Eugen Blocks Sorgerechtsstreit: Gericht weist Beschwerde zurück

Steakhaus tycoon Eugen Block faced another setback in his fight for custody of his grandchildren, feeling abandoned by the German state in the process. The Hamburg-based entrepreneur, aged 83, failed in his attempt to secure visitation rights for two of his grandchildren residing with their father in Denmark, as reported by a court spokesperson. The family court initially deemed itself non-jurisdictional in the parents‘ visitation case, given the children’s relocation to Denmark, prompting Block to file a complaint.

During a hearing at the Higher Regional Court, the mother of the children, Christina Block, her ex-husband, and grandfather Eugen Block, along with their legal representatives and a youth welfare office representative, were present. The court swiftly dismissed the 83-year-old’s complaint that same evening. This ruling upholds the decision that German courts no longer hold jurisdiction over the custody matter due to the children’s residence abroad.

The custody battle between daughter Christina Block and her ex-spouse has been ongoing for years concerning their two youngest children, aged approximately 10 and 13. Since August 2021, the children have resided with their father in Denmark following a visit and refusal to return to their mother. An earlier ruling by the Higher Regional Court in February 2024 declared German courts lacked jurisdiction over the case.

In a covert operation on New Year’s Eve, unidentified individuals brought the children back to Germany. Subsequently, a court order compelled the mother to return them to Denmark. Investigations are underway against the 51-year-old and her father for alleged child abduction, accusing them of orchestrating and executing the New Year’s Eve abduction with accomplices. The prosecutor’s office has conducted numerous searches of business and private premises, recently involving around 100 officers cordoning off Block’s Grand Elysée Hotel at Dammtor Station.

Expressing discontent with the situation, Eugen Block criticized the authorities for allowing his grandchildren to remain in Denmark. At the inauguration of a new restaurant in Hamburg, he lamented feeling unfairly treated by the state, highlighting his longstanding service to Germany and questioning what the state has done in return.