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Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' in flames: Arson suspected

06:48

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Melissa Chan
October 24, 2026

A fire has heavily damaged Hitler’s former mountaintop retreat, the so-called Eagle’s Nest, in Germany’s Bavarian Alps. One suspect is in custody as police investigate possible arson at the historic Nazi-era site.

An overnight fire engulfed Eagle's Nest, a historic Nazi-era site once used by Adolf Hitler in Germany's Bavarian Alps.

Firefighters faced difficult conditions battling the flames at the mountaintop location, while one suspect has been taken into temporary custody. Police are looking into whether this is a potential case of arson.

DW speaks to historian Sven Keller of the Obersalzberg Documentation Center about the site's historical significance, why it was preserved, and how Germany deals with landmarks associated with its Nazi past.

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