Arson suspected as fire largely destroys Hitler's Kehlsteinhaus, the Eagle's Nest, in Bavaria

What happened overnight

The Kehlsteinhaus, known internationally as the Eagle's Nest, was largely destroyed by fire on the evening of 23 October on the Obersalzberg above Berchtesgaden. According to police cited by Spiegel, a smoke alarm in the building went off at about 21:50, and the first rescuers reached the site at 21:52 to find the building fully ablaze. NOS, by contrast, reported that the fire broke out around 21:15, so sources give different start times. No one was reported inside at the time, and police reported no injuries apart from the suspect. Police are working on the basis of suspected arson, and the Traunstein prosecutor's office and criminal police are leading the investigation.

Arrest and the suspect's condition

Police arrested a man on a motorcycle who had been heading toward the emergency crews on the narrow, steep road to the site, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) told dpa. Herrmann said the man, who comes from the region, was injured and first taken to hospital, and he thanked the police for their intervention. On 24 October, the 33-year-old German was brought before an investigating judge in Rosenheim, where prosecutors aim to have him placed in a forensic psychiatric facility for mentally ill offenders. Prosecutor Rainer Vietze told a press conference in Berchtesgaden that a short psychiatric assessment found the man mentally ill, and that at least diminished criminal responsibility must be assumed. Investigators are also examining a possible political motive, but Vietze said they are only at the very beginning of that line of inquiry. According to dpa, the man also tried to flee on his motorcycle before he was stopped.

Firefighting and damage

Firefighters struggled to reach the site at 1,834 metres, where snow and rain made both the approach and the extinguishing work difficult. NOS reported that about 250 firefighters from six municipalities took part, while DW put the number at around 200. Operations had to be halted for several hours for safety reasons, and crews could enter the building only with heavy breathing apparatus. Police spokesperson Lisa Maier described the conditions on the scene.

You can only go into the building with heavy breathing protection.

By 24 October the fire was under control, but dousing work was expected to continue through the afternoon because falling debris prevents crews from entering the building. The structural damage remains unclear, and the area around the building stays closed to visitors.

The building's history

The Nazis built the Kehlsteinhaus in 1937 and 1938 as part of the complex Hitler used on the Obersalzberg, and it was meant to serve as a secluded site for receiving diplomats and foreign guests. ANSA reports that Hitler visited it only a few times, and DW notes that historians consider it never fulfilled the role the Nazis had planned. US forces captured it toward the end of the Second World War, according to DW, and since 1952 it has operated as a memorial site and mountain restaurant. Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden, the association that runs the destination, states on its website:

In fact, the significance of the Kehlsteinhaus remained minor.

The building sits at an altitude of 1,834 metres and is reached by Kehlsteinlinie buses through five tunnels, a trip Deutsche Bahn puts at 20 minutes, with the final 100 vertical metres covered by lift or footpath. DW reports that about 350,000 visitors come each year.

Reconstruction and next steps

Herrmann has said the building should be rebuilt, and NOS reports that the German state owns the property. The investigation now rests with the Traunstein prosecutors and criminal police, while the decision on a forensic placement for the suspect is still pending. The extent of the structural damage will only become clear once the falling-debris risk allows investigators and engineers to enter. Tagesspiegel reported that the site was due to stay open for the season until 8 November.