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Coordinates: 47°38′01″N 13°02′31″E / 47.63361°N 13.04194°E / 47.63361; 13.04194
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{{Short description|Adolf Hitler's Bavarian residence}}
[[Image:Berghofbau.jpg|thumb|300px|Haus Wachenfeld during its conversion into the Berghof in about June 1936. 70 years later the site was overgrown by trees and only scattered rubble along with the top of the retaining wall at left were still visible.]]
{{Distinguish|Kehlsteinhaus}}
The '''Berghof''' was [[Adolf Hitler]]'s home in the [[Obersalzberg]] of the [[Bavarian Alps]] near [[Berchtesgaden]], [[Germany]]. Next to the [[Wolfsschanze]] this was the place where Hitler spent the most time during [[World War II]] and it was also one of the most widely known of [[Führer Headquarters|Hitler's headquarters]]<ref>Eberle, Henrik and Uhl, Matthias, ''The Unknown Hitler'', 11th chapter, p.200</ref> which were located throughout Europe. Rebuilt, much expanded and re-named in 1935, the Berghof as such was a functioning residence for less than ten years. In late April 1945 the house was damaged by British aerial bombs, set on fire by retreating SS troops in early May, looted after Allied troops reached the area and demolished in 1953.
{{Infobox building
| name = The Berghof
| native_name = Berghof
| native_name_lang = Deutsch
| former_names = Haus Wachenfeld
| alternate_names =
| status = Demolished
| image = [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1999-0412-502, Obersalzberg, Berghof von Adolf Hitler.jpg|center|300px]]
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| caption = "The Berghof" on the Obersalzberg, the house of Adolf Hitler. In the foreground, the gate house.
| map_type = Germany
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| map_caption = Location within Germany
| altitude = {{convert|921|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| building_type = [[Swiss chalet style|Chalet]]
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| owner = [[Adolf Hitler]]
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| location = [[Obersalzberg]]
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| location_town = [[Berchtesgaden]]
| location_country = Germany
| coordinates = {{coord|47|38|01|N|13|02|31|E|region:DE-BY_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| groundbreaking_date =
| start_date = 1916
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| renovation_date = 1935–1936
| demolition_date = 1952
| destruction_date = April 25, 1945
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The '''Berghof''' was [[Adolf Hitler]]'s holiday home in the [[Obersalzberg]] of the [[Bavarian Alps]] near [[Berchtesgaden]], [[Bavaria]], Germany. Other than the ''[[Wolf's Lair|Wolfsschanze]]'' ("Wolf's Lair"), his headquarters in [[East Prussia]] for the [[Operation Barbarossa|invasion of the Soviet Union]], he spent more time here than anywhere else during his time as the ''[[Führer]]'' of [[Nazi Germany]]. It was also one of the most widely known of [[Führer Headquarters|his headquarters]],<ref>{{cite book|author1=Eberle, Henrik |author2=Uhl, Matthias| title=The Unknown Hitler|page=200}} Chapter 11.</ref> which were located throughout Europe.
==Hitler's house==
[[Image:Hitler-Headquarters-Europe.png|thumb|right|300px|Map showing the location of the Berghof, along with [[Führer Headquarters]] throughout Europe.]]
The Berghof began as a much smaller chalet called ''Haus Wachenfeld'', a holiday home built in 1916 by Otto Winter, a businessman from [[Buxtehude]].<ref>''[http://www.fpp.co.uk/Hitler/Berghof/Grundstein_450.jpg Image of looted red marble "cornerstone" from the Berghof]'', English translation: ''Haus Wachenfeld. Built 1916 by... Otto Winter - Refurbished 1935-1936 to the Berghof''. Note however: [[David Irving|Image source]] is not considered a reliable secondary source of editorial content so only the photographic image itself is cited, as a primary source and then only for basic, unremarkable information which helps date the house. A few sources cite ''Wachenfeld'' as Frau Winter's maiden name.</ref> Winter's widow rented the house to Hitler in 1928 and his half-sister [[Angela Hitler|Angela]] came to live there as housekeeper (she left soon after her daughter [[Geli Raubal|Geli]]'s death in 1931 in Hitler's Munich apartment following a stay at the house). By [[1933]] Hitler had purchased Haus Wachenfeld with funds he received through the sale of his political book ''[[Mein Kampf]]''.


The Berghof was rebuilt and renamed in 1935 and was Hitler's holiday residence for ten years. It was damaged by British bombs in late April 1945, and again in early May by retreating SS troops, and it was looted after Allied troops reached the area. The Bavarian government demolished the burned shell in 1952.
The small chalet-style building was refurbished and much expanded during 1935-1936 when it was re-named ''The Berghof''. A large terrace was built and featured big, colourful, resort-style canvas umbrellas. The entrance hall "was filled with a curious display of cactus plants in [[Maiolica|majolica]] pots." A dining room was panelled with very costly [[cembra pine]]. Hitler's large study also had a telephone switchboard room. The library had books "on history, painting, architecture, and music." A great hall was furnished with expensive [[Germanic_peoples|Teutonic]] furniture and a large globe along with an enormous red marble fireplace mantel. Behind one wall was a projection booth for evening screenings of movies (these were often Hollywood productions which were otherwise banned in Germany). A sprawling picture window could be lowered into the wall to give a sweeping, open air view of the snow covered mountains in Hitler's native Austria. The house was maintained much like a small resort hotel by several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks and other domestic workers. Guests at the Berghof included painters, singers and musicians, along with political figures.


==History==
In section III, Chapter 2 of [[Traudl Junge]]'s book [[Until the Final Hour]], she describes in detail the Berghof and the people who surrounded Hitler when he visited the house.
The Berghof began as a much smaller chalet called ''Haus Wachenfeld'', a holiday home built in 1916 (or 1917) by ''Kommerzienrat'' Otto Winter, a businessman from [[Buxtehude]]. It was located near the ''Platterhof'', the former ''Pension Moritz'' where Hitler had stayed in 1922–23. By 1926, the family running the pension had left, and Hitler did not like the new owner. He moved first to the ''Marineheim'' and then to a hotel in Berchtesgaden, the ''Deutsches Haus'', where he dictated the second volume of ''[[Mein Kampf]]'' in the summer of 1926. Hitler met his girlfriend at that time, [[Maria Reiter]], who worked in a shop on the ground floor of the hotel, during another visit in autumn 1926. In 1928, Winter's widow rented ''Haus Wachenfeld'' to Hitler, and his half-sister [[Angela Hitler|Angela]] came to live there as housekeeper, although she left soon after her daughter [[Geli Raubal|Geli]]'s 1931 death in Hitler's [[Adolf Hitler's Munich apartment|Munich apartment]].<ref name="Hubris">{{cite book| last=Kershaw| first=Ian| title=Hitler, 1889–1936, Hubris| publisher=Norton| year=2000| isbn=0-393-32035-9| pages=282–284, 686}}</ref>


