A fire almost completely destroys the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s former refuge

A fire has almost completely devastated the Kehlsteinhaus or Eagle’s Nest, a shelter used by the Nazi leadership, including the dictator Adolf Hitler, and located in the extreme southeast of Bavaria.

The fire started on Friday night and the Police suspect an intentional act and have even arrested a suspect, according to German public television ARD.

Sources cited by the DPA agency indicate that the detainee is a motorcyclist who crossed paths with the emergency services after the fire started. The suspect is a man originally from that same region and who has been injured. He is hospitalized.

The Eagle’s Nest, the name given by the Allies during World War II, is visited by thousands of people each year. It was built in 1938 at about 1,800 meters above sea level in this area located very close to the border with Austria. Hitler received diplomats and other foreign guests there.

Much of his fame comes from his presence in American war films filmed after the war.