Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a town in the
German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of
Berchtesgadener Land in
Bavaria, near the border with
Austria, some 30 km south of
Salzburg and 180 km southeast of
Munich. It is situated north of the
Nationalpark Berchtesgaden.
Berchtesgaden is often associated with the fabled Mount
Watzmann, at 2713 m the second-highest mountain in Germany (after the
Zugspitze), which is renowned in the rock climbing community for its
Ostwand, and a deep glacial lake by the name of
Königssee (5.2 km²). Another notable peak is the
Kehlstein mountain (1835 m) with its ever popular
Kehlsteinhaus (
Eagle's Nest), which offers spectacular views to its visitors.
Berchtesgaden's neighboring towns are
Bischofswiesen,
Markt Schellenberg,
Ramsau and
Schönau am Königssee.
First historical note dates back to
1102 and it mentions the area because of its rich salt deposits. Much of Berchtesgaden's wealth has been derived from its salt mines. The town served as independent
Fürstprobstei until the
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in
1803. During the
Napoleonic wars, Berchtesgaden changed hands a few times. Salzburg was always interested in Berchtesgaden and
French troops occupied the area a short time. Berchtesgaden came under Bavarian rule in
1810 and became instantly popular with the Bavarian royal family, which often visited
Königssee and maintained a royal hunting residence in the town itself. Nascent
tourism started to evolve and a number of
artists came to the area, which reportedly gave rise to "Malereck" (literally
painter's corner) on the shore of
Königssee. The most famous author who lived in Berchtesgaden was
Ludwig Ganghofer.
Nazis in Berchtesgaden
The area of
Obersalzberg was appropriated by the
Nazis in the
1920s for their senior leaders to enjoy.
Hitler's mountain residence, the
Berghof, was located here. Berchtesgaden and its environs (
Stanggass) were fitted to serve as an outpost of the German
Reichskanzlei office (Imperial Chancellery), which sealed the area's fate as a strategic objective for
Allied forces in
World War II.
A number of other relics of the Nazi era can still be found in the area, although only few of them are still well preserved. There is the
Kehlsteinhaus (
Eagle's Nest), which was built as a present for Hitler's 50th birthday in
1939 and owes its continued existence only to lucky circumstances, which saved it from the brink of demolition. The remnants of homes of former Nazi leaders such as Adolf Hitler,
Hermann Göring,
Albert Speer, and
Martin Bormann were all demolished.
The Platterhof was retained and served as a retreat for the American military. It was known as the General Walker Hotel. It was demolished in 2000. The only remaining building is the former
Gestapo HQ at
Hotel Zum Türken,
Post-War Era
After the war,
Obersalzberg became a military zone and most of its buildings were seized by the
U.S. Army.
Hotel Platterhof, was rebuilt and renamed to
General Walker Hotel [
1] in
1952. It served as an integral part of the U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center
(AFRC) for the duration of the
Cold War and beyond. The
Berghof was demolished in
1953.
In
1995, 50 years after the end of
World War II and 5 years after
German reunification, the AFRC Berchtesgaden was turned over to Bavarian authorities to accommodate budgetary cuts resulting from
Base Realignment and Closure under
US President Bill Clinton. The General Walker Hotel was demolished shortly thereafter. Its ruins, along with the remnants of the
Berghof, were removed in
1996 to make room for a new bus depot serving the bus line to the Kehlsteinhaus and a for the new InterContinental Hotel Resort. The former guesthouse "Hoher Goell" now serves a new documentation center. It is the first German museum of its kind to chronicle the entire span of
World War II in one spot.
Berchtesgaden today
In
1972, local government reform united the until then independent
municipalities of
Salzberg,
Maria Gern and
Au (consisting of
Oberau and
Unterau) under the administration of the town of Berchtesgaden. Another suggested reform uniting all remaining five municipalities in Berchtesgaden valley (
Bischofswiesen,
Ramsau,
Markt Schellenberg and
Schönau) failed to gain enough popular support; it passed in Berchtesgaden and failed everywhere else.
The
Nationalpark Berchtesgaden was established in
1978 and has gradually become one of Berchtesgaden's largest draws. Luckily, mass tourism is confined to a few popular spots, which gives alternative, nature-seeking tourists more than enough space to find peace and quiet in the Park. Major tourist draws are the
Königssee, the salt mine (still under construction), the Kehlsteinhaus and the new
Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg.
Recreational and competitive sports have also grown in importance. Although Berchtesgaden's ski slopes are not among the largest in the
Alps, they can easily accommodate everyone; from beginners to very competitive skiers and boarders. The
Königssee bobsleigh run has hosted ski-running and a number of international sled and bobsled events and competitions. Berchtesgaden's most famous sports personality is
Georg Hackl, a multiple
Olympic medal winner.
Berchtesgaden has virtually no manufacturing industry, unlike the northern part of
Berchtesgadener Land and the
Salzburg area.
*
Municipal website (English)
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Municipal website (German)
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Regional website for visitors and tourists (German, English)
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PhotoGlobe - Berchtesgadener Land offers high quality photos of the area around Berchtesgaden together with GPS coordinates.
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AFRC Timeline*
"Third Reich in Ruins" (English - historical and modern comparison photos)
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Pictures from Berchtesgaden*
Map of Bavaria in 1789
