A fire devours the "Eagle's Nest"... What do we know about Hitler's "shelter" in the Bavarian Alps?

German police announced on Saturday (October 24, 2026) that they had arrested a suspect after a fire broke out at a resort that was a mountain retreat for Adolf Hitler, known as the “Eagle’s Nest,” in the state of Bavaria. Police said that "a suspicious person has been temporarily detained" following an earlier statement that firefighters found the building "fully engulfed in flames."

A major fire broke out in the "Eagle's Nest" building in the Obersaltsberg area in the city of Berchtesgaden in the German state of Bavaria. It was a building built during the Nazi era and used by Adolf Hitler to receive diplomats and foreign guests.

Fire brigades are continuing their efforts to control the fire, while police have begun investigating its causes and temporarily arrested a suspect.

The police in the Upper Bavaria region announced early Saturday morning the arrest of the suspect, and explained that investigations are still underway to determine whether the arrested person is connected to the fire. The criminal police in Traunstein took over the investigation into the incident. According to the South Upper Bavaria Police Presidency, the first rescue teams arrived at the mountain lodge yesterday evening, Friday, when it was found that a large fire had broken out in the building.

Police do not expect any injuries; The information available so far indicates that no one was inside the building at the time of the fire.

According to the website of the Berchtesgaden Mountain Tourism Association, the "Eagle's Nest", also known as "Eagles' Nest" in the Alps, was scheduled to remain open during the current season until next November 8.

A weather camera showed that the fire was still burning in the building early Saturday, while snow was falling on the mountain located in the Alps. The fire appeared to be extinguished by Saturday morning, but smoke continued to billow from the building. Bild newspaper reported that the authorities arrested a motorcyclist they encountered while heading to the scene of the fire.

Hitler's headquarters where he received his guests

The building was built at an altitude of 1,834 meters, and was completed in 1938 during the Nazi era. It was located within a closed residential and administrative area designated for the leadership of the Nazi regime, and entry to it is prohibited to the public. Since 1952, the building has been used as a mountain lodge, and includes an exhibition covering its history. The Berchtesgaden Mountain Tourism Association stated that the building, then known as the “Tea House,” was built in 1937 and 1938 to be a place for political representation away from the public eye, but its actual importance remained limited.

Hitler received diplomats and other foreign guests there, but members of the circle around the Nazi leadership in Obersaltsburg used it more frequently for rest and private celebrations.