By 1933, Hitler had purchased ''Haus Wachenfeld'' with funds he received from the sale of his political manifesto ''Mein Kampf''. The small chalet-style building was refurbished and much expanded by architect [[:de:Alois Degano|Alois Degano]] during 1935–36 under the supervision of [[Martin Bormann]], when it was renamed ''The Berghof'' (English: "Mountain Court").<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/04/the-hitler-shrine/303844/|title=The Hitler Shrine|first=Timothy W.|last=Ryback|work=The Atlantic}}</ref> The renovated interiors were designed by [[Gerdy Troost]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stratigakos |first=Despina |title=Hitler at Home |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-300-18381-8 |location=New Haven |pages=Chapter 4 |language=English}}</ref>
"This place is mine," Hitler was quoted as saying to a writer for ''Homes & Gardens'' in 1938. "I built it with money that I earned."
<ref>Phayre, Ignatius, Homes and Gardens, ''[http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/graphic/0,5543,1075414,00.html Hitler's Mountain Home]'', November 1938, retrieved 12 December 2007 - Most of these descriptions come from this 1938 magazine article which was very likely written under a pseudonym by political writer William George Fitzgerald in a tone which has been described as "breathless... Hello!-style." The photographs had all been taken by [[Heinrich Hoffmann]] (many of them years earlier) and given to the magazine as publicity handouts. The article happened to surface in 2003 after decades of obscurity, see the Guardian reference below.</ref><ref>Waldman, Simon, The Guardian, ''[http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1076390,00.html At home with the Führer]'', 3 November 2003, retrieved 12 December 2007</ref>


A large terrace was built and featured big, colourful, resort-style canvas umbrellas. The entrance hall "was filled with a curious display of [[cactus]] plants in [[Maiolica|majolica]] pots."<ref name="homes-gardens-hitler">{{cite web |title=Hitler's Mountain Home (November 1938) |url=http://new.wymaninstitute.org/2004/01/special-feature-hitler-in-homes-gardens/ |website=[[Homes & Gardens]] |publisher=[[David Wyman|David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies]] |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=7 January 2004}}</ref><ref name="wired-hitler-article">{{cite magazine |last1=Ulbrich |first1=Chris |title=Old Hitler Article Stirs Debate |url=https://www.wired.com/2003/09/old-hitler-article-stirs-debate/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref> A dining room was panelled with very costly [[cembra pine]]. Hitler's large study had a telephone switchboard room. The library contained books "on history, painting, architecture and music." A great hall was furnished with expensive [[Germanic peoples|Teutonic]] furniture, a large globe, and an expansive red marble fireplace mantel. Behind one wall was a projection booth for evening screenings of films (often, Hollywood productions, including [[Mickey Mouse]]).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hD7KBQAAQBAJ&q=Hitler+Berghof+cinema+hollywood+movies&pg=PA122 |page=122|title=Snow & Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45|isbn=9780199335145|last1=Caddick-Adams|first1=Peter|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref>
British ''Homes & Gardens'' magazine characterized him as "his own decorator, designer, and furnisher, as well as architect" and described the chalet as "bright and airy" with "a light jade green colour scheme," noting caged "[[Hartz Mountain Industries|Hartz mountain]] [sic]" [[Domestic_Canary|canaries]] were kept in most of the rooms which were furnished with antiques, mostly German furniture from the eighteenth century. Old engravings hung in the guest bedrooms, along with some of Hitler's small water-colour sketches. Smoking was allowed on the terrace (the householder didn't smoke). Hitler's vegetarian diet was fed by nearby kitchen gardens and later, a greenhouse. A ''[[Kehlsteinhaus]]'', nicknamed ''Eagle's Nest'' by a French diplomat, was built in 1938-1939 (with remarkably lavish government funds spent as a national gift for his 50th birthday) on the mountaintop above the Berghof, but Hitler rarely went there. A large complex of mountain homes for the [[Nazism|Nazi]] leadership along with a landing strip and many buildings for their security and support staff were constructed nearby. To acquire the land for these projects, many local residents were ordered to sell out and leave.<ref>Connolly. Kate, telegraph.co.uk, ''[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/05/whitler05.xml Hitler's eyrie becomes a playground for the rich]'', 2 February 2005, retrieved 18 December 2007</ref> The Berghof became something of German tourist attraction during the mid-1930s which led to severe restrictions on access to the area along with other security measures.


A sprawling picture window could be lowered into the wall to give a sweeping, open-air view of the snow-capped mountains in Hitler's native [[Austria]].<ref name="auto"/> The house was maintained much like a small resort hotel by several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and other domestic workers.
Silent colour movies shot by Hitler's longtime companion [[Eva Braun]] survived the war and showed Hitler and his guests relaxing at the Berghof retreat. In 2006 computer [[lip reading]] software identified several parts of their conversations. Among those identified in the films were [[Albert Speer]], [[Heinrich Himmler]], [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], [[Joseph Goebbels]], [[Karl Wolff]] and [[Reinhard Heydrich]].<ref name="t">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/22/nhitler22.xml New technology catches Hitler off guard] Neil Midgley, [[telegraph.co.uk]], 2006-11-23</ref>


The Berghof became a centrepiece of Nazi propaganda. The Nazi-controlled German press as well as the English-language international press covered Hitler's life at home in a positive light. These stories helped to soften his image by portraying him as a man of culture, dog lover, and good neighbour.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Stratigakos |first=Despina |date=2015-09-15 |title=Hitler at Home |url=https://placesjournal.org/article/hitler-at-home/ |journal=Places Journal |language=en-US |issue=2015 |doi=10.22269/150915 |issn=2164-7798|doi-access=free }}</ref> Writer William George Fitz-Gerald, under the pseudonym Ignatius Phayre, published many articles about visiting Hitler at home that were fabricated from Nazi propaganda sources.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Phayre |first=Ignatius |date=November 1938 |title=Hitler's Mountain Home |work=[[Homes & Gardens]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/germany/graphic/0,5543,1075413,00.html |access-date=19 February 2016 |quote=For example, in 1938 Fitz-Gerald wrote "Hitler's Mountain Home" for Homes & Gardens. It was written in a tone which has been described as "breathless... Hello!-style." The photographs had all been taken by [[Heinrich Hoffmann (photographer)|Heinrich Hoffmann]] (many of them years earlier) and given to the magazine as publicity handouts. The article happened to surface in 2003 after decades of obscurity, see the Guardian reference below.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Waldman, Simon|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,1076390,00.html |title=At home with the Führer|date= 3 November 2003|access-date= 12 December 2007}}</ref>
After the war Hitler's adjutant [[Otto Günsche]] told Soviet interrogators how Braun had once wanted to hire ten more serving girls to help the 30 people already working in the villa. Hitler relayed her request to his secretary [[Martin Bormann]] by exclaiming, "I stamp whole divisions into the dirt! And I can't get a few more serving wenches for the Berghof? Organise it now!"<ref>Hall, Allan, The Scotsman, ''[http://news.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=2610765 Stalin's secret files on Hitler]'' (Soviet archival material from the post war interrogations of [[Otto Günsche]] and [[Heinz Linge]]), 16 March 2005, retrieved 14 December 2007</ref>
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1991-077-31, Obersalzberg, Berghof, Große Halle.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The "Great Hall"]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051673-0059, Adolf Hitler und Eva Braun auf dem Berghof.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Adolf Hitler and [[Eva Braun]] with their dogs at the Berghof]]


