Hitler Did Not Name the Eagle's Nest and Barely Used It
He used the mountaintop retreat mainly for hosting dignitaries and in propaganda films.
Global News Podcast · French protesters return to the streetsFlames were spotted on Friday at the Eagle's Nest, sitting high on a Bavarian peak almost 2,000 metres up. Firefighters struggled to reach it and to find enough water to fight the flames, so the building kept burning into Saturday. Police say it was unlikely to be salvageable.
The Eagle's Nest got its name from a visiting French ambassador, not from Adolf Hitler. It was built for Hitler in 1938, hurried for completion ahead of his birthday celebration, and was first called the Kelstein House, for the rock it was built on. The ambassador suggested the title Eagle's Nest during a visit, and it stuck.
Hitler himself was not that keen on the place and spent little time at the retreat. He kept it largely for receiving high-ranking guests, as well as for use in propaganda films, because of the spectacular views.
Questions people ask
How bad was the fire?
Flames were spotted on Friday, and because the building sits nearly 2,000 metres high, fire engines struggled to reach it and find water. It carried on burning into Saturday. Police said the building was unlikely to be salvageable, and one man was arrested after being seen leaving on a motorcycle.
What was the building used for recently?
After the war, in 1952, it was converted into a bar and restaurant, popular for its views. In 1999, a museum of Nazi history was added, so visitors pass it before eating and drinking. It has remained both a tourist spot and a place tied to remembrance.
What might happen to it now?
Police looking at the building called it unsalvageable. The interior minister for Bavaria, the state where it sits, has said it is important that the building should be restored to continue what he called the work of remembrance.