Bogensee is known for the nearby former summer retreat of Nazi minister Joseph Goebbels, located approximately 500 m (1,600 ft) northwest of the shore. The premises were dedicated to Goebbels by the Berlin city administration on the occasion of his 39th birthday in 1936; he had an extended country home erected at the site until 1939, including a private cinema, a bunker, and adjacent SS barracks. Co-financed by the UFA film company, the building became a popular venue for movie actors like Zarah Leander, Emil Jannings and Heinz Rühmann.