The site had been the official residence of the dynasty, in the state of Lower Saxony, but August did not want to continue spending more money on the expensive preservation of the historic property: “It was a decision of great importance for my family. We have found a good solution,” he explained at the time.
That opportunity, Ernesto considered, would allow the castle and its inventory “to be preserved for the public.” The new owner of the castle, which began to be built on a hill in 1867, would be the Llemark Inmobilien company, which is a subsidiary of Klosterkammer, which promised to finance the renovation costs of the residence.
The costs amount to 30 million euros, although some experts point out that to prevent the castle from becoming ruins, 60 million will have to be spent. When Ernesto de Hannover found out, he objected, managed to stop the negotiation and the buyer withdrew, thus starting the legal dispute.
According to what Ernst August told the Hannover authorities, seven years ago, before the negotiations for the sale of the 135-room residence began, it was that the maintenance of the residence was destroying his personal wealth: “No longer I could continue to bear the expenses.”