Obersalzberg Hitler’s Residential Area 1923 – 1945

Diagramming a popular Nazi recreational area in the postwar world.

Obersalzberg is a mountainside retreat in the Bavarian Alps, located near the town of Berchtesgaden in Germany. During the Second World War, it was a popular recreational area for Nazi officials, and most prominently the location of Hitler’s vacation residence known as the Berghof. Numerous other prominent party members also had homes in the area, which was heavily reinforced with defensive bunkers, troop barracks, and gun emplacements.

This plan, published decades after the war ended, provides a detailed snapshot of the area as it existed under the Nazi regime. Buildings are outlined and individually labeled, identifying private residences, recreational facilities, military structures, and historic sites. A cut-away diagram shows the underground facilities, which are also outlined by the legend in the lower right. Several buildings are shown as destroyed – the Bavarian government demolished many of the structures intentionally during the 1950s. Today, only the Kleinhaus (Eagle’s Nest) remains, but is not shown on the map (see lower right).

The map was compiled by E. Wille (signature in the lower left) and originally published in March of 1964 by the Engineer Section of the Berchtesgaden Recreation Area. The AFRC in the lower left may refer to the Air Force Reserve Command, which was established in 1997 and thus indicates a later date. The piece appears to be quite uncommon, as I’m able to find only a few market records and two entries in WorldCat; at the Library of Congress and the University of Southern Maine. A further example has been identified in the National Archives of New Zealand. OCLC# 20856483.