Based on German propaganda sources, Fitz-Gerald, writing for the British ''[[Homes & Gardens]]'' magazine, described Hitler as "his own decorator, designer, and furnisher, as well as architect", and the chalet as "bright and airy" with "a light jade-green colour scheme"; caged [[Harz Roller]] [[Domestic Canary|canaries]] were kept in most of the rooms, which were furnished with antiques, mostly German furniture from the 18th century. Old engravings hung in the guest bedrooms, along with some of Hitler's small watercolour sketches. His personal valet [[Heinz Linge]] stated that Hitler and his longtime companion [[Eva Braun]] had two bedrooms and two bathrooms with interconnecting doors, and Hitler would end most evenings alone with her in his study drinking tea.<ref name=WithHitler>{{cite book| date=16 July 2009| author-link1=Heinz Linge| first1=Heinz| last1=Linge| author-link2=Roger Moorhouse| first2=Roger| last2=Moorhouse| isbn=978-1848325449| title= With Hitler to the End: The Memoir of Hitler's Valet| publisher=Skyhorse Publishing}}</ref>
===Mooslahnerkopf teahouse===
In 1937 a ''Teehaus'' with a round main room was built in a wooded area on Mooslahnerkopf hill (Braun spelled it ''Moslanderkopf'' in photo albums), across the small Berchtesgaden valley from the Berghof. Hitler took an almost daily afternoon walk there when he was at Berchtesgaden. The stroll along the mostly wooded path between the Berghof and the teahouse was less than a kilometer and at one spot featured a scenic overlook of the whole valley, fitted with wooden railings and a bench, where many widely-known photographs were taken and political discussions were held (in 2004 this site was somewhat restored to its early 1940s era appearance for a German television mini-series). At the teahouse Hitler might even nap in an easy chair, surrounded by friends and associates from his inner circle.<ref>Third Reich Ruins, ''[http://www.thirdreichruins.com/gutshofteehaus.htm Bormann's Gutshof (manor farm) and Hitler's Teehaus]'', retrieved 14 December 2007</ref> Most of the few surviving photographs of Hitler wearing eyeglasses were taken in the teahouse. Some sources have now and then mistakenly captioned photographs snapped in the ''Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus'' as having been shot in the spectacular ''Kehlsteinhaus'' far above the Berghof, where Hitler seldom went.


Though Hitler did not smoke, smoking was allowed on the terrace. [[Hitler's vegetarianism|His vegetarian diet]] was supplied by nearby kitchen gardens and, later, a greenhouse. A large complex of mountain homes for the [[Nazism|Nazi]] leadership, and many buildings for their security and support staff, were constructed nearby. To acquire the land for these projects, many neighbours were compelled to sell their properties and leave.<ref>{{cite news|author=Connolly, Kate|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/05/whitler05.xml |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20050421090050/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/05/whitler05.xml |url-status =dead |archive-date =21 April 2005 |title=Hitler's eyrie becomes a playground for the rich|date= 2 February 2005|access-date= 18 December 2007}}</ref> A mountaintop structure, the ''[[Kehlsteinhaus]]'', nicknamed ''Eagle's Nest'' by [[André François-Poncet]], a French diplomat, was built in 1937–38 above the Berghof, but Hitler rarely went there.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Joshua|first1=Rick D.|title=Adolf Hitler and the Kehlsteinhaus|url=http://www.kehlsteinhaus.com/the-building/hitler-the-teehaus.html|website=Das Kehlsteinhaus|date=22 February 2013 |publisher=Rick D. Joshua|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>
==Post war ruins==
[[Image:Berghofaerial.jpg|thumb|Post war [[U.S. Army]] aerial photo showing the bombed, burned and stripped remains of the Berghof at lower right]]
The Obersalzberg was raided by hundreds of British Lancaster bombers on [[25 April]] [[1945]], twelve days before the surrender of German forces on [[7 May]]. At least two bombs struck the Berghof. On 4 May, four days after Hitler's suicide in Berlin, departing SS troops set fire to the villa. Only hours later the [[U.S. 3rd Infantry Division]] arrived at Berchtesgaden, immediately followed by the [[2nd Armored Division (France)|French 2nd Armoured Division]]. The Americans reportedly muddled Berchtesgaden with the Berghof and a French army captain along with his driver were the first Allied personnel to reach the still smoldering chalet. A French tank crew soon joined them. Over the next few days the house was thoroughly looted and stripped, apparently by Allied soldiers. The American 1st Battalion of the 506th A regiment (led by Company C) arrived four days later, on 8 May. The 3rd battalion of the 506th came into Berchtesgaden by a different route and sustained casualties in a skirmish with the crews of two German [[88 mm gun]]s.


[[File:Paris Bordone - Venus and Eros - M.Ob.628 - National Museum in Warsaw.jpg|thumb|''Venus and Amor'' by [[Paris Bordone]], that adorned the "Great Hall", was ceded after the war to the [[National Museum, Warsaw|National Museum]] in [[Warsaw]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Stanisław |last=Lorentz |title=Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie: malarstwo |year=1984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/muzeumnarodoweww0000muze/page/28 28] |publisher=Arkady |isbn=978-8321332017 |trans-title=The National Museum in Warsaw: Painting |language=pl |url=https://archive.org/details/muzeumnarodoweww0000muze/page/28 }}</ref>]]
The teahouse on Mooslahnerkopf hill was unscathed in the April 1945 bombing raid but by 1951 the house-sized building had been knocked down by the Bavarian government because of its link with Hitler. For 55 years the more or less recognizeable teahouse ruins (along with mostly intact basement rooms below) lay in the woods by the 13th hole of the post war Gutshof (''Manor farm'') golf course. These were taken away altogether during the late summer of 2006.


The area became a German tourist attraction during the mid-1930s, after Hitler came to power as dictator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm|title=Hitler's Berghof|website=thirdreichruins.com}}</ref> Visitors gathered at the end of the driveway or on nearby public paths in the hope of catching a glimpse of Hitler.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stratigakos |first=Despina |title=Hitler at Home |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-300-18381-8 |location=New Haven |pages=Chapter 7 |language=English}}</ref> This led to the introduction of severe restrictions on access to the area and other security measures.<ref name="auto"/> A large contingent of the ''[[1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler|Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler]]'' was housed in barracks adjacent to the Berghof. Under the command of ''[[Obersturmbannführer]]'' [[Bernhard Frank]], they patrolled an extensive cordoned security zone that encompassed the nearby homes of the other Nazi leaders. With the outbreak of war extensive anti-aircraft defences were also installed, including smoke-generating machines to conceal the Berghof complex from hostile aircraft.
The Berghof's shell survived until 1952 when the Bavarian government blew it up, fearing the ruin would become a neo-Nazi shrine and sight-seeing attraction. The garage remained until 1995. The ruins were further obliterated during the 1990s and early 2000s. By 2007 trees had overgrown the site and only scattered rubble and the top of a retaining wall were visible.<ref>Third Reich Ruins, ''[http://www.thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm Berghof]'', retrieved 12 Dec 2007</ref>

