Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" was burned to rubble! Germany launches debate over survival of Nazi sites

The famous historical building "Kehlsteinhaus" (Kehlsteinhaus) used by the head of state Adolf Hitler and his senior officials during Nazi Germany was suspected of being set on fire last month, triggering a fierce debate in Germany about how to deal with the memory of Nazi history.

According to the "BBC" report, the Eagle's Nest is located in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria. It was built in 1938. It was originally Hitler's 50th birthday gift and was used to receive important guests. After World War II, it was listed as a historical monument to commemorate the Nazi era. After the war, it was operated by the state government as a restaurant and tourist attraction for many years. It was set on fire on the 23rd of last month (October). The police subsequently arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of arson and sent him to a mental health facility.

Regarding the future of the ruins, some historians argue that reconstruction should be abandoned. Richard J. Evans, a Nazi historian at the University of Cambridge, pointed out that the building was originally a product of Nazi vanity and should be demolished and the mountainous area restored to its natural appearance, similar to the way Hitler's bunker in Berlin was filled in and converted into a children's playground.

However, Bavarian state government officials and local memorials take the opposite stance. State Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann and Culture Minister Markus Blume both support reconstruction and believe that the remaining ruins may become a "holy site" for neo-Nazis.

Sven Keller, director of the Obersalzburg Documentation Center, also warned that complete demolition will not erase the historical landmark from people's hearts, but may attract far-right elements to gather. Isabel Heinemann, a scholar at the University of Munich, suggested partial restoration with modern design to present different historical layers and avoid completely recreating a highly ideological architectural structure.