The Eagle's Nest in the post-war years

The Eagle's Nest, which is also called Kehlsteinhaus, is a famous tourist destination in Germany. It was constructed in 1938 on a rock that stands 1834 meters tall. Hitler's mountain house draws up to 500,000 visitors every year and is open to the public from May until the end of October.

In the early 1950s, the American government had planned to demolish the Kehlsteinhaus and other buildings on the Obersalzberg that had already been bombed. However, due to the high interest of American and British military officials in the unique mountain structure and their frequent visits to the site, the demolition never occurred. Instead, the Americans instructed the local and regional administration to independently dispose of the former dictator's estate, rather than disbanding their military base in Berchtesgaden.

As the demand for the demolition of the building belonging to fascist functionaries persisted, the competent policy of the Berchtesgaden authorities saved the Eagle's Nest. They convinced both the German government and the American administration that the Kehlsteinhaus should be preserved for the benefit of society. They proposed that the funds generated by the use of the mountain house could be used effectively for social projects and to help people affected by the war.

By the end of the 1950s, the Eagle's Nest began to attract tourists, and the number of visitors increased, with the demolition date being postponed several times. Today, the Kehlsteinhaus still stands in its place and 50% of the proceeds from ticket sales go to social needs.

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