The nearby former hotel "Türken" was turned into quarters to house the ''[[Reichssicherheitsdienst]]'' (Reich Security Service; RSD) SS security men who patrolled the grounds of the Berghof.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hoffmann, Peter|date=2000|title=Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921–1945|publisher= Da Capo Press|pages=181–186|isbn=978-0306809477}}</ref> It was later occupied by the ''Generalmajor'' of the Police. (The hotel was rebuilt in 1950 and reopened as a hotel before Christmas, the Hotel zum Türken. Visitors can still explore the historic underground hallways and tunnels that had been used by the Nazis.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inspirock.com/germany/berchtesgaden/zum-turken-a588040681|title=Visit Hotel Zum Turken WWII Bunkers on your trip to Berchtesgaden|website=inspirock.com|access-date=2017-08-08|archive-date=2017-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193713/https://www.inspirock.com/germany/berchtesgaden/zum-turken-a588040681|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j9IVBAAAQBAJ&q=Berghof+Hotel+zum+T%C3%BCrken&pg=PA87|title=Hitler's Alpine Headquarters|first=James|last=Wilson|date=13 January 2014|publisher=Pen and Sword|via=Google Books|isbn=9781473831872}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bunkersite.com/locations/germany/obersalzberg/turken-out.php|title=Hotel zum Türken, Obersalzberg - Bunkersite.com|website=bunkersite.com}}</ref>

Whenever Hitler was in residence, members of the RSD and ''[[Führerbegleitkommando]]'' (Führer Escort Command; FBK) were present. While the RSD men patrolled the grounds, the FBK men provided close security protection for Hitler.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hoffmann, Peter|date=2000|title=Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921–1945|publisher= Da Capo Press|pages=160, 165, 166|isbn=978-0306809477}}</ref> Several Wehrmacht mountain troop units were also housed nearby. Hence, the British never planned a direct attack on the compound.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?idqT4RBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT119&q=Wehrmacht+mountain+troop+units+Obersalzber|title=Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer|first=Mark|last=Felton|date=4 August 2014|publisher=Pen and Sword|via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Guests===
Guests at the Berghof included political figures, monarchs, heads of state, and diplomats along with painters, singers, and musicians. The important visitors personally greeted on the steps of the Berghof by Hitler included [[David Lloyd George]] (3 March 1936), the [[Aga Khan III|Aga Khan]] (20 October 1937), [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Duke]] and [[Wallis Simpson|Duchess]] of Windsor (22 October 1937),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-35765793|title=When the Duke of Windsor met Hitler|date=10 March 2016|work=BBC News}}</ref> [[Kurt von Schuschnigg]] (12 February 1938), [[Neville Chamberlain]] (15 September 1938), and [[Benito Mussolini]] (19 January 1941). At the end of July 1940, Hitler summoned his military chiefs from [[Oberkommando der Wehrmacht|OKW]] and [[Oberkommando des Heeres|OKH]] to the Berghof for the 'Berghof Conference' at which the 'Russian problem' was studied. On 11 May 1941, [[Karlheinz Pintsch]] visited the Berghof to deliver a letter from [[Rudolf Hess]] informing Hitler of his illegal flight to [[Scotland]].

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H12478, Obersalzberg, Münchener Abkommen, Vorbereitung.jpg|thumb|250px|Adolf Hitler greets British Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]] on the steps of the Berghof.]]

Hitler's social circle at his Berghof retreat – which his intimates referred to as "on the ''Berg''"<ref>{{cite book|author=Sereny, Gitta|title= Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth|location= New York|publisher= Knopf |date=1995|page=111|isbn=978-0394529158|author-link= Gitta Sereny}}</ref> – included Eva Braun and her sister [[Gretl Braun|Gretl]], Herta Schneider and her children, Eva's friend Marion Schönmann, [[Heinrich Hoffmann (photographer)|Heinrich Hoffmann]], and the wives and children of other Nazi leaders and Hitler's staff who would all pose for an annual group photograph on the occasion of Hitler's birthday. The social scene at the Berghof ended on 14 July 1944, when Hitler left for his military headquarters in East Prussia, never to return.<ref name=Nemesis>{{cite book| year=2000| author-link=Ian Kershaw| last=Kershaw| first=Ian| isbn=978-0393049947| title=Hitler 1936–1945: Nemesis| publisher=Penguin Press| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/hitler193645neme00kers}}</ref>

Silent colour films shot by Eva Braun survived the war and showed Hitler and his guests relaxing at the Berghof.<ref>{{cite news|title=Elizabeth Kalhammer (Former maid to Adolf Hitler) is now a 92 year old woman. yet she has a secret story in her past. She used to work at Hitler's private estate from 1943 to 1945|work= [[Israeli Broadcasting Corporation]] |author1=Yamin, Antonia}} Antonia Yamin interviewed the Former maid to Adolf Hitler - on her life at his private estate.</ref> In 2006, computer [[lip reading|lip-reading]] software identified several parts of their conversations. Among those identified in the films were [[Joseph Goebbels]], [[Reinhard Heydrich]], [[Heinrich Himmler]], [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], [[Albert Speer]], and [[Karl Wolff]].<ref name="t">{{cite news| last=Midgley| first=Neil| date=22 November 2006| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1534830/New-technology-catches-Hitler-off-guard.html| title=New technology catches Hitler off guard| work=The Daily Telegraph| access-date=19 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501030819/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1534830/New-technology-catches-Hitler-off-guard.html |archive-date=1 May 2008}}</ref>

Two guests planned to use a visit to the Berghof as an opportunity to assassinate Hitler. On 11 March 1944, Captain [[Eberhard von Breitenbuch]] arrived with a concealed pistol with the intention of shooting Hitler in the head, but guards would not allow him into the same room.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qWuWOFS4o7AC&q=11+March+1944,+Captain+Eberhard+von+Breitenbuch&pg=PA227|title=Field Marshal Von Manstein: The Janushead – A Portrait|first=Marcel|last=Stein|date=1 February 2007|publisher=Helion & Company Limited|via=Google Books|isbn=9781906033026}}</ref> On 7 June 1944, Colonel [[Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg]] planned to detonate a bomb at a meeting there, but his fellow conspirators would not give him approval to do so because Himmler and [[Hermann Göring]] were also not present.

===British assassination plan===
The Allies rejected suggestions about derailing Hitler's train to Obersalzberg and using poison in the train's drinking water, but the British developed a plan named [[Operation Foxley]] in 1944. This called for a sniper to kill Hitler<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/operation-foxley-britains-plan-kill-hitler.html/2|title=Britain's Plan to Kill Hitler By Having a Sniper Shoot Him During His Daily Walk To The Tea House|first=Shahan|last=Russell|date=6 January 2016|website=War History Online|access-date=8 August 2017|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222083421/https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/operation-foxley-britains-plan-kill-hitler.html/2|url-status=dead}}</ref> on his daily 15–20 minute walk from the Berghof residence to the ''Teehaus'' on the Mooslahnerkopf Hill, which had been revealed by a prisoner of war. The operation would be undertaken by a German-speaking Pole and a British sniper wearing German uniforms after being parachuted into Austria. They would be housed and led to the area by an anti-Nazi, identified as "Heidentaler" who lived nearby in [[Salzburg]].<ref name="auto1"/> The Foxley plan did not proceed, due to a dispute as to whether killing Hitler was a prudent idea and the lack of intelligence about his exact daily routine. By the time that the plan might have proceeded, Hitler had stopped visiting his mountain retreat; he never returned to the compound after 14 July 1944.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qT4RBQAAQBAJ&q=Operation+Foxley+Mooslahnerkopf&pg=PT119|title=Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer|first=Mark|last=Felton|date=4 August 2014|publisher=Pen and Sword|via=Google Books|isbn=9781473838383}}</ref>

