Obersalzberg
Encyclopedia
Obersalzberg is a mountainside retreat situated above the market town of Berchtesgaden
in Bavaria
, Germany
, located about 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) southeast of Munich
, close to the border with Austria
. The area is best known as the location of Adolf Hitler
's mountain residence, the Berghof
, and for the nearby Kehlsteinhaus
, more popularly known as the Eagle's Nest.
mining in the former Berchtesgaden Provostry
documented since the 12th century. It was part of the Salzberg municipality, which was incorporated into Berchtesgaden in 1972.
had begun using the area as a vacation retreat in both winter and summer. The scenic landscape with its sweeping mountain views also attracted Hitler, who came to know Berchtesgaden through his party fellow Dietrich Eckart
in the course of the Beer Hall Putsch
in 1923, just before his imprisonment at Landsberg
. He became so fond of the area that by 1928 he began renting a small chalet
called Haus Wachenfeld from the widow of a Buxtehude
manufacturer. The Obersalzberg was also where Hitler dictated Part Two of Mein Kampf
, which earned him large royalties.
Several months after Hitler's appointment
as Chancellor of Germany
he purchased the home in the summer of 1933 and began making three important renovations. The first included window shutters and a small office, followed a year later by a winter garden and stone and finally the third and most extensive came in 1935-1936 when the former Haus Wachenfeld was finally transformed into the sprawling landhaus known as the Berghof. Obersalzberg became an overcrowded venue for Hitler's admirers from all over the land and beyond, which began to cause problems with the local population.
, Martin Bormann
and Albert Speer
acquired residences. By 1935-36 Party Secretary Bormann had all residents of Obersalzberg either bought out or evicted, and three security zones were installed that encompassed the entire area. The expropriation not only concerned the secondary residences, but also several Alpine farms
local families had held for centuries. After the demolition of the existing development, the so-called Führersperrgebiet shielded Hitler and his staff from public access. Two other security zones protected the heavily expanded SS
and SD
barracks, support staff, guest houses, underground bunker
s and air raid shelters.
From 1938 Bormann also had the Kehlsteinhaus lodge erected on a rocky promontory, including a lift system from the upper end of the access road. It was presented to Hitler on his 50th birthday in 1939, he nevertheless seldom visited it, though he and his mistress Eva Braun
spent much time at Obersalzberg. From 1937 the German Reich Chancellery
maintained a second seat in the nearby village of Bischofswiesen
with Hitler receiving numerous guests of state at the Berghof. His last known visit was in 1944, he left for his Wolf's Lair headquarter on July 14 (see: 1944 Adolf Hitler assassination attempt) and never returned.
The premises - except for the Kehlsteinhaus - were heavily damaged by an Allied air raid
on 25 April 1945. The remains were set on fire by retiring SS troops and plundered by locals.
troops occupied the area on May 4. The former Nazi Party realties officially passed to the State of Bavaria
in 1947, who instead of restoring them to their original owners sold it to the Steigenberger Hotels
company. However, the Obersalzberg remained in use as a recreation park by the US military. Several houses like the later General Walker Hotel
were rebuilt, while the ruins of Hitler's, Göring's and Bormann's residences had been slighted. The contract with Steigenberger was reversed in 1964.
The Americans did not withdraw until 1996, whereafter the Bavarian state government resolved upon the erection of a hotel (since 2005 operated by the InterContinental Hotels Group
) as well as the Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg
on the area's history, run by the Munich Institut für Zeitgeschichte
.
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, located about 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) southeast of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, close to the border with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The area is best known as the location of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's mountain residence, the Berghof
Berghof (Hitler)
The Berghof was Adolf Hitler's home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Other than the Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Hitler spent more time at the Berghof than anywhere else during World War II. It was also one of the most widely known of Hitler's...
, and for the nearby Kehlsteinhaus
Kehlsteinhaus
The Kehlsteinhaus is a chalet-style structure erected on a subpeak of the Hoher Göll known as the Kehlstein. It was built as an extension of the Obersalzberg complex erected in the mountains above Berchtesgaden...
, more popularly known as the Eagle's Nest.
History
The name of the settlement area derives from the rock saltHalite
Halite , commonly known as rock salt, is the mineral form of sodium chloride . Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on the amount and type of impurities...
mining in the former Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry
Berchtesgaden Provostry or the Prince-Provostry of Berchtesgaden was an immediate principality of the Holy Roman Empire, held by a canonry, i.e...
documented since the 12th century. It was part of the Salzberg municipality, which was incorporated into Berchtesgaden in 1972.
Hitler's retreat
In the late 19th century German industrialists like Carl von LindeCarl von Linde
Professor Doctor Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde was a German engineer who developed refrigeration and gas separation technologies...
had begun using the area as a vacation retreat in both winter and summer. The scenic landscape with its sweeping mountain views also attracted Hitler, who came to know Berchtesgaden through his party fellow Dietrich Eckart
Dietrich Eckart
Dietrich Eckart was a German journalist and politician, together with Adolf Hitler one of the early key members of the Nazi Party and a participant of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch.-Biography:...
in the course of the Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
in 1923, just before his imprisonment at Landsberg
Landsberg Prison
Landsberg Prison is a penal facility located in the town of Landsberg am Lech in the southwest of the German state of Bavaria, about west of Munich and south of Augsburg....
. He became so fond of the area that by 1928 he began renting a small chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
called Haus Wachenfeld from the widow of a Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land within easy reach of...
manufacturer. The Obersalzberg was also where Hitler dictated Part Two of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
, which earned him large royalties.
Several months after Hitler's appointment
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
as Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
he purchased the home in the summer of 1933 and began making three important renovations. The first included window shutters and a small office, followed a year later by a winter garden and stone and finally the third and most extensive came in 1935-1936 when the former Haus Wachenfeld was finally transformed into the sprawling landhaus known as the Berghof. Obersalzberg became an overcrowded venue for Hitler's admirers from all over the land and beyond, which began to cause problems with the local population.
