Berlin's Bogensee Nazi-era property proposed as artist residency for immigrants and asylum seekers

A property by the lake, situated 15 miles from Berlin, was originally bestowed by Adolf Hitler upon Joseph Goebbels for his 39th birthday in 1936. The non-profit group LKC Bogensee (Life & Creativity Bogensee Campus) has suggested repurposing the location into a campus that would include artist studios and artisan workshops, accommodating communal living for 250 individuals. Recent immigrants and asylum seekers would be prioritized. This site, which costs Berlin taxpayers around €230,000 each year for upkeep, features a 70-room building with a private cinema, an oak-panelled banquet hall, a bunker, and SS barracks, along with Soviet-era outhouses. Goebbels utilized this retreat for affairs, including with Czech actress Lida Baarova, until Hitler intervened. LKC spokesperson Arnim Beutel emphasized the goal of preventing the site from becoming a hub for historical revisionism and fostering a diverse community to counteract Nazi ideology. Discussions are ongoing, although some city officials have previously supported demolition. The property, currently owned by the Berlin government, has not sold despite various attempts.