On EenVandaag Radio: Goebbels’ villa on Lake Bogensee

Journalist Ulrike Nagel discusses on “EenVandaag” the dilemma surrounding Joseph Goebbels’s vacant villa on Lake Bogensee, north of Berlin.

• Goebbels’ Villa: The villa, a massive complex with multiple stories and wings on a 500-hectare estate, is situated in a secluded location in the woods near Wandlitz. It was a gift to Goebbels from the city of Berlin in honor of his 39th birthday in 1936. It was here that Hitler’s former propaganda minister wrote his infamous “Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg” speech in 1943 [00:51].
• After the War [01:31]: After World War II, the villa was taken over by the GDR and used by the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ), a socialist youth organization. The grounds were used for summer camps and other activities, in keeping with the militaristic upbringing of youth in the GDR [01:37].
• Current Dilemma [02:17]: The villa is now owned by the state of Berlin and managed by a property management company. The complex has stood vacant for years and costs €250,000 annually in maintenance, funded by taxpayer money [02:27].
• Costs and Options [02:34]: Restoring the roofs alone would cost €4 million, and a full restoration of the buildings (which no longer have electricity or water) is estimated at €350 million. It is not easy, for example, to convert them into housing for asylum seekers. Demolition is the cheapest option [02:57].
• Future [03:00]: The municipality of Wandlitz would like to preserve the villa, but financing is a major problem. The property manager will make a decision soon, but the high costs make the villa’s future very uncertain.

The demolition of the villa belonging to Joseph Goebbels, one of Adolf Hitler’s closest confidants, is a topic of discussion. The property manager, who oversees the site on behalf of the city, considers the restoration of the grounds and the associated buildings far too expensive.

The mansion, which features 30 living quarters and 40 servants’ quarters, along with a bunker and a movie theater, is located near Lake Bogensee, about 40 kilometers north of downtown Berlin. It was called Joseph Goebbels’ “love nest” because he spent time there with his mistresses. After the war, the complex was transferred to the FDJ, the Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth). They turned it into a training center. It also housed a preschool, a supermarket, a hair salon, and a residence for the head of state of the GDR, Walter Ulbricht. Since the turn of the century, the entire complex has stood vacant. Maintenance costs hundreds of thousands of euros annually, not including one-time expenses amounting to several million.

According to the property manager, restoring the buildings and grounds would cost about 350 million euros. There is no longer a water supply or electricity; everything would have to be rebuilt from scratch to make the buildings usable. Repairing the roofs alone would cost more than one million euros. Since this would be taxpayer money, the manager does not want to spend it and instead wants to have everything demolished.

The municipality of Wandlitz opposes this—it, along with several other parties, wants to preserve the complex as cultural heritage and a historic monument. A single party has expressed a desire to return the site to nature. The property manager has now devised three scenarios: The municipality of Wandlitz takes over the site, including the monuments. The national police, for example, could then establish a training center there. If this proves unfeasible for economic reasons, the property manager proposes demolishing the complex and planting new trees. As a third option, the municipality could apply for a federal funding program to utilize the site. In that case, the federal states would also have to contribute financially. Currently, the property is still owned by the state of Berlin, but Berlin wants to divest itself of it. To be continued. (source: rbb24.de)