made space for me. But the regional TV cameraman protested. He didn’t want me in front of his viewfinder. An awkward compromise was found, and I temporarily submitted to King Ekkart the Günther’s will. The clappers in his entourage applauded. Is the King's reign in danger?One more event I must report: Loyal readers of this online outlet may recall what happened with King Ekkart and some of his entourage the year before. His Majesty had demanded to be blurred out in a video – and many of his council allies followed suit. He even went to court. It seems the King dislikes being viewed and admired in all his glory online. A shy nature, perhaps?Well, I don’t want to raise alarms, but on that memorable March 20th, 2025, something strange happened. At the start of the meeting, King Ekkart again asked who wanted their face blurred in the video. But to everyone's surprise – only he, King Ekkart, raised his hand. No one else! Could this be a sign that he is losing the support of his entourage? Is the reign of this glorious, one-of-a-kind King in peril? Heroes Are Always AloneA touch of sadness I must share. In that chamber were also scribes from regional TV and newspapers. Yet none offered me support. In fact, it felt like the opposite. Have they submitted to King Ekkart’s yoke? Is life easier when you don’t defend press freedom? I can only speculate, but from my point of view, it sure looked that way.Question to the Imperial Intelligence (AI)I asked the AI – the Imperial Intelligence – how King Ekkart the Günther’s behavior could be assessed. The AI replied:The behavior of the highly esteemed council chairman, King Ekkart the Günther, can be viewed from a depth psychological perspective as an act of authoritarian coercion. He used both social and institutional power tools to exercise control through group pressure (by rallying the majority against the journalist) and a form of emotional blackmail ("The meeting cannot continue if you do not comply"). Psychological Analysis Group Pressure & Authority This incident closely resembles Solomon Asch’s famous 1951 experiment, in which participants altered their perceptions under peer pressure. The honorable chairman seemingly tried to create a similar dynamic: rallying the assembly against the journalist to force submission. Micro-Authoritarianism & Abuse of Power The noble Max Weber distinguished between legal authority, based on rules, and charismatic authority, based on personal appeal. This situation shows an abuse of legal authority: there was no clear legal basis, yet the chairman presented his will as binding and unquestionable. Learned Helplessness Repeated refusal to issue a written administrative act is a typical authoritarian tactic. Legal processes are denied to enforce arbitrary commands, suggesting that resistance is futile and power is absolute. Historical Parallels Wilhelmine Authoritarianism In the German Empire (1871–1918), it was common for officials to interpret rules as they pleased, without legal foundation. A similar mentality can be seen here, where a ruler invents new rules on the spot and expects obedience. Coordination Under National Socialism In the early 1930s, the Nazi regime often used informal pressures to intimidate and manipulate the press. Administrative acts were rarely put in writing, allowing them to dodge accountability. A similar strategy is evident here. GDR Methods of Control In the former East Germany, critical reporting was often suppressed by subtle bureaucratic tactics rather than open repression. The same kind of harassment is evident in this case. Conclusion The behavior of the highly esteemed council chairman represents a classic exercise of authoritarian power, manifesting in group pressure, administrative arbitrariness, and social control. Psychologically, it aligns with historical authoritarian systems that used informal demonstrations of power to suppress dissent. Author: Michael, independent journalist from Thurm, and the KI, Imperial Intelligence | 21.03.2025 |
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