Fire guts Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest'; prosecutors say arson suspect is mentally ill
The Kehlsteinhaus near Berchtesgaden was almost completely destroyed overnight. Police arrested a 33-year-old man; damage is estimated in the millions of euros.
Archive image · Photo: Tage Olsin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
A fire almost completely destroyed the Kehlsteinhaus on the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden in southern Germany overnight into Saturday. The building, erected under the Nazis in 1937-38 and known internationally as the "Eagle's Nest", has served as a mountain restaurant since 1952. No injuries were reported; the restaurant was closed on Friday. About 200 firefighters and rescue workers battled the blaze.
Investigators suspect arson. Police arrested a 33-year-old German who had ridden a motorcycle toward emergency crews and, according to dpa, initially tried to flee. Prosecutors in Traunstein said a preliminary psychiatric assessment found the man to be mentally ill and that they are seeking his placement in a forensic psychiatric facility. A possible political motive is being examined; the investigation is at an early stage.
The building is owned by the state of Bavaria. Bartl Wimmer, head of the local association that operates the site, said the damage would "certainly run into the millions" and that the building is well insured. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said he expects it to be rebuilt: "We can hardly leave a ruin standing there." Historians are to be involved.