Suspect arrested over fire at Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ retreat in Bavaria | Germany | The Guardian  (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html)   (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/manifest.json)  (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon.svg) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-512.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-360.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-240.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-120.png) (../../../../../static.guim.co.uk/images/favicon-32x32.ico) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk) (https://hits-secure.theguardian.com) (https://interactive.guim.co.uk) (https://static.theguardian.com) (https://support.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/noalts-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-textegyptian/noalts-not-hinted/GuardianTextEgyptian-Regular.woff2)                                 (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/css/print.css)  (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#maincontent) Skip to main content (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#navigation) Skip to navigation (Close [ESC or Q])   Close dialogue  1 / 3   (Next image [→])   Next image  (Previous image [←])   Previous image  (Toggle caption [i])   Toggle caption                         (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions   (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters   (https://profile.theguardian.com/signin?INTCMP=DOTCOM_NEWHEADER_SIGNIN&ABCMP=ab-sign-in&componentEventParams=componentType%3Didentityauthentication%26componentId%3Dguardian_signin_header)   Sign in        US  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/us) US edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/uk) UK edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/au) Australia edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/eur) Europe edition  (https://www.theguardian.com/preference/edition/int) International edition      (https://www.theguardian.com/) The Guardian - Back to home             The Guardian    (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Show more    Hide expanded menu       News (https://www.theguardian.com/) View all News  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World news  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/environment) Environment  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology) Tech  (https://www.theguardian.com/science) Science  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness      Opinion (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) View all Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/editorial) The Guardian view  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/columnists) Columnists  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/letters) Letters  (https://www.theguardian.com/type/video+tone/comment) Opinion videos  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/cartoons) Cartoons      Sport (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) View all Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nfl) NFL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/tennis) Tennis  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/mlb) MLB  (https://www.theguardian.com/football/mls) MLS  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nba) NBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/wnba) WNBA  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/nhl) NHL  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/formulaone) F1  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/golf) Golf      Culture (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) View all Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/film) Film  (https://www.theguardian.com/books) Books  (https://www.theguardian.com/music) Music  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign) Art & design  (https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio) TV & radio  (https://www.theguardian.com/stage) Stage  (https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera) Classical  (https://www.theguardian.com/games) Games  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/design-a-better-world) Design a better world      Lifestyle (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) View all Lifestyle  (https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us) The Filter  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/wellness) Wellness  (https://www.theguardian.com/fashion) Fashion  (https://www.theguardian.com/food) Food  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/recipes) Recipes  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/love-and-sex) Love & sex  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/home-and-garden) Home & garden  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing) Health & fitness  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/family) Family  (https://www.theguardian.com/travel) Travel  (https://www.theguardian.com/money) Money    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)      (https://support.theguardian.com?acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22:%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22,%22componentType%22:%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22,%22componentId%22:%22side_menu_support%22%7D&INTCMP=side_menu_support) Support us  (https://support.theguardian.com/subscribe/weekly?REFPVID=undefined&INTCMP=undefined&acquisitionData=%7B%22source%22%3A%22GUARDIAN_WEB%22%2C%22componentId%22%3A%22PrintSubscriptionsHeaderLink%22%2C%22componentType%22%3A%22ACQUISITIONS_HEADER%22%2C%22referrerUrl%22%3A%22%22%7D) Print subscriptions  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters) Newsletters  (https://app.adjust.com/1hskf6nd?adgroup=USHeader) Download the app   (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us  (https://app.adjust.com/16xt6hai) The Guardian app  (https://www.theguardian.com/video) Video  (https://www.theguardian.com/podcasts) Podcasts  (https://www.theguardian.com/inpictures) Pictures  (https://www.theguardian.com/insidetheguardian) Inside the Guardian  (https://www.theguardian.com/weekly?INTCMP=gdnwb_mawns_editorial_gweekly_GW_TopNav_US) Guardian Weekly  (https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords) Crosswords  (https://www.wordiply.com) Wordiply  (https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/series/corrections-and-clarifications) Corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tips    Search input  (Search the Guardian)  google-search   Search       (www.theguardian.com)   (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital Archive  (https://licensing.theguardian.com/) Guardian Licensing  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-live-events?INTCMP=live_us_header_dropdown) Live events  (https://www.theguardian.com/about) About Us         (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) Americas  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) Asia  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) Inequality  (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) Global development                      (A still from a video of the fire sweeping through mountain guesthouse Kehlsteinhaus, formerly Adolf Hitler's Eagle’s Nest retreat)          A still from a video of the fire sweeping through the mountain guesthouse Kehlsteinhaus, formerly Adolf Hitler's Eagle’s Nest retreat. Photograph: AFP/Getty     (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       A still from a video of the fire sweeping through the mountain guesthouse Kehlsteinhaus, formerly Adolf Hitler's Eagle’s Nest retreat. Photograph: AFP/Getty       (https://www.theguardian.com/world/germany) Germany     Suspect arrested over fire at Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ retreat in Bavaria   About 200 firefighters deployed to tackle blaze at former Nazi mountain retreat in remote part of southern Germany         (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/donna-ferguson) Donna Ferguson and agencies   Sat 24 Oct 2026 10.28 EDT  First published on Sat 24 Oct 2026 02.21 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Suspect arrested over fire at Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ retreat in Bavaria&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          Police have arrested a 33-year-old German citizen after a fire ripped through Adolf Hitler’s former mountain retreat in Bavaria, leaving the historic Nazi meeting place – known as the Eagle’s Nest – largely destroyed. About 200 firefighters were deployed on Friday night to tackle the blaze at the Nazi dictator’s remote, purpose-built Kehlsteinhaus residence, a protected building on the peak of Obersalzberg in southern (https://www.theguardian.com/world/germany) Germany .  