Berchtesgaden
Hitler’s
“Eagles Nest”
One of the prettiest
landscapes in Germany is the Berchtesgaden area, with its rolling meadows and peaceful
pastures that surround the Obersalzberg Mountains. Working the mountain slopes
of the Hohen Goll has provided a meager income for the local peasants for
centuries. Adolf Hitler first came to
this area after his first unsuccessful bid for power and his release from
Landsberg prison. In the surrounding
Obersalzberg area, he lived in a cottage while he wrote his famous book Mein
Kampf (My Struggle). In 1933, after
he came to power with the new Nazi Party, he purchased a house near the foot of
the Kehlstein Mountain. His Nazi Party
friends joined him and began building their houses nearby. A total of 27 farms
and pensions (hotels) that were for more than 300 years in the possession of
families disappeared. More than 400 people lost their homes. Initially, owners
were offered money for their homes, but those that refused were later evicted
with threats of imprisonment in concentration camps. A large fence enclosed more than 10 square kilometers, and access
was only for permit holders. Three
guardhouses lined the perimeter. Hitler loved to take long hikes in the area.
In April 1937, Reichsleiter
Martin Bormann hit upon the idea of building a permanent structure on the
summit of Kehlstein Mountain. It was to
be presented to Adolf Hitler on his 50th birthday in 1939. This was an extremely ambitious
project. No road currently existed, and
a new road 4.2 miles long to a point near the summit would require blasting
through rock along the steep sides of the mountain at very high altitudes (this
is the Alps we’re talking about!) through the winter. A cable system would have to be erected to bring supplies to the
summit (1834 meters – about 6000 feet) since the road would not be completed
until very close to the completion of the teahouse (Eagle’s Nest). Near the summit, a tunnel 130 meters long
would lead to an elevator to take visitors up the last 400 feet to the
summit. This elevator shaft had to be
blasted out of solid rock.
Approximately 3,500 men worked on this project. The total cost of the
project was 30 million Marks (about 15 million dollars). Adjusted for inflation, that would be over
$125,000,000 in today’s US dollars.
Hitler visited the house 14 times between September 16, 1938 and October
17, 1940. He never visited after
that. He was probably busy with his
other big project at the time, WW II.
The Eagle’s Nest.
One has to wonder if it was
a good idea to build this for a man
who had vertigo. Hitler
was afraid of heights!!
A view of the teahouse from
the opposite side.
The 4.2-mile road leading to
the summit is only one lane wide, so you must ride the special bus route. I guess they also don’t want tourists
gawking at the scenery and driving over the edge. It’s a long way down!
The tunnel leading to the summit
elevator. The doors are made of copper
and bronze. In his first visit, Hitler mentioned to Herr Bormann that he
thought the elevator shaft was a dangerous place to be because lightning could
strike the lift mechanism on the summit.
Bormann did not tell Hitler that, in fact, lightning had already struck
the elevator mechanism twice during construction. He feared it would be Hitler’s last visit.
If you look closely, you can
see the top of the teahouse on the tip of the mountain above the tunnel.
A family picture at the
summit with Konigsee Lake and the Alps in the background.
Being the early birds that
we are, we had the entire top of the mountain to ourselves for an hour until
the 2nd bus of the day dropped off about 30-40
people. How wonderful!
Spencer exploring the
summit.
Notice the shorts. Notice the snow. Can you tell this kid was born in Alaska?
The world explorer!
Spencer and I explored the
far reaches of the summit, including this trail that led over to
a sheer drop off of several
thousand feet (just behind where we are sitting). Cool!
This cross is situated near
the summit of the mountain.
Spencer is making his way down to the teahouse.
This was Eva Braun’s tearoom
in the Eagle’s Nest.
Here, she would entertain
the wives of Nazi Party officials.
This marble fireplace was
given as a gift from Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini.
The American soldiers who
first entered the Eagle’s Nest near the end of the war
chipped off pieces of the
upper right corner as souvenirs.
Beth, Spencer, and I
enjoying the fantastic view of the Alps from one
of the observation walkways
around the Eagle’s Nest.
Spencer taking a break from
mountain climbing.
Soon, we were on our way down
the winding road to get ready for our trip home.
There are several tunnels
where the construction teams cut through solid rock.
*****
After the war, the former
Berchtesgaden Governor saved the Eagle’s Nest from destruction
and the Bavarian government rented the Kehlsteinhaus to the
Berchtesgaden Alpine
Association, which now uses it as a mountain restaurant.
*****
SUMMER 2002 PICTURES
In June 2002, I traveled
again to Berchtesgaden with some friends.
Here are some pictures of the Eagle’s Nest in the summer.
The Eagle’s Nest with summer
blossoms.
That’s me balancing on the
rock.
What you can’t see is the
200-foot drop just one step behind me.
The south-east corner of
Germany is in the background.
I wanted a photo here because
I have a picture of
Adolf Hitler standing in
this exact spot 60 years earlier.
See the picture below –
Hitler is in the middle.
Hitler standing in the same
spot he knew I would be standing 60 years later.
*************************
Hope you enjoyed
Hitler’s
Eagle’s Nest
Berchtesgaden,
Germany