Fire engulfs the Eagle’s Nest in Bavaria; 33-year-old German man arrested

Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat in Bavaria, known as the “Eagle’s Nest,” has been engulfed by a powerful fire that caused considerable damage to the historic building.

German police have detained a 33-year-old man suspected of being linked to the fire.

The incident took place on Friday evening at the Kehlsteinhaus, built atop Mount Obersalzberg, 1,834 meters above sea level. Around 200 firefighters were mobilized to put out the flames.

The alarm was raised at around 9:15 p.m., and emergency services arrived at the scene at around 9:50 p.m. By then, the building was completely engulfed in flames. According to official information, no one was injured.

The operation to extinguish the fire was complicated by the building’s high elevation, strong winds and bad weather. During the night, rain turned to the first snowfall of the year. The fire continued to burn for several hours, and smoke was still visible from the site on Saturday morning.

Investigators, according to German media reports, are looking into the possibility that the fire was started deliberately. The suspect is a 33-year-old German citizen with ties to the area, though he did not live there. He is also believed to have mental health problems and, after questioning, was being taken to a psychiatric facility.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are also examining the possibility of a political motive. So far, no evidence has been found implicating anyone else in the incident.

The “Eagle’s Nest” was built by the Nazis between 1937 and 1938 and was officially inaugurated by Adolf Hitler on his birthday in 1939. It was one of the few monuments from the Nazi era to escape damage.

After the end of World War II, the site was turned into a historic destination dedicated to documenting the period of the Third Reich. Since 1952, it has housed an exhibition on Nazi history and a restaurant.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the building would be restored after consultations with local authorities, historians and conservation specialists.

“We will not leave a ruin there,” Herrmann said, underscoring the importance of continuing efforts to preserve and commemorate history.