A fire has severely damaged Adolf Hitler’s former Eagle’s Nest mountain retreat in Bavaria, with German police detaining a person suspected of arson.
About 200 firefighters were sent to the remote Kehlsteinhaus residence after a smoke detector triggered an alarm at around 9.50pm on Friday. The building was found to be “completely ablaze”, police said.
No one was injured and firefighters found nobody inside the building. Police said a “suspicious person was taken into temporary custody”, while the investigation remained under way.
The blaze continued into the early hours of Saturday as snow fell on the Alpine peak. Access to the road leading to the retreat was blocked by officers.
Lisa Maier, a police spokeswoman, said the building’s location at an altitude of 1,834 metres made it particularly difficult for emergency crews to reach. The site could only be accessed with “heavy breathing apparatus”, she said.
No possible cause has been officially given. German media reported that investigators suspected arson.
The Eagle’s Nest, built between 1937 and 1938, was intended as a monument to Hitler’s rule, although the Nazi dictator rarely visited the complex. Its stone and granite construction helped it survive the Second World War undamaged.
The residence forms part of the legacy of Hitler’s Third Reich, which was responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews, as well as Roma, LGBTQ people and Communists during the Holocaust.
Since 1952, the building has housed an exhibition about its Nazi history and a restaurant. It is also known for its views across the Bavarian Alps and was designed to impress foreign diplomats.
Police said a news conference was planned for later on Saturday as inquiries continued.
