Suspect arrested over blaze that ‘destroyed’ Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest

The Kehlsteinhaus, to give it its German name, was originally designed by Hitler’s private secretary Martin Bormann and was completed in 1938. It was one of a number of residences in the area used by the dictator and his henchmen and survived the war intact.

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told reporters that the site would "under no circumstances remain a ruin", according to broadcaster BR24. "It is important that we continue our work of remembrance," he added.

An idyllic setting that belied the horrors unleashed by Hitler: the Eagle's Nest in 2025APA/AFP via Getty Images

Popular with tourists, the site houses a mountain lodge and restaurant controlled by a charitable trust.

According to its website, the building was “one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era which has resulted in giving it a prominence that it does not perhaps deserve”.

It was “a part of an idyllic setting, that was intended to overshadow all the horrors of [the war] years,” it said.

“Today, however, it still offers a magnificent and unique view of the surrounding countryside and also the opportunity to remember and learn about the inhuman dictatorship it served.”