The federal government wants to protect Goebbels' villa on Bogensee from demolition!

The federal government wants to protect Goebbels' villa on Bogensee from demolition!

The fate of the historic area at Bogensee in Wandlitz is currently hanging in the balance. The federal government has said it will work to preserve the dilapidated site, which includes the former villa of notorious Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. In a response from the Federal Ministry of Construction, which was based on a written request from the left-wing Bundestag member Katalin Gennburg, it was stated that a study on the new use and the search for investors are planned for the next three years. “There’s something going on,” you could say, because the topic is explosive and attracts many interest groups.

The area, which has been left unused since 2000, covers a total of 16 hectares. Every year, maintaining the dilapidated buildings costs the Berlin administration between 250,000 and 300,000 euros. Despite these high costs, there is potential for interim use by the Federal Police, which could set up a training facility there. However, if no economically viable prospects are identified, it cannot be ruled out that the site will be converted into a reforestation area or given to the Berlin Forests, as tz.de reports.

The historical context

The villa was originally given to Goebbels by the city of Berlin in 1936. After the Second World War, the site briefly served as a hospital for the Allies before it was finally handed over to the Free German Youth (FDJ) in 1946 for the establishment of a youth college. The FDJ university was named Wilhelm Pieck and was active until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since then, the ensemble, which consists of the villa and other buildings, has stood empty and is rapidly falling into disrepair.

The state of Berlin, as the owner of the area, is currently examining 13 applicants for possible new use. The municipality of Wandlitz and the district of Barnim have spoken out strongly in favor of preserving the site and are demanding that no demolition measures be taken for the next five years. This could be the key to working together on a usage concept that takes both history and the needs of today into account.

Funding and monument protection

An important part of the conservation plan is the application for funding through the “National Urban Development Projects” program. According to kulturstaatsminister.de, up to 50 percent of the eligible costs can be borne by the federal government, provided that the application is submitted via the responsible state authorities. Since the area is a listed building, it could be protected by these programs in order to preserve the cultural landscape and at the same time find useful use for future generations.

Overall, the fate of the Bogensee area remains uncertain, but efforts to ensure sensible and sustainable use strengthen the hope that the historic location will not simply be left to be forgotten. The next step for those involved is now clear: the search for a sustainable solution that takes both monument protection and economic concerns into account.