Bavaria Orders Kehlsteinhaus Reconstruction

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann ordered the reconstruction of the Kehlsteinhaus following a fire that destroyed the building on Friday night. The blaze, which began at 9:15 p.m. local time, consumed the structure located on the peak of the Obersalzberg.

Emergency crews responded to the scene and found the building completely engulfed in flames. No occupants were inside, and no injuries were reported. Authorities noted that local conditions made it difficult to transport fire trucks to the site. The structure stands at an elevation of 6,017 feet.

Police identified a suspect shortly after the fire started. Prosecutors confirmed that a 33-year-old German citizen was taken into custody. The man has ties to the Berchtesgaden area but does not currently live there. He has been questioned by investigators.

Prosecutors stated that the suspect showed signs of mental illness and will be sent to a psychiatric facility. They also announced an examination into whether a political motive drove the incident, citing the building's history. Police said there are no current indications that anyone else was involved in the fire.

The Kehlsteinhaus was completed in 1938 and served as a temporary seat of government for Adolf Hitler. It escaped Allied bombing during World War II, leaving it largely in its original state. In recent years, the site operated as a popular tourist destination, restaurant, and beer garden.

Herrmann told reporters in Berchtesgaden that the site will be rebuilt. He said the future appearance of the structure will be determined through discussions with local officials, historians, and preservationists. "We're not going to leave a ruin there," Herrmann said. "I think we will be able to find a sensible solution."

The minister emphasized the need to continue the work of remembrance associated with the site. The building's website previously described it as one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era.