==Post-war ruins==
[[File:Section of retaining wall left at the Berghof.jpg|thumb|The remnants of the Berghof in 2019]]
[[File:One of the sections of the Berghof retaining wall left.jpg|thumb|One of the few sections of the retaining wall left at the Berghof site]]
[[File:View out of the "Great Window" September 2019.jpg|thumb|View out of the "Great Window", September 2019]]
[[File:Reste der Auffahrt zum Berghof 2018.jpg|thumb|Remains of the left wall of the driveway to the main entrance]]
The Obersalzberg was bombed by hundreds of British RAF [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster]] heavy bombers, including aircraft from [[No. 617 Squadron RAF]] (the "Dambusters"), which [[Bombing of Obersalzberg|attacked Obersalzberg]] on 25 April 1945. At least two bombs struck the Berghof and did considerable damage to the building. Retreating SS troops set fire to the villa on 4 May, four days after Hitler's suicide in Berlin. Only hours later, the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 3rd Infantry Division]] arrived at Berchtesgaden along with the [[2nd Armored Division (France)|French 2nd Armoured Division]]. Herman Louis Finnell of the 3rd Division stated that he and Private Fungerburg were the first to enter Berghof and the secret passages below the structure. Finnell stated that the hallway below the structure had rooms on either side filled with destroyed paintings and evening gowns, as well as destroyed medical equipment and a wine cellar.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.09540/| website=Library of Congress| title=Veterans History Project: Interview with Herman Finnell| date=26 October 2011}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/WOgy9NwT6pM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151207212940/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOgy9NwT6pM Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOgy9NwT6pM#t=51/|title=The Price of Freedom: World War II Veteran Herman Finnell|work=WTVC NewsChannel 9|date=5 June 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A French tank crew soon joined them, and Allied soldiers thoroughly looted and stripped the house over the next few days.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stratigakos |first=Despina |title=Hitler at Home |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-300-18381-8 |location=New Haven |pages=Chapter 10 |language=English}}</ref> The American 1st Battalion of the [[506th Infantry Regiment (United States)|506th Infantry Regiment]] arrived on 8 May. The 3rd Battalion of the 506th came into Berchtesgaden by a different route and sustained casualties in a skirmish with the crews of two German [[88 mm gun|88mm anti-aircraft/anti-tank guns]]. One of the most notable artifacts taken by American soldiers was the [[Columbus Globe for State and Industry Leaders]], known more commonly as "Hitler's Globe".

The [[Teahouse on Mooslahnerkopf Hill|teahouse on Mooslahnerkopf hill]] was unscathed in the April 1945 bombing raid, but the Bavarian government knocked it down by 1951 because of its link with Hitler. For 55 years, the ruins lay in the woods by the 13th hole of the Gutshof golf course, but these were taken away altogether during the summer of 2006. The Berghof's shell survived until 1952, when the Bavarian government demolished it with explosives on 30 April.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stratigakos |first=Despina |title=Hitler at Home |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-300-18381-8 |location=New Haven |pages=Chapter 11 |language=English}}</ref> The Berghof, the houses of [[Hermann Göring|Göring]] and Bormann, the SS barracks, the [[Kampfhäusl]], and the teahouse were all destroyed. This had been part of an agreement under which the Americans handed the area back to the Bavarian authorities. There was fear that the ruins would become a [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] shrine and tourist attraction.<ref name="Doku">{{cite web| url=http://www.obersalzberg.de/obersalzberg-seit1945.html?&L=1| website=Dokumentation Obersalzberg| title=Obersalzberg between 1945 and today| access-date=19 February 2016| publisher=Institute of Contemporary History| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160301230632/http://www.obersalzberg.de/obersalzberg-seit1945.html?&L=1| archive-date=1 March 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref>

More than 50 Obersalzberg Nazi buildings were destroyed. The Platterhof had been a nearby hostel for visitors to the area, and it was turned into the General Walker Hotel for American troops after the war. It was demolished in 2001.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PxCmDAAAQBAJ&q=Berghof+Platterhof%2C+++Walker+Hotel%2C&pg=PA55|title=Relics of the Reich: The Buildings The Nazis Left Behind|first=Colin|last=Philpott|date=30 June 2016|publisher=Pen and Sword|via=Google Books|isbn=9781473844278}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/germany/dont-mention-the-war/2006/08/17/1155407935733.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1|title= Don't Mention the War|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|author= Warner, Gary A Warner|date= August 18, 2006}}</ref>

==Location of the Berghof and Hitler's other headquarters==
{{main|Führer Headquarters}}
The Berghof was one of the headquarters used by Hitler during the war. There were about 14 known completed ''Führer'' Headquarters.<ref>Raiber, Richard, "Guide to Hitler's Headquarters", ''After the Battle'', No. 19, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1977, London, p. 2.</ref>

[[File:Hitler-Headquarters-Europe.png|thumb|centre|800px|Map showing the location of the Berghof, along with [[Führer Headquarters]] throughout Europe]]


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Eva Braun]]
* [[Führer Headquarters]]
* [[Kehlsteinhaus]]
*[[Führer Headquarters]]
*[[Man Hunt (1941 film)]], a [[Fritz Lang]] film set in 1939 about a hunter aiming at Hitler
* [[Man Hunt (1941 film)|''Man Hunt'' (1941 film)]], a Fritz Lang film set in 1939 about a hunter aiming at Hitler
** Based on [[Rogue Male (novel)|''Rogue Male'' (novel)]]
*[[Nazi architecture]]
* [[Nazi architecture]]
*[[Operation Foxley]], a British [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] plan to assassinate Hitler in 1944
* [[Operation Foxley]], a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) plan to assassinate Hitler in 1944
*[http://thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm Hitler's Berghof]
* [[Traudl Junge]]


