Kehlsteinhaus Fire: One Detained, Cause Under Investigation

Police in Upper Bavaria South said a fire at the Kehlsteinhaus, commonly known as the Eagle's Nest, was reported at about 9:15 p.m. local time on Friday. Firefighters found the structure completely engulfed when they arrived. The building, situated on the Obersalzberg peak, was empty at the time and no injuries were reported. Authorities said access to the site was complicated by local conditions.

A suspect emerged as a person of interest shortly after the blaze started, according to police. Prosecutors identified the individual as a 33-year-old German citizen with ties to the Berchtesgaden area who does not currently live there. He has been questioned, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors said he showed signs of mental illness and would be transferred to a psychiatric facility. Investigators are also examining whether the fire had a political motive, given the building's history. Police said there are no current indications that anyone else was involved. The cause is under criminal investigation.

The structure stands at an elevation of 6,017 feet and was completed in 1938. It served on occasion as a temporary seat of government for Hitler and avoided Allied bombing during World War II, leaving it largely in its original state. In the decades since it has operated as a tourist site, restaurant and beer garden. Its website describes it as "one of the few undamaged monuments of the Hitler era" and states that it "stands for the insanity of the regime."

Bavaria's interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, told reporters in Berchtesgaden that the Eagle's Nest will be rebuilt. He said the design will be decided in talks with local officials, historians and preservationists. "We're not going to leave a ruin there," Herrmann said, according to the AP. He added: "I think we will be able to find a sensible solution." Herrmann also said that "it is important that we continue to do the work of remembrance."