German police have arrested a suspect after a fire broke out at a historic building associated with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the south of the country.
The building, known as the Eagle’s Nest, is located near Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, close to the Austrian border. It was built during the Nazi era and used to host senior officials and guests of the regime.
According to reports, the fire broke out on Friday evening, 23 October, at the Kehlsteinhaus, as the site is officially known. Firefighters arriving at the scene found the building engulfed in flames.
About 200 firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to tackle the blaze. The building’s remote mountain location, at an altitude of around 1,834 metres (6,017ft), made access difficult.
No injuries had been reported in initial accounts, and emergency crews found no one inside the building.
Police said a suspect had been detained near the scene. Investigators are working to establish the cause of the fire and whether the suspect was involved. Authorities have not yet disclosed the individual’s identity or a possible motive, and it remains unclear whether the fire was started deliberately.
The Eagle’s Nest was completed in 1938 as a venue for meetings and receptions involving senior Nazi officials and their guests. Although associated with Hitler, it was separate from his principal mountain residence, the Berghof, and he reportedly visited it only rarely.
The building survived the Second World War and is now a tourist attraction and mountain restaurant. It remains a site of historical interest because of its links to Germany’s Nazi past.
