Police have detained a suspect after a fire destroyed Adolf Hitler’s German mountain retreat.
Around 200 firefighters were deployed to the Eagle’s Nest, a remote residence at the top of Obersalzberg mountain in the Bavarian Alps, but narrow access roads and the building’s isolated location hampered their efforts.
Firefighters found the Kehlsteinhaus residence “completely ablaze” when they arrived, police said. Emergency services were alerted at 9.52pm local time (8.52pm BST) after a smoke detector triggered a fire alarm.
By Saturday, the building had been almost completely destroyed, and authorities said it was unclear whether any parts could be salvaged. German media reported that the fire had been burning for more than 12 hours and that nobody had been inside.
A police spokesman said a “suspicious person” had been “taken into temporary custody”. The criminal investigation was continuing, and no injuries had been reported.
Bild reported that the suspect was a motorcyclist encountered by police as they arrived at the scene. The newspaper said the building was probably beyond saving.
Lisa Maier, a police spokesman, said the building was only accessible with “heavy breathing apparatus”. Firefighters were also hampered by the narrow road linking the retreat to Obersalzberg, which is usually closed to cars.
Police said they would hold a news conference later on Saturday.
The Kehlsteinhaus, nicknamed the Eagle’s Nest, was built in 1938 to host dignitaries and stands close to the Berghof, Hitler’s former summer residence located further down the mountain.
Workers were forced to labour through the night during the winter of 1938 to finish the building in time for Hitler’s birthday in April 1939.
Its lavish interior included a red Italian marble fireplace presented by Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator. Allied soldiers later chipped pieces off it as souvenirs.
Hitler visited the Eagle’s Nest at least 14 times, although it was used largely to entertain foreign guests and diplomats.
After the Second World War, the building served as an Allied command post until 1960, when it was returned to the state of Bavaria and designated a historic monument.
The nearby Berghof residence was heavily damaged in a British air raid on April 25, 1945, before retreating SS troops set it on fire days later. Its ruins were demolished in 1952 to prevent the site from becoming a shrine.
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The suspicious person reportedly encountered by police was a 33-year-old German man riding a motorcycle. Here is what has been reported so far about the fire at Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Bavaria.
- Age and nationality: German, aged 33.
- Appearance: News reports have not provided a reliable physical description of his appearance.
- Circumstances: Police reportedly encountered him riding a motorcycle as emergency responders were heading toward the burning building. He was detained for investigation.
- Possible motive: Authorities were investigating possible arson, but a motive had not been established.
- Mental health: The German news agency DPA reported that prosecutors said a psychiatric assessment indicated mental illness.
- Legal status: His possible connection to the fire remained under investigation. Detention does not establish that he started it.