Once the holiday home of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi party’s notorious propaganda chief, this sprawling villa is being given away for free after standing empty for decades.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The 42-acre estate is currently owned by the Berlin government, which pays the maintenance and security costs. It has long tried to offload the property but has failed due to an ongoing debate about whether to raze the site or repurpose it. Meanwhile, the historic plot has fallen into disrepair.
One of Adolf Hitler’s closest allies, Joseph Goebbels, built the villa in 1939. His official residence was in Berlin, where he lived with his wife and their six children. However, the propagandist retreated to this countryside bolthole, which lies just 25 miles north of Berlin, to entertain prominent Nazi Party members.
This original statue of an embracing couple stands in the home’s courtyard, belying the home’s sinister roots.
Inside, the décor is remarkably well-preserved considering the building has stood empty for several decades including this wood-panelled library.
With such a chequered history, it’s easy to understand why the estate has languished on the market. As reported by the Associated Press, Berlin’s finance minister Stefan Evers told the state parliament in May 2024 that he would offer the property to anyone who would like to take it on “as a gift from the state of Berlin”. However, it’s not clear whether proposals from individuals would be accepted.
With its coffered ceiling and full-height windows, this room was likely one of many reception rooms. Elsewhere in the neglected property lies a movie theatre and a ballroom with windows that can mechanically retract into the ground.
Goebbels last visited the home in 1945, just before relocating to Hitler’s Führerbunker in Berlin, where he and his family ultimately died.