Perched atop a granite peak 1,834 meters above the Bavarian Alps, the Kehlsteinhaus -- known to the world as Hitler's Eagle's Nest -- was one of the most extraordinary architectural projects of the Nazi era, and one of the most peculiar legacies of the Second World War.
The mountain had been a retreat area for Nazi leadership since the mid-1930s, but it was Martin Bormann who conceived the idea of a structure atop the Kehlstein peak as a birthday present for Hitler in 1937. Construction began in 1937 and was completed in just thirteen months -- a pace that was breathtakingly dangerous given the terrain. The project required the blasting of 30,000 tons of rock, the pouring of 3,500 cubic meters of concrete, the construction of a 400-meter tunnel through solid granite, and the installation of a brass elevator large enough to carry Hitler's car into the building's heart.
The human cost of this gift is almost never mentioned. Between 1937 and 1938, twelve workers died during construction. They fell from scaffolding, were crushed by falling rocks, or were killed by the explosive charges used to blast the tunnel. The Nazi regime, which was not known for its concern with worker safety, offered their families nominal compensation and moved on.
Hitler himself was said to be uncomfortable with the Kehlsteinhaus -- an unusual admission about any Nazi leader's relationship with a monumental structure. He reportedly found the altitude disorienting and rarely spent the night, preferring to use it as a meeting place for diplomatic functions. He hosted a reception for British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden here in 1938, among other high-level meetings.
As the war drew toward its end, the Eagle's Nest became the site of one of the most surreal moments of the surrender negotiations. By April 1945, the building was serving as a command post for SS and Wehrmacht officers who had retreated from Berlin. On May 4 -- five days before Germany's formal surrender -- a group of American officers from the 101st Airborne Division, who had encountered minimal resistance in the area, arrived at the Eagle's Nest with a small escort. They found it empty of any significant military presence, but well-stocked with champagne, fine wines, and chocolates.
What happened next has been described differently by every participant, but the broad outlines are consistent: the Americans, having expected to fight their way into the building, found themselves instead sitting in a mountain retreat drinking Nazi champagne and surveying the Alpine panorama through floor-to-ceiling windows. An officer from the 101st reportedly poured himself a drink and said: "I've had better champagne in Paris, but I'll be damned if the view isn't worth the trip."
The Eagle's Nest survived the war largely intact, while the nearby Berghof -- Hitler's actual home -- was deliberately destroyed by the SS in late April 1945 to prevent it from falling into Allied hands. Today, the Kehlsteinhaus is a restaurant and tourist destination, accessible by a twenty-minute bus ride from the valley below. It serves Bavarian food and charges steep prices for both the meal and the parking.