The only acceptable thing to do is put a Holocaust memorial there. It should be impossible for anyone (i.e. neo-Nazis) to hold any kind of pilgrimage or memorial there without having to see a reminder that Nazis are mass-murdering trash who are despised by all civilized people. That’s what should go there.
As I posted above, it is the pinnacle of Nazi defeat. It was built before the war started and only used a handful of times by Hitler. Eisenhower chose it as an iconic representation of defeat.
It was the opposite of the Berghof complex which was initially purchased by Hitler with funds from Mein Kampf. It was rebuilt as a show piece to impress political dignitaries from other countries. It was then built up as a military complex with slave labor and used to plan the war. It was heavily bombed in 1945 in an attempt to kill Hitler. After the war it was dug up and hauled away because of the role it played.
Perfect, and having it ruined and replaced with a Holocaust memorial will serve this purpose even better.
But here’s the thing: we still remember. To my mind, it’s just one less place where white supremacists can go to venerate the Nazi state.
I’m frankly okay with this. Plenty of nice mountain views still out there—even the same mountain view—without having to make use of Nazi architecture. They should put a memorial to holocaust victims in its place. So much natural beauty, destroyed by an evil regime.
I can’t disagree with any of that. I think what I was thinking of is more about future generations, and it concerns me that Nazism seems more palatable to a lot of people in 2026 (did you see Jonh Oliver’s show this week?). Very few young people have access to someone still alive with a living memory of the Nazi regime. This concerns me, and as I said upthread I have mixed feelings about the destruction of Kehlsteinhaus - a lot of which is because of my memory of visiting it.
I disagree. I think people need to understand what really happened. We have Holocaust memorials of actual Holocaust camps as well as the mega-weapon sites the victims built. There are all manner of Nazi war material that still exists such as submarines which were singularly responsible for extending the war and killing millions in the delay.
And the role this building played in what really happened was?
I explained that earlier. It was used by Eisenhower to show the conquest of Hitler and Nazi Germany. It was never used for military purposes. Eisenhower’s presence was a masterful expression of the defeat of the Nazi party.
I gave the example of U-boats that are now museum pieces. They were responsible for extending the war and in doing so allowed millions more to die in concentration camps. We have untold planes, rockets, and all manner of German warfare in museums. Should we get rid of those?
The main thing I remember about visiting that place was the bus ride up the mountain. The bus wheels are set back behind the driver. When he came to a sharp curve, the front of the bus would hang out over the drop-off. Freaked me right out.
I chuckled when they said that they caught the arsonist riding his motorcycle down the mountain road after starting the fire while police and firetrucks were on their way up. It seems too narrow to have two-way traffic. I too recall how winding and narrow that road is. It doesn’t seem like he thought out his escape plan too well.