Berchtesgaden-a brief visit
Having just returned from an all to brief vacation in Austria, based in a superb Hotel on the banks of the Zeller See, I would just like to dispel a few of the myths surrounding Hitler's Eagles Nest which I was fortunate to visit (along with thousands of others), one beautiful afternoon during the last week of August in 2003. This building, situated on the peak of the Kehlstein mountain in the Obersalzberg area of Southern Bavaria close to the Austrian border, is the last obvious remaining sign of wartime occupation in this supremely beautiful area. Contrary to popular belief, this building was not a residence of Hitler's, but a tea room built on the mountain peak at the behest of Martin Bormann, as a 50th Birthday gift for Der Fuhrer. Hitler visited a more modest tea room daily when staying in the area, but Bormann clearly believed that this was inadequate for the leader of the NSDAP and planned this masterpiece to impress his chief.
Hitler's residence further down the mountain was named the Berghof and was originally a small cottage rented by Hitler prior to his election to power, subsequently modified and extended to provide the sumptuous if unusual accommodation we have all seen in numerous period newsreels. The surrounding mountainside rapidly became a high security area encircled by a nine mile long security fence, to include SS barracks and country residences for the inner circle of Hitler's associates, such as Bormann, Speer and Goering
Although the views from the lower mountain slopes are stunning, to really appreciate the astounding panorama, a trip to the mountain top soon indicates why Hitler found the area so magnetic, and why Bormann decided that a new vantage point for his boss would be appropriate. As early as 1936, Bormann engaged consulting Engineers to initially build a road to run past the Berghof to within a hundred and fifty metres of the mountain top, and then to build an elevator from the heart of the mountain to its peak, to emerge inside the large building latterly known as the Eagles Nest (a phrase coined by a visiting Italian dignitary).
One cannot fail to be awestruck initially by the road, which winds around the mountain, literally clinging to its edge, marvelling at the construction which took a mere 13 months to complete, working under extreme weather conditions using primitive tools, and which was made to minimally detract from the natural beauty of the area. This road emerges at a parking area from which access to the elevator is gained via a 150 metre long arched tunnel lined with marble, and protected by huge double metal doors (the original lion shaped handles for which now reside in an American private collection!!) A second service tunnel parallels the first, at the end of which still sits a u-boat diesel engine providing backup power for the area!
The elevator itself is approached via a domed, marbled waiting area, and is constructed of brass, giving a bright and airy feel, though echoes of the past reverberate through the stones for those who care to listen. The elevator opens into the Eagles nest itself, a short step from the famous octagonal room providing unrivalled views across the whole region. In this room remains a huge marble fireplace, the only item of fixtures and fittings not looted by locals or occupation forces at the end of the war. The building still houses a restaurant and the inevitable souvenir shop, but remains substantially unaltered since 1945.
Despite its huge cost, this tea room at the roof of the world was shunned by Hitler who visited it just a handful of times, preferring his original watering hole further down the mountain. It remained fully staffed and equipped at all times, although when food was required, it was bought up the mountain ready cooked in insulated containers!!
The area was bombed out at the end of the war, and all remains of the Berghof and other buildings were removed in 1952. The Eagles Nest was fortunately saved, and continues to receive ever increasing numbers of visitors each year, testimony to the megalomania of one man, and the skill and craftsmanship of many.