A fire severely damaged Adolf Hitler’s former mountain hideaway, known as the Eagle’s Nest, late Friday. Firefighters—about 200 of them—discovered the Kehlsteinhaus fully engulfed in flames upon their arrival at the summit, as reported by the Telegraph. By Saturday, the fire had almost completely destroyed the structure. Fortunately, officials found no one inside, and there were no reported injuries.
Nearby, a motorcyclist was apprehended, according to the Telegraph. He had sustained some injuries and was taken to a local hospital, as noted by the German news agency dpa. Police haven’t linked him to the fire just yet, leaving the criminal investigation still open, as pointed out by Reuters.
Prosecutors in Traunstein did mention, however, that there are strong indications suggesting the detained motorcyclist may have set the fire. They described him as mentally ill, though no motive has been disclosed, as reported by the German outlet Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).
The lodge, situated at an altitude of 1,834 meters above Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps, presented a challenge for rescue crews who could only enter the burning building with specialized “heavy breathing apparatus,” according to police spokeswoman Lisa Maier. The steep mountain road leading to the lodge—typically closed to private vehicles—complicated the response efforts, according to the Telegraph. Initial crews reached the fire scene at 9:52 p.m. on Friday, based on information from dpa.
The monument is slated for reconstruction, as stated by the government minister in charge of the area. The damage caused by the fire is estimated to be in the millions of euros, according to the Austrian outlet Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).
Constructed in 1938 as a guest house for dignitaries, the Kehlsteinhaus was hurriedly finished before Hitler’s birthday in April 1939. Interestingly, he rarely utilized it, visiting only around 14 times to host foreign officials. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini famously gifted the lodge a fireplace made of red Italian marble, which Allied troops later salvaged in fragments as souvenirs.
After the war, Allied forces turned the building into a command post until 1960 when Bavaria took control and designated it as a protected monument. It’s worth noting that British aircraft bombed Hitler’s nearby Berghof residence in April 1945. In 1952, to deter visitors, crews demolished the ruins of that site.
