In the Welf family dispute over the Marienburg and other possessions of the noble family, Ernst August Hereditary Prince of Hanover achieved a victory.

The district court in Hanover on Friday dismissed a lawsuit aimed at the return of assets that the head of the family, Ernst August Prince of Hanover, had transferred to his eldest son in 2004 by way of anticipated succession.

According to the court, the proceedings involved real estate, land and works of art.

The center of interest was the Marienburg Castle south of Hanover, which is also a major focus of state politics.

The state had agreed with the hereditary prince that he would place the dilapidated Guelph Castle in the hands of a non-profit, state-controlled foundation for one euro, which would renovate the castle with federal and state funds.

A transfer back to the scandal-ridden father might have jeopardized this construct.

However, the court dismissed the claim on formal grounds alone.

Reinhard Bingener

Political correspondent for Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Bremen based in Hanover.

  • Follow I follow

The father had withdrawn his own complaint a long time ago.

The process was continued by the "EAH BetriebsgmbH" in Salzburg, to which the head of the family had previously transferred part of his claims.

The regional court recognized that the actions of the "EAH BeBereits-GmbH", in which the family head's long-term environment is involved, constitute a "debt collection service" that is prohibited under German law.

It also dismissed the lawsuit on the basis of its content.

According to the court, the accusation of "gross ingratitude" against the son is unfounded.

The "grave misconduct due to a reprehensible attitude" required for this was not evident, neither in the transfer of the castle to the state foundation nor in the alleged neglect of the father.

The judgment can be appealed to the Celle Higher Regional Court.

Hereditary Prince Ernst August, who has been living in the region again with his family for a number of years, said he was pleased for the Marienburg Castle Foundation that "this secondary theater of war" had now been eliminated.

The Marienburg can thus be preserved as a cultural monument and remain open to the public.