Sunday & Monday, October 7 & 8

On a very rainy Sunday we drove over to Salzburg, walked around the old city and had lunch.  Did go to to a short afternoon concert.  It's another beautiful old city with cobbled narrow winding streets and hidden courtyards.  Charlie and I spend time in a cemetery nestled up against the hillside, graves dating back centuries.  Most graves had been decorated with potted flowers and other remembrances.

Old Cemetery

Salzburg, Austria

Monday dawned foggy; however, it later lifted to a beautiful sunny day.  We drove into Berchtesgaden and split up for the day.  Heather and Patrick explored the mountains both by hiking and taking chair lifts.  Charlie and I drove to Obersalzberg and from there took a bus (the only way up) to the Eagle's Nest.  Known as the Eagle's Nest to Americans it's called the Kehlsteinhaus here in Germany.  It was presented to Hitler by the National Socialist Party on his 50th birthday; however, it was not often used by Hitler.  After a hair raising ride up the mountain you entered a tunnel into the mountain then took a brass lined elevator up another 406 feet to the top.  The Eagle's Nest, now a restaurant,  is controlled by a foundation and profits are used for charitable purposes.  Views were incredible.

The bus in front of ours!

Beautiful Mountains--everywhere!

Eagle's Nest

Below in Obersalzberg is the Dokumentation Obersalzberg, a museum on the site of Hitler's mountain residence, the Berghof.  It documents the Nazi period thoroughly; however, it was in German!  They did provide small English brochures for each area so we were able to understand most of the exhibit.  Hitler rented a small vacation house beginning in 1923 and later as he came into power developed it into a large complex that was his second seat of power after Berlin.  In doing so they drove out the local people,taking their farms and homes.    On April 25, 1945 British and American bombers bombed the site and destroyed most buildings and then in 1952 the remaining buildings were blown up.  For some reason the Eagle's Nest was not destroyed.  Under the Berghof there is an extensive bunker complex which is partly open.

On July 4, 1945 Dad and his brother Paul visited this area.  We have several photographs, one that was purchased of Berghof before the bombing and several that he made.  On the Berghof photo he wrote:  "4th July, 1945 This is some of the Hitler SS buildings before they were bombed".  Another of destroyed buildings, "This was taken at Hitlers Hide Out, July 4, 1945.

Dad's Photos:  Top-photo of Berghof that he must have purchased,
 note mountains compared to recent photo below.  Bottom:  ruins after bombing

Documentation Center on sit of old Berghof

On one of the descriptive panels at the Eagle's Nest, which were all in German, was an English quote by an American General, "Every man and his brother will want to come to the Eagle's Nest."  And they did!

At the end of the war the 803rd was still attached to the 5th Infantry and his company was in Vimperk, Czechoslovak now the Czech Republic.  On the 16th of June the 83rd Infantry took over the occupation duties in Bavaria from the 5th.  He  did not depart from Europe until November 6.

We thought that that trip to "Hitlers's Hideout" with Paul must have been so good for them--they had survived the war, were together and probably having a great time!