A major fire has severely damaged the Eagle’s Nest, a historic mountain retreat in Bavaria, Germany. The building had closed for the evening, and officials confirmed that nobody was inside. No injuries were reported.
Around 200 emergency workers from six local areas fought the fire overnight. Crews had to reach the site using narrow, winding mountain roads and tunnels. Strong winds and rain, which later turned to snow, made efforts to control the flames extremely difficult.
Police have detained a 33-year-old German citizen who is now in a psychiatric hospital, which provides mental health care. Authorities suspect arson, meaning that someone deliberately started the fire. Investigators are examining whether the site’s Nazi history was a motive.
Completed in 1938, the Eagle’s Nest was built as a retreat for senior Nazi officials, although Adolf Hitler rarely visited. In recent years, it housed a restaurant, a beer garden and an exhibition about its past. It had survived the Second World War and became a place for tourism and historical remembrance.
A police spokesperson warned that the building might be beyond repair. Bavaria’s government, which owns it, plans to consult historians, local authorities and conservation experts before deciding what should happen next.