==References and notes==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Bibiliography==
==Sources==
* Eberle, Henrik and Uhl, Matthias, ''The Unknown Hitler''
* {{cite book|author1=Eberle, Henrik |author2=Uhl, Matthias|title=The Unknown Hitler}}
* {{cite book|author=Guido, Pietro|title= Hitler's Berghof and the Tea-House |publisher= ISEM|location= Milan|edition= 2nd |date=2013 |isbn=978-88-87077-07-0}}
* Wilson, James: Hitler's Alpine Retreat, Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, England. (2005) 271 photos of the Obersalzberg complex and biographies of leading Nazi figures. ISBN 1 84415 263 4
* Stratigakos, Despina (2015). ''Hitler at Home''. New Haven: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-300-18381-8}}
* Stratigakos, Despina (September 2015). "[https://placesjournal.org/article/hitler-at-home/ Hitler at Home]", ''Places Journal''.
* {{cite book|author=Walden, Geoffrey R.|title= Hitler's Berchtesgaden: A Guide to Third Reich Sites in the Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg Area|publisher= Fonthill Media |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-78155-226-1}}
* {{cite book|author=Wilson, James|title= Hitler's Alpine Retreat|publisher= Pen & Sword Military|location= Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, England|date=2005|isbn=1-84415-263-4}} 271 photos of the Obersalzberg complex and biographies of leading Nazi figures.
* {{cite book|author=Döhring, Herbert|title=Living with Hitler:Accounts of Hitler's Household Staff|publisher= Pen & Sword|location= Berlin|edition= 1st |date=2018 |isbn=9781784382971}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Berghof}}
*[http://www.thirdreichruins.com/berghofvisitors.htm "Berghof Visitors"]
* [http://thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm Adolf Hitler's Home on the Obersalzberg, 1927–1945]
*[http://www.obersalzberg.de/cms_e/content/home/index.html "Dokumentation Obersalzberg"] (A permanent exhibition on the history of Obersalzberg and the NS-Dictatorship prepared by the [http://www.ifz-muenchen.de/das_ifz/englisch.html Institute of Contemporary History -IfZ -], Munich and Berlin)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071024032419/http://www.anac-fr.com/2gm/2gm_48b.htm Association Nationale des Anciens Combattantes des la Banque de France] {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.droemer-knaur.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=19261 Chambermaid at Berghof - (in German) interesting pictures!]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081122114502/http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/1/en/hd/zceha Berchtesgaden Intercontinental Hotel] (new hotel on Goering's former property)
* [http://thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm Adolf Hitler's Home on the Obersalzberg, 1927-1945]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051017213547/http://www.obersalzberg.de/cms_e/content/home/index.html "Dokumentation Obersalzberg"] (A permanent exhibition on the history of Obersalzberg and the NS-Dictatorship prepared by the [https://web.archive.org/web/20051120065722/http://ifz-muenchen.de/das_ifz/englisch.html Institute of Contemporary History -IfZ -], Munich and Berlin)
* [http://www.thirdreichruins.com/biblio.htm Berchtesgaden-Obersalzbert - Selected Bibliography]
* [http://www.tracesofevil.com/2008/01/eagles-nest.html Obsersalzberg sites then and now]
* [http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/1/en/hd/zceha;jsessionid=QUVAPOE1PR5J0CTGWAJCHPQKM0YBUIY4 Berchtesgaden Intercontinental Hotel](new hotel on Goering's former property)
*[http://www.smh.com.au/news/germany/dont-mention-the-war/2006/08/17/1155407935733.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 Don't Mention the War], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', Gary A Warner, [[August 18]], [[2006]].
* [http://www.thirdreichruins.com/berghof.htm - Many pictures]
*[http://www.anac-fr.com/2gm/2gm_48b.htm - in French]
*[http://www.gastoneve.org.uk/obersalzberg%20fr.html - in French]
*[http://maps.google.es/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=47.611165,13.041619&spn=0.002318,0.004978&t=k&z=18 Kehlsteinhaus in Google Map]
{{coord|47|38|01|N|13|02|31|E|region:DE-BY_type:city|display=title}}


{{Adolf Hitler}}
{{Adolf Hitler}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Berghof (Residence)}}
[[Category:Nazi Germany]]
[[Category:Adolf Hitler]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Berchtesgadener Land]]
[[Category:Nazi architecture]]
[[Category:Führer Headquarters]]
[[Category:Berchtesgadener Land]]
[[Category:World War II sites in Germany]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1952]]

[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Germany]]
[[da:Berghof]]
[[Category:1952 disestablishments in West Germany]]
[[fr:Berghof]]
[[Category:1916 establishments in Germany]]
[[it:Berghof]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1916]]
[[nl:Berghof]]
[[no:Berghof]]
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[[sv:Berghof]]

Latest revision as of 21:30, 17 April 2024

The Berghof
Berghof
"The Berghof" on the Obersalzberg, the house of Adolf Hitler. In the foreground, the gate house.
Berghof (residence) is located in Germany
Berghof (residence)
Location within Germany
Former namesHaus Wachenfeld
General information
StatusDemolished
TypeChalet
LocationObersalzberg
Town or cityBerchtesgaden
CountryGermany
Coordinates47°38′01″N 13°02′31″E / 47.63361°N 13.04194°E / 47.63361; 13.04194
Elevation921 m (3,022 ft)
Construction started1916
Renovated1935–1936
Demolished1952
OwnerAdolf Hitler
Design and construction
Architecture firmHochtief AG

The Berghof was Adolf Hitler's holiday home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Other than the Wolfsschanze ("Wolf's Lair"), his headquarters in East Prussia for the invasion of the Soviet Union, he spent more time here than anywhere else during his time as the Führer of Nazi Germany. It was also one of the most widely known of his headquarters,[1] which were located throughout Europe.

The Berghof was rebuilt and renamed in 1935 and was Hitler's holiday residence for ten years. It was damaged by British bombs in late April 1945, and again in early May by retreating SS troops, and it was looted after Allied troops reached the area. The Bavarian government demolished the burned shell in 1952.

History[edit]

The Berghof began as a much smaller chalet called Haus Wachenfeld, a holiday home built in 1916 (or 1917) by Kommerzienrat Otto Winter, a businessman from Buxtehude. It was located near the Platterhof, the former Pension Moritz where Hitler had stayed in 1922–23. By 1926, the family running the pension had left, and Hitler did not like the new owner. He moved first to the Marineheim and then to a hotel in Berchtesgaden, the Deutsches Haus, where he dictated the second volume of Mein Kampf in the summer of 1926. Hitler met his girlfriend at that time, Maria Reiter, who worked in a shop on the ground floor of the hotel, during another visit in autumn 1926. In 1928, Winter's widow rented Haus Wachenfeld to Hitler, and his half-sister Angela came to live there as housekeeper, although she left soon after her daughter Geli's 1931 death in Hitler's Munich apartment.[2]

By 1933, Hitler had purchased Haus Wachenfeld with funds he received from the sale of his political manifesto Mein Kampf. The small chalet-style building was refurbished and much expanded by architect Alois Degano during 1935–36 under the supervision of Martin Bormann, when it was renamed The Berghof (English: "Mountain Court").[3] The renovated interiors were designed by Gerdy Troost.[4]

A large terrace was built and featured big, colourful, resort-style canvas umbrellas. The entrance hall "was filled with a curious display of cactus plants in majolica pots."[5][6] A dining room was panelled with very costly cembra pine. Hitler's large study had a telephone switchboard room. The library contained books "on history, painting, architecture and music." A great hall was furnished with expensive Teutonic furniture, a large globe, and an expansive red marble fireplace mantel. Behind one wall was a projection booth for evening screenings of films (often, Hollywood productions, including Mickey Mouse).[7]

A sprawling picture window could be lowered into the wall to give a sweeping, open-air view of the snow-capped mountains in Hitler's native Austria.[3] The house was maintained much like a small resort hotel by several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and other domestic workers.