Security zones
Around Hitler's home, several Nazi leaders such as Hermann GöringHermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
, Martin Bormann
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
and Albert Speer
Albert Speer
Albert Speer, born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office...
acquired residences. By 1935-36 Party Secretary Bormann had all residents of Obersalzberg either bought out or evicted, and three security zones were installed that encompassed the entire area. The expropriation not only concerned the secondary residences, but also several Alpine farms
Transhumance in the Alps
Transhumance in the Alps, or seasonal migration between valley and high pastures is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2000 m would be forests.While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal...
local families had held for centuries. After the demolition of the existing development, the so-called Führersperrgebiet shielded Hitler and his staff from public access. Two other security zones protected the heavily expanded SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
and SD
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
barracks, support staff, guest houses, underground bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s and air raid shelters.
From 1938 Bormann also had the Kehlsteinhaus lodge erected on a rocky promontory, including a lift system from the upper end of the access road. It was presented to Hitler on his 50th birthday in 1939, he nevertheless seldom visited it, though he and his mistress Eva Braun
Eva Braun
Eva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
spent much time at Obersalzberg. From 1937 the German Reich Chancellery
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany in the period of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945...
maintained a second seat in the nearby village of Bischofswiesen
Bischofswiesen
Bischofswiesen is a municipality in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria in Germany....
with Hitler receiving numerous guests of state at the Berghof. His last known visit was in 1944, he left for his Wolf's Lair headquarter on July 14 (see: 1944 Adolf Hitler assassination attempt) and never returned.
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
on 25 April 1945. The remains were set on fire by retiring SS troops and plundered by locals.
US Army
USUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
troops occupied the area on May 4. The former Nazi Party realties officially passed to the State of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1947, who instead of restoring them to their original owners sold it to the Steigenberger Hotels
Steigenberger Hotels
Steigenberger Hotels is a German hotel company founded by Albert Steigenberger in 1930. As of 2007, Steigenberger owned 82 hotels worldwide, with a total of 14,283 rooms...
company. However, the Obersalzberg remained in use as a recreation park by the US military. Several houses like the later General Walker Hotel
General Walker Hotel
The General Walker Hotel was a former Third Reich hotel in Obersalzberg, Germany. Following World War II, it became a United States Armed Forces Recreation Center , and was renamed after US Army General Walton Walker, killed in action in the Korean War...
were rebuilt, while the ruins of Hitler's, Göring's and Bormann's residences had been slighted. The contract with Steigenberger was reversed in 1964.
The Americans did not withdraw until 1996, whereafter the Bavarian state government resolved upon the erection of a hotel (since 2005 operated by the InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group plc is a global hotels company headquartered in Denham, United Kingdom. It is the largest hotels company in the world measured by rooms , and has over 4,500 hotels across over 100 countries...
) as well as the Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg
Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg
Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg is a museum, erected on the groundwork of the former Nazi guesthouse in order to supply historical information concerning the use of the Obersalzberg region by Nazi leaders during the period.-Historic Site:Obersalzberg is located near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria,...
on the area's history, run by the Munich Institut für Zeitgeschichte
Institut für Zeitgeschichte
The Institut für Zeitgeschichte in Munich was conceived in 1947 under the name Deutsches Institut für Geschichte der nationalsozialistischen Zeit...
.
Buildings during the Reich
- BerghofBerghof (Hitler)The Berghof was Adolf Hitler's home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Other than the Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Hitler spent more time at the Berghof than anywhere else during World War II. It was also one of the most widely known of Hitler's...
(Hitler's private home) - Partei-Gästehauses „Hoher Göll“/Today Dokumentationszentrum ObersalzbergDokumentationszentrum ObersalzbergDokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg is a museum, erected on the groundwork of the former Nazi guesthouse in order to supply historical information concerning the use of the Obersalzberg region by Nazi leaders during the period.-Historic Site:Obersalzberg is located near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria,...
- Gutshof
- SS Kaserne, Barracks
- Gärtnerei/nursery
- KehlsteinhausKehlsteinhausThe Kehlsteinhaus is a chalet-style structure erected on a subpeak of the Hoher Göll known as the Kehlstein. It was built as an extension of the Obersalzberg complex erected in the mountains above Berchtesgaden...
("Eagle's Nest") - Pension Moritz
- Platterhof/later General Walker HotelGeneral Walker HotelThe General Walker Hotel was a former Third Reich hotel in Obersalzberg, Germany. Following World War II, it became a United States Armed Forces Recreation Center , and was renamed after US Army General Walton Walker, killed in action in the Korean War...
- Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus
- Hotel zum Türken/RSD, Sicherheitsdienst, Security Service
- Kamphäusl/Hitler dictates part two of Mein kampfMein KampfMein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
- Gutshof/Today SkyTop Lodge, Golf course restaurant/pro shop
- The houses of Martin BormannMartin BormannMartin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
, Hermann GöringHermann GöringHermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
and Albert SpeerAlbert SpeerAlbert Speer, born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office...
See also
- Dokumentationszentrum ObersalzbergDokumentationszentrum ObersalzbergDokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg is a museum, erected on the groundwork of the former Nazi guesthouse in order to supply historical information concerning the use of the Obersalzberg region by Nazi leaders during the period.-Historic Site:Obersalzberg is located near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria,...
- National RedoubtNational RedoubtA national redoubt is a general term for an area to which the forces of a nation can be withdrawn if the main battle has been lost—or even beforehand if defeat is considered inevitable...
(the supposed Nazi "Alpenfestung" [Alpine Fortress]) - BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
- Salzburgerland