Flames rose high into the air as firefighters approached the scene to find the building “completely ablaze”, police said, adding that nobody was injured in the fire. Lisa Maier, a police spokesperson, said firefighters struggled to tackle the blaze due to its location at an altitude of 1,834 metres (6,000ft). The building, which was one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era, was only accessible with “heavy breathing apparatus”, she said.       (The fire-damaged Kehlsteinhaus building, with smoke rising, stands atop a snowy mountain)   (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       The Kehlsteinhaus the morning after the fire. Photograph: Jason Tschepljakow/DPA/AP  Built by the Nazis and formally inaugurated by Hitler on his birthday in 1939, the Eagle’s Nest has been preserved as a monument to “the insanity of the regime”, (https://www.kehlsteinhaus.de/english/) according to its website . The building is only accessible via a road cut into the mountain through previously impassable terrain. Nazis would enter a tunnel and take a 124-metre brass lift buried in the mountain to get inside the building. Authorities were alerted to the fire when a smoke detector triggered a fire alarm at about 9.15pm, police said. When firefighters arrived on the scene at about 9.50pm, the entire building was engulfed in flames. Fire departments from six municipalities sent emergency personnel to tackle the blaze and the Bavarian Red Cross, the local mountain rescue service and the police also attended. No reason for the fire was given, but German media reported that investigators suspected it was the result of arson. Firefighters found no one inside the building. Efforts to fight the fire were hampered by a strong wind and rain, which turned into the year’s first snow, and firefighters had to pull out overnight after several hours. The blaze was reportedly still burning at 7am on Saturday but appeared to be out later in the morning, although smoke continued to rise from the building.       (The Eagle’s Nest building with blue umbrellas sits atop a mountain near Berchtesgaden, Germany)   (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#img-3)   View image in fullscreen       A photograph from 2007 of the Kehlsteinhaus, or Eagle’s Nest, near Berchtesgaden, Germany.  Photograph: Geir Moulson/AP  A police spokesperson told the German tabloid Bild: “It is damaged to a large extent. The house is unlikely to be saved.” Officers blocked access to the road leading to the retreat, according to an Agence France-Presse photographer. Maier said police were still investigating and would hold a news conference later on Saturday. (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-16) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | Weekly    Sign up to This is Europe  The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion     (https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2026/10/eagles-nestmap/giv-32554F9YMFdAopaiA) Map of south-east Germany showing the location of Kehlsteinhaus   The 33-year-old suspect arrested by the police was a German citizen who had ties to the area but did not live there. Prosecutors said he showed signs of mental illness and after being questioned he was being sent to a psychiatric facility. The possibility of a political motive for the blaze would be investigated, but police said there was nothing to indicate anyone else was involved. The Eagle’s Nest was constructed between 1937 and 1938 and forms part of the toxic legacy of Hitler’s Third Reich, which was responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews as well as Roma, LGBTQ people and communists in the (https://www.theguardian.com/world/holocaust) Holocaust . It became legendary in the postwar period and was often depicted as an essential meeting place in US war films, although in reality Hitler rarely visited the complex. Since 1952 the building has housed an exhibition by (https://www.kehlsteinhaus.de/geschichte/) the Institute for Contemporary History recounting its Nazi history, and a restaurant. Officials indicated that the building, which is owned by Bavaria’s state government, would be restored after discussions with local officials, historians and conservators. “We’re not going to leave a ruin there,” Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria’s interior minister, told reporters, adding that it was important to continue to do “the work of remembrance”. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report          Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/germany) Germany  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/adolf-hitler) Adolf Hitler  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/nazism) Nazism  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/holocaust) Holocaust  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/secondworldwar) Second world war  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Suspect arrested over fire at Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ retreat in Bavaria&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Foct%2F24%2Fblaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria&type=article&internalpagecode=world/2026/oct/24/blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                      More on this story                     (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/the-german-town-where-the-right-has-banned-new-stumbling-stones-for-nazi-victims)    ()      The German town where the right has banned new ‘stumbling stones’ for Nazi victims   (Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1 Oct 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/24/man-105-investigated-nazi-pow-camp-murders)    ()      Germany investigates 105-year-old suspected former Nazi prison camp guard   (Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 10:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 24 Sept 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/22/austria-opens-police-station-at-hitler-birthplace-to-deter-neo-nazi-tourists)    ()      Austria opens police station at Hitler birthplace to deter neo-Nazi tourists   (Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 11:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 22 Jul 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/18/nazi-letters-paper-restorers-holocaust-research)    ()      Nazi letters reveal paper restorers’ role in compiling Holocaust ‘hitlist’   (Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 06:23 AM Eastern Standard Time) 18 Feb 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/sep/23/show-overlooked-artist-uk-first-holocaust-memorial-fred-kormis)    ()      Show shines light on overlooked artist who made UK’s first Holocaust memorial   (Monday, September 23, 2024 at 09:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 23 Sept 2024           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/20/irmgard-furchner-germany-court-upholds-conviction-ex-nazi-secretary)    ()      German court rejects appeal by ex-Nazi secretary over role in 10,500 murders   (Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 04:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 20 Aug 2024           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/23/my-family-and-other-nazis)    ()      My family and other Nazis   (Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 23 Jul 2024           (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/jul/08/slashed-painting-owned-by-stephen-frys-mother-tells-chilling-story-of-fleeing-nazis)    ()      Slashed painting owned by Stephen Fry’s mother tells chilling story of fleeing from Nazis   (Monday, July 8, 2024 at 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 8 Jul 2024                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe   (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) Americas  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) Asia  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) Inequality  (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) Global development       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (blaze-engulfs-hitlers-eagles-nest-mountain-retreat-in-bavaria.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.(dcr)