| Eagle's Nest | |
|---|---|
Kehlsteinhaus | |
 TheKehlsteinhaus in 2017 | |
  Location within Germany | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Chalet |
| Location | Obersalzberg |
| Town or city | Berchtesgaden |
| Country | Germany |
| Coordinates | 47°36′40″N13°02′30″E / 47.61111°N 13.04167°E /47.61111; 13.04167 |
| Elevation | 1,834 m (6,017 ft) |
| Completed | 1938 |
| Inaugurated | 20 April 1939 |
| Website | |
| www.kehlsteinhaus.de/en/ | |
TheKehlsteinhaus (known in English as theEagle's Nest) is aNazi-constructed building erected atop the summit of theKehlstein, a rocky outcrop that rises aboveObersalzberg near the southeast German town ofBerchtesgaden. It was used exclusively by members of theNazi Party for government and social meetings. It was visited on 14 documented instances byAdolf Hitler.[1][2] Today, it is open seasonally as a restaurant, beer garden, and tourist site.
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TheKehlsteinhaus sits on a ridge atop the Kehlstein, a 1,834 m (6,017 ft) subpeak of theHoher Göll that rises above the town of Berchtesgaden. It was commissioned byMartin Bormann in the summer of 1937. Paid for by the Nazi Party, it was completed in 13 months. Twelve workers died during its construction.[3]
A 4 m (13 ft) wide approach road climbs 800 m (2,600 ft) over 6.5 km (4.0 mi); it includes five tunnels and onehairpin turn. It cost 30 million ℛ︁ℳ︁ to build (about $247 million USD, inflation-adjusted for 2022). Hitler's birthday in April 1939 was considered a deadline for the project's completion, so work continued throughout the winter of 1938, even at night with the worksite lit by searchlights.[4]
From a large car park, a 124 m (407 ft) entry tunnel leads to an ornate elevator that ascends the final 124 m (407 ft) to the building.[5] The tunnel is lined with marble and was originally heated with warm air from an adjoining service tunnel. However it was normal for visiting high-officials to be driven through the tunnel to the elevator. Their driver would then have to reverse the car for the entire length of the tunnel as there was no space to turn.[4]
The inside of the large elevator is surfaced with polishedbrass,Venetian mirrors, and green leather. The building's main reception room is dominated by a fireplace of red Italian marble presented by Italian dictatorBenito Mussolini, which was damaged by Allied soldiers chipping off pieces to take home as souvenirs. The building had a completely electric appliance kitchen, which was unusual in 1937, but was never used to cook meals; instead meals were prepared in town and taken to the kitchen on the mountain top to be reheated.[4] The building also has heated floors, with heating required for at least two days before visitors arrived. AMAN submarine diesel engine and an electrical generator were installed in an underground chamber close to the main entrance, to provide back-up power.[4]
Much of the furniture was designed byPaul László.
Hitler first visited on 16 September 1938 and returned to inaugurate it on 20 April 1939,his 50th birthday, though it was not intended as a birthday gift.[6]
There are two ways to approach and enter the building: the road and theKehlsteinhaus elevator. Hitler did not trust the elevator, continually expressed his reservations of its safety, and disliked using it; his biggest fear was that the elevator's winch mechanism on the roof would attract a lightning strike. Bormann took great pains never to mention the two serious lightning strikes that occurred during construction.[2][7][page needed]
TheKehlsteinhaus lies several hundred metres directly above[clarification needed] theBerghof, Hitler's summer home. In a rare diplomatic engagement, Hitler received departing French ambassadorAndré François-Poncet on 18 October 1938, here. It was he who coined the name "Eagle's Nest" for the building while later describing the experience; this has since become a commonly used name for theKehlsteinhaus.[4]
A wedding reception forEva Braun's sisterGretl was held there following her marriage toHermann Fegelein on 3 June 1944. While Hitler more often than not left the entertaining duties to others, he believed the house presented an excellent opportunity to entertain important and impressionable guests.[2]
Referred to as the "D-Haus", short for "Diplomatic Reception House", theKehlsteinhaus is often conflated with theteahouse on Mooslahnerkopf Hill near the Berghof,[8] which Hitler walked to daily after lunch.[9] The teahouse was demolished by the Bavarian government after the war, due to its connection to Hitler.[10]
TheKehlsteinhaus was a target for the 25 April 1945bombing of Obersalzberg. This was aRoyal Air Force bombing raid conducted byNo. 1,No. 5, andNo. 8 Group andNo. 617 Squadron.[11] The small house proved an elusive target for the force of 359Avro Lancasters and 16de Havilland Mosquitoes, which bombed and severely damaged the Berghof area instead.
It is uncertain which Allied military unit was the first to reach theKehlsteinhaus. The matter is compounded by popular confusion of it being taken on 4 May by forward elements of the2e Division Blindée (specifically "La Nueve", a company composed of Spanish Republicans), with the town of Berchtesgaden, taken by elements of theU.S. 7th Infantry Regiment.[12][13][a]
Reputedly, members of the 7th went as far as the elevator to theKehlsteinhaus,[12] with at least one person claiming that he and a partner continued on to the top.[16] In aLibrary of Congress interview and more recent interviews, Herman Louis Finnell of the3rd Infantry Division said that his regiment entered the Berghof, not theKehlsteinhaus.[17] However, the101st Airborne claims it was first both to Berchtesgaden and theKehlsteinhaus.[18][failed verification]
Meanwhile, troops of the2e Division Blindée, including Laurent Touyeras, Georges Buis, and Paul Répiton-Préneuf, were present on the night of 4-5 May, and took Hitler's personal items and several photographs before the Americans arrived and before leaving on 10 May at the request of U.S. command.[19][20] This is corroborated by numerous testimonies of the Spanish soldiers who went along with them.[21]
Undamaged in the 25 April bombing raid, theKehlsteinhaus was subsequently used by theAllies as a military command post until 1960, when it was handed back to the State ofBavaria.
Today the building is owned by a charitable trust, and operates as a restaurant offering indoor dining and an outdoor beer garden. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical significance. The road has been closed to private vehicles since 1952 because it is too narrow for two-way travel. The house can be reached on foot (in two hours) from Obersalzberg, or by bus from theDocumentation Centre. The Documentation Centre directs visitors to the coach station where tickets are purchased. The bus ticket serves as an entry ticket, as it permits the holder entry to the building's elevator. The buses are specially modified to ascend the steep road leading to the peak. In 2023 the shuttle busses were converted to fully electric. TheKehlsteinhaus interior offers little information about its past. Photos displayed and described along the wall of the sun terrace document the pre-construction location and later history.[22]
Informal tours of theKehlsteinhaus can be booked through the website. Due to concern aboutneo-Nazis and post-war Nazi sympathisers, no external guides are permitted to conduct tours.
The lower rooms are not part of the restaurant but can be visited with a guide. They offer views of the building's past through plate-glass windows. Graffiti left by Allied troops is still clearly visible in the surrounding woodwork. The red Italian marble fireplace remains damaged by Allied souvenir hunters, though this was later halted by signage posted that the building was U.S. government property, and damage to it was cause for disciplinary action.[22] Hitler's small study is now a storeroom for the cafeteria.
A trail leads above theKehlsteinhaus towards theMannlgrat ridge reaching from the Kehlstein to the summit of the Hoher Göll. The route, which is served by aKlettersteig, is regarded as the easiest to the top.[23]
![Fireplace in the Kehlsteinhaus, a present from Mussolini (The three central stones were chipped by Allied souvenir hunters.)[24]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKehlsteinhaus1.JPG)
Informational notes
Citations
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