The Berghof became a centrepiece of Nazi propaganda. The Nazi-controlled German press as well as the English-language international press covered Hitler's life at home in a positive light. These stories helped to soften his image by portraying him as a man of culture, dog lover, and good neighbour.[8] Writer William George Fitz-Gerald, under the pseudonym Ignatius Phayre, published many articles about visiting Hitler at home that were fabricated from Nazi propaganda sources.[8][9][10]

The "Great Hall"
Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun with their dogs at the Berghof

Based on German propaganda sources, Fitz-Gerald, writing for the British Homes & Gardens magazine, described Hitler as "his own decorator, designer, and furnisher, as well as architect", and the chalet as "bright and airy" with "a light jade-green colour scheme"; caged Harz Roller canaries were kept in most of the rooms, which were furnished with antiques, mostly German furniture from the 18th century. Old engravings hung in the guest bedrooms, along with some of Hitler's small watercolour sketches. His personal valet Heinz Linge stated that Hitler and his longtime companion Eva Braun had two bedrooms and two bathrooms with interconnecting doors, and Hitler would end most evenings alone with her in his study drinking tea.[11]

Though Hitler did not smoke, smoking was allowed on the terrace. His vegetarian diet was supplied by nearby kitchen gardens and, later, a greenhouse. A large complex of mountain homes for the Nazi leadership, and many buildings for their security and support staff, were constructed nearby. To acquire the land for these projects, many neighbours were compelled to sell their properties and leave.[12] A mountaintop structure, the Kehlsteinhaus, nicknamed Eagle's Nest by André François-Poncet, a French diplomat, was built in 1937–38 above the Berghof, but Hitler rarely went there.[13]

Venus and Amor by Paris Bordone, that adorned the "Great Hall", was ceded after the war to the National Museum in Warsaw.[14]

The area became a German tourist attraction during the mid-1930s, after Hitler came to power as dictator.[15] Visitors gathered at the end of the driveway or on nearby public paths in the hope of catching a glimpse of Hitler.[16] This led to the introduction of severe restrictions on access to the area and other security measures.[3] A large contingent of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was housed in barracks adjacent to the Berghof. Under the command of Obersturmbannführer Bernhard Frank, they patrolled an extensive cordoned security zone that encompassed the nearby homes of the other Nazi leaders. With the outbreak of war extensive anti-aircraft defences were also installed, including smoke-generating machines to conceal the Berghof complex from hostile aircraft.

The nearby former hotel "Türken" was turned into quarters to house the Reichssicherheitsdienst (Reich Security Service; RSD) SS security men who patrolled the grounds of the Berghof.[17] It was later occupied by the Generalmajor of the Police. (The hotel was rebuilt in 1950 and reopened as a hotel before Christmas, the Hotel zum Türken. Visitors can still explore the historic underground hallways and tunnels that had been used by the Nazis.)[18][19][20]

Whenever Hitler was in residence, members of the RSD and Führerbegleitkommando (Führer Escort Command; FBK) were present. While the RSD men patrolled the grounds, the FBK men provided close security protection for Hitler.[21] Several Wehrmacht mountain troop units were also housed nearby. Hence, the British never planned a direct attack on the compound.[22]

Guests[edit]

Guests at the Berghof included political figures, monarchs, heads of state, and diplomats along with painters, singers, and musicians. The important visitors personally greeted on the steps of the Berghof by Hitler included David Lloyd George (3 March 1936), the Aga Khan (20 October 1937), Duke and Duchess of Windsor (22 October 1937),[23] Kurt von Schuschnigg (12 February 1938), Neville Chamberlain (15 September 1938), and Benito Mussolini (19 January 1941). At the end of July 1940, Hitler summoned his military chiefs from OKW and OKH to the Berghof for the 'Berghof Conference' at which the 'Russian problem' was studied. On 11 May 1941, Karlheinz Pintsch visited the Berghof to deliver a letter from Rudolf Hess informing Hitler of his illegal flight to Scotland.

Adolf Hitler greets British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on the steps of the Berghof.

Hitler's social circle at his Berghof retreat – which his intimates referred to as "on the Berg"[24] – included Eva Braun and her sister Gretl, Herta Schneider and her children, Eva's friend Marion Schönmann, Heinrich Hoffmann, and the wives and children of other Nazi leaders and Hitler's staff who would all pose for an annual group photograph on the occasion of Hitler's birthday. The social scene at the Berghof ended on 14 July 1944, when Hitler left for his military headquarters in East Prussia, never to return.[25]

Silent colour films shot by Eva Braun survived the war and showed Hitler and his guests relaxing at the Berghof.[26] In 2006, computer lip-reading software identified several parts of their conversations. Among those identified in the films were Joseph Goebbels, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Albert Speer, and Karl Wolff.[27]

Two guests planned to use a visit to the Berghof as an opportunity to assassinate Hitler. On 11 March 1944, Captain Eberhard von Breitenbuch arrived with a concealed pistol with the intention of shooting Hitler in the head, but guards would not allow him into the same room.[28] On 7 June 1944, Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg planned to detonate a bomb at a meeting there, but his fellow conspirators would not give him approval to do so because Himmler and Hermann Göring were also not present.

British assassination plan[edit]

The Allies rejected suggestions about derailing Hitler's train to Obersalzberg and using poison in the train's drinking water, but the British developed a plan named Operation Foxley in 1944. This called for a sniper to kill Hitler[29] on his daily 15–20 minute walk from the Berghof residence to the Teehaus on the Mooslahnerkopf Hill, which had been revealed by a prisoner of war. The operation would be undertaken by a German-speaking Pole and a British sniper wearing German uniforms after being parachuted into Austria. They would be housed and led to the area by an anti-Nazi, identified as "Heidentaler" who lived nearby in Salzburg.[29] The Foxley plan did not proceed, due to a dispute as to whether killing Hitler was a prudent idea and the lack of intelligence about his exact daily routine. By the time that the plan might have proceeded, Hitler had stopped visiting his mountain retreat; he never returned to the compound after 14 July 1944.[30]

Post-war ruins[edit]

The remnants of the Berghof in 2019
One of the few sections of the retaining wall left at the Berghof site
View out of the "Great Window", September 2019
Remains of the left wall of the driveway to the main entrance

The Obersalzberg was bombed by hundreds of British RAF Lancaster heavy bombers, including aircraft from No. 617 Squadron RAF (the "Dambusters"), which attacked Obersalzberg on 25 April 1945. At least two bombs struck the Berghof and did considerable damage to the building. Retreating SS troops set fire to the villa on 4 May, four days after Hitler's suicide in Berlin. Only hours later, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division arrived at Berchtesgaden along with the French 2nd Armoured Division. Herman Louis Finnell of the 3rd Division stated that he and Private Fungerburg were the first to enter Berghof and the secret passages below the structure. Finnell stated that the hallway below the structure had rooms on either side filled with destroyed paintings and evening gowns, as well as destroyed medical equipment and a wine cellar.[31][32] A French tank crew soon joined them, and Allied soldiers thoroughly looted and stripped the house over the next few days.[33] The American 1st Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment arrived on 8 May. The 3rd Battalion of the 506th came into Berchtesgaden by a different route and sustained casualties in a skirmish with the crews of two German 88mm anti-aircraft/anti-tank guns. One of the most notable artifacts taken by American soldiers was the Columbus Globe for State and Industry Leaders, known more commonly as "Hitler's Globe".

