It is the huge home of the Nazi Joseph Goebbels that no one wants and that the German government is giving away.

A sprawling 17-acre country house with a tranquil lake sounds like a dream place to live. However, the mansion, dubbed Villa Bogensee north of Berlin, Germany, remains. Abandoned since 2000, no one wants to buy it anymore.

As if it were a ghostly presence, the legacy of Nazi of its former owner seems to scare off any buyer: this summer residence belonged to Joseph Goebbels, one of Adolf Hitler’s closest allies (he was said to be his right-hand man), Nazi propaganda minister and chancellor of the Third Reich.

Today, the German government no longer knows what to do with this immense mansion. The state pays too much money for its maintenance and security, and since no one is interested in buying it, it has decided to give it away.

“I offer it to anyone who wants to take over the place, take it as a gift from the State of Berlin.” ” exclaimed Finance Minister Stefan Evers last May.

It is The dark story behind Joseph Goebbels’ mansion.

Joseph Goebbels named his vast Berlin home Villa Bogensee. in honor of the lake that accompanies it on the shore.

What stands today as an abandoned, ancient and decaying structure, At one time he hosted parties where top Nazi leaders gathered to share and celebrate. In addition, it is said to have served as a “love nest” for the Nazi, who was known to have “a great sexual appetite,” according to his information. BBC World.

But the history of the house goes back several decades, to 1936, when Goebbels was 39 years old and was given the Bogensee region in the German state of Brandenburg.

Since then, the Nazi, who was very close to Hitler and Nazi Propaganda Minister, as well as a renowned demagogue and a great orator who propagated anti-Semitic ideology, He renovated the mansion that Hitler had given him.

Soon, The country house housed 40 rooms, dozens of rooms for visitors and service staff, air conditioning, a water treatment plant, a 100-square-meter private cinema room and even a bunker.

It is located 15 kilometers from Berlin, in a forest that It was a sort of rural retreat for the Nazi, his wife and their six children. There, as established BBC Worldthe man could “work and read in silence, without receiving telephone calls or correspondence.”

If there was more noise and movement in the house, it was because Goebbels had offered the place as a venue for social evenings attended by other Nazi leaders, artists and actors. Additionally, he used the place to have “private” meetings with his secret extramarital affairs.

But this life of luxury and partying ended in tragedy: After the war ended, Goebbels poisoned his six children and committed suicide with his wife. Then the Bogensee region was occupied by the Red Army for a year.

Later, the place was temporarily used as a military hospital.

For several years, Villa Bogensee has passed through several hands, like the youth of the East German Communist Party, and later, in 1990, during German reunification, it became the property of the German state again.

However, The federal state of Berlin never found a use for it and the manor was eventually abandoned to the mercy of the surrounding nature.

Curious onlookers often make their way through the long undergrowth to spy on what lies inside the property, and authorities now fear that the mansion’s heritage could tempt extremist groups to take over the premises.

The debate over the fate of Villa Bogensee began several years ago, when the German government announced that the burden of maintaining the manor was too great for the state.

As stated, Maintenance (just to keep it from falling apart) costs about $300,000 a year.

This is why different sectors of the community are looking for the best solution.

For example, An organization representing European Jews has proposed transforming the country house into a “center for communication and political psychology to combat hate speech.”

Additionally, a development association was founded to preserve the building and use it as an international academy to educate in crisis areas, but the project was abandoned.

The state has said it has no interest in restoring and renovating the property because it would be very expensive and would open a deep debate about the cost of preserving Germany’s Nazi history. for the origins of the country house.

“The history of the site is precisely why Berlin will never leave this building in private hands, as it would risk being misused.” said Minister Stefan Evers.

Furthermore, he announced that if there was no optimal solution, They do not rule out demolishing and looting the premises.

For this reason, the May announcement came as a surprise when Evers offered the mansion as a gift to anyone who wanted to receive it.

As stated The New York Times , Several possible candidates registered to accept the country house : For example, a dermatologist thought it would be the perfect place to open a skin care center, or real estate professionals who saw the potential of the place.

Nevertheless, The government said none of them were considered “suitable” for Villa Bogensee.

So far, there would be an interesting proposition: THE European Jewish Association (EJA) said she wanted to make the place a center for free speech and combating hate speech.

In view of this, the minister responded that it was an important gesture and “worthy of attention”, but that The next owner will have to demonstrate that he can finance the place.

If they don’t find the right candidate, they’ll probably end up tearing the place down.