Suspect Arrested After Fire Destroys Germany’s Historic Eagle’s Nest Retreat
A major emergency response was underway Friday evening in Bavaria, Germany, as the historic Kehlsteinhaus, better known internationally as the Eagle’s Nest, was engulfed in flames and a suspect was detained.
Police said they received a fire alarm in the Traunstein area at 21:15 local time on Friday, October 23. Firefighters arrived at a building in flames.
Some 200 emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene to fight the fire, but difficult mountain access at the scene complicated efforts to fight the blaze. Reports indicated the blaze was still burning on Saturday, October 24. No injuries were reported at the time of the initial statements.
A suspect was arrested by police near the scene shortly after the fire began. Detectives are working to establish whether the man was involved in the incident. Authorities said there was no known motive or cause.
The Kehlsteinhaus is located in southern Germany above Berchtesgaden and was completed in 1938 under Nazi rule. It was built as a reception and retreat for Nazi officials and their guests. It became associated with Adolf Hitler, but it did not include his residence (the Berghof), which was nearby.
The building is popularly known as Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. During the Nazi era, the building was used to entertain visitors and hold official gatherings, but it should not be confused with the regime’s main military headquarters.
The structure survived the end of the Second World War in 1945 and later became a tourist destination and mountain restaurant. It also refers to the Nazi dictatorship and its crimes.
During the Holocaust, the Nazi regime and its collaborators murdered six million Jews and millions of other victims in the Second World War.
The fire investigation is still underway.
