Kehlsteinhaus Fire: Bavaria Orders Rebuild After Summit Blaze

A 33-year-old German man was taken into custody following a fire that destroyed the Kehlsteinhaus in Bavaria.

Police in Traunstein received a fire alarm from the mountaintop building at 21:15 local time on Friday. Firefighters arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames. The difficult terrain made it hard to control the blaze, though no injuries were reported. About 200 emergency personnel were deployed to the site.

Officers apprehended the suspect on a motorcycle near the scene. A criminal investigation is currently underway. Local police official Gerhart Holzinger told a press conference that there is currently no evidence of any other suspects. Police said they are still examining a possible motive for the fire.

Local media reported that the site had been largely destroyed and urged the public to stay away from the area. Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the site would not remain a ruin. He added that it is important to continue the work of remembrance.

The Eagle's Nest stands at an elevation of about 1,800 meters above the town of Berchtesgaden. The Nazis completed the building in 1938. It served as part of Adolf Hitler's headquarters during World War II. Hitler and senior Nazi officials used the nearby Berghof residence to plan the 1941 invasion of the USSR. The site also served as a backdrop for propaganda films. The building survived the war and later became a popular tourist destination and mountain inn.

The official website describes the site as a cautionary reminder of the Nazi dictatorship. Hitler and his followers were responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people. These included European Jews, homosexuals, Romani people, disabled people, and ethnic minorities. Germany and Austria have long debated how to handle buildings linked to Hitler. Some argue they should be kept for historical reasons. Others fear they could become monuments for neo-Nazis. In June, Berlin announced plans to tear down one of Hitler's bunkers to build flats and offices. In July, Austrian authorities turned Hitler's birthplace in Braunau am Inn into a police station.