The teahouse on Mooslahnerkopf hill was unscathed in the April 1945 bombing raid, but the Bavarian government knocked it down by 1951 because of its link with Hitler. For 55 years, the ruins lay in the woods by the 13th hole of the Gutshof golf course, but these were taken away altogether during the summer of 2006. The Berghof's shell survived until 1952, when the Bavarian government demolished it with explosives on 30 April.[34] The Berghof, the houses of Göring and Bormann, the SS barracks, the Kampfhäusl, and the teahouse were all destroyed. This had been part of an agreement under which the Americans handed the area back to the Bavarian authorities. There was fear that the ruins would become a neo-Nazi shrine and tourist attraction.[35]

More than 50 Obersalzberg Nazi buildings were destroyed. The Platterhof had been a nearby hostel for visitors to the area, and it was turned into the General Walker Hotel for American troops after the war. It was demolished in 2001.[36][37]

Location of the Berghof and Hitler's other headquarters[edit]

The Berghof was one of the headquarters used by Hitler during the war. There were about 14 known completed Führer Headquarters.[38]

Map showing the location of the Berghof, along with Führer Headquarters throughout Europe

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Eberle, Henrik; Uhl, Matthias. The Unknown Hitler. p. 200. Chapter 11.
  2. ^ Kershaw, Ian (2000). Hitler, 1889–1936, Hubris. Norton. pp. 282–284, 686. ISBN 0-393-32035-9.
  3. ^ a b c Ryback, Timothy W. "The Hitler Shrine". The Atlantic.
  4. ^ Stratigakos, Despina (2015). Hitler at Home. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Chapter 4. ISBN 978-0-300-18381-8.
  5. ^ "Hitler's Mountain Home (November 1938)". Homes & Gardens. David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  6. ^ Ulbrich, Chris. "Old Hitler Article Stirs Debate". Wired. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. ^ Caddick-Adams, Peter (2015). Snow & Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45. Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780199335145.
  8. ^ a b Stratigakos, Despina (2015-09-15). "Hitler at Home". Places Journal (2015). doi:10.22269/150915. ISSN 2164-7798.
  9. ^ Phayre, Ignatius (November 1938). "Hitler's Mountain Home". Homes & Gardens. Retrieved 19 February 2016. For example, in 1938 Fitz-Gerald wrote "Hitler's Mountain Home" for Homes & Gardens. It was written in a tone which has been described as "breathless... Hello!-style." The photographs had all been taken by Heinrich Hoffmann (many of them years earlier) and given to the magazine as publicity handouts. The article happened to surface in 2003 after decades of obscurity, see the Guardian reference below.
  10. ^ Waldman, Simon (3 November 2003). "At home with the Führer". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  11. ^ Linge, Heinz; Moorhouse, Roger (16 July 2009). With Hitler to the End: The Memoir of Hitler's Valet. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1848325449.
  12. ^ Connolly, Kate (2 February 2005). "Hitler's eyrie becomes a playground for the rich". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2005. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
  13. ^ Joshua, Rick D. (22 February 2013). "Adolf Hitler and the Kehlsteinhaus". Das Kehlsteinhaus. Rick D. Joshua. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  14. ^ Lorentz, Stanisław (1984). Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie: malarstwo [The National Museum in Warsaw: Painting] (in Polish). Arkady. p. 28. ISBN 978-8321332017.
  15. ^ "Hitler's Berghof". thirdreichruins.com.
  16. ^ Stratigakos, Despina (2015). Hitler at Home. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Chapter 7. ISBN 978-0-300-18381-8.
  17. ^ Hoffmann, Peter (2000). Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921–1945. Da Capo Press. pp. 181–186. ISBN 978-0306809477.
  18. ^ "Visit Hotel Zum Turken WWII Bunkers on your trip to Berchtesgaden". inspirock.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
  19. ^ Wilson, James (13 January 2014). Hitler's Alpine Headquarters. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473831872 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Hotel zum Türken, Obersalzberg - Bunkersite.com". bunkersite.com.
  21. ^ Hoffmann, Peter (2000). Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer 1921–1945. Da Capo Press. pp. 160, 165, 166. ISBN 978-0306809477.
  22. ^ Felton, Mark (4 August 2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer. Pen and Sword – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "When the Duke of Windsor met Hitler". BBC News. 10 March 2016.
  24. ^ Sereny, Gitta (1995). Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth. New York: Knopf. p. 111. ISBN 978-0394529158.
  25. ^ Kershaw, Ian (2000). Hitler 1936–1945: Nemesis. Penguin Press. ISBN 978-0393049947.
  26. ^ Yamin, Antonia. "Elizabeth Kalhammer (Former maid to Adolf Hitler) is now a 92 year old woman. yet she has a secret story in her past. She used to work at Hitler's private estate from 1943 to 1945". Israeli Broadcasting Corporation. Antonia Yamin interviewed the Former maid to Adolf Hitler - on her life at his private estate.
  27. ^ Midgley, Neil (22 November 2006). "New technology catches Hitler off guard". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  28. ^ Stein, Marcel (1 February 2007). Field Marshal Von Manstein: The Janushead – A Portrait. Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 9781906033026 – via Google Books.
  29. ^ a b Russell, Shahan (6 January 2016). "Britain's Plan to Kill Hitler By Having a Sniper Shoot Him During His Daily Walk To The Tea House". War History Online. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  30. ^ Felton, Mark (4 August 2014). Guarding Hitler: The Secret World of the Fuhrer. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473838383 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ "Veterans History Project: Interview with Herman Finnell". Library of Congress. 26 October 2011.
  32. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The Price of Freedom: World War II Veteran Herman Finnell". WTVC NewsChannel 9. 5 June 2014 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ Stratigakos, Despina (2015). Hitler at Home. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Chapter 10. ISBN 978-0-300-18381-8.
  34. ^ Stratigakos, Despina (2015). Hitler at Home. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Chapter 11. ISBN 978-0-300-18381-8.
  35. ^ "Obersalzberg between 1945 and today". Dokumentation Obersalzberg. Institute of Contemporary History. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  36. ^ Philpott, Colin (30 June 2016). Relics of the Reich: The Buildings The Nazis Left Behind. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473844278 – via Google Books.
  37. ^ Warner, Gary A Warner (August 18, 2006). "Don't Mention the War". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  38. ^ Raiber, Richard, "Guide to Hitler's Headquarters", After the Battle, No. 19, Special Edition, Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1977, London, p. 2.

Sources[edit]

  • Eberle, Henrik; Uhl, Matthias. The Unknown Hitler.
  • Guido, Pietro (2013). Hitler's Berghof and the Tea-House (2nd ed.). Milan: ISEM. ISBN 978-88-87077-07-0.
  • Stratigakos, Despina (2015). Hitler at Home. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-18381-8
  • Stratigakos, Despina (September 2015). "Hitler at Home", Places Journal.
  • Walden, Geoffrey R. (2014). Hitler's Berchtesgaden: A Guide to Third Reich Sites in the Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg Area. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-78155-226-1.
  • Wilson, James (2005). Hitler's Alpine Retreat. Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, England: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 1-84415-263-4. 271 photos of the Obersalzberg complex and biographies of leading Nazi figures.
  • Döhring, Herbert (2018). Living with Hitler:Accounts of Hitler's Household Staff (1st ed.). Berlin: Pen & Sword. ISBN 9781784382971.

External links[edit]