A fire almost destroyed the Eagle’s Nest on Friday night. The historic building stands high in the mountains near Berchtesgaden, in Bavaria, Germany. Workers finished it in 1938 as a place for Nazi leaders to visit and rest. Adolf Hitler rarely went there.
About 200 emergency workers fought the fire through the night. They traveled up narrow mountain roads and through tunnels. Strong winds, rain and then snow made their work difficult. The building was empty, and no one was hurt.
Police arrested a 33-year-old German man after emergency workers caught him riding a motorcycle down the mountain road. He is now in a hospital for mental health care. Police think someone started the fire on purpose. They are checking whether the building’s Nazi history was the reason.
In recent years, visitors could eat and drink there and learn about its history. The building had already closed for the evening before the fire. Police say the damage is so great that saving it is unlikely. Bavaria owns the building, and state officials plan to discuss its future with history experts and local officials.
