Souvenirs of war

Berghof adjutants' wing, looking north 

Berghof adjutants' building, this time looking south-west [note the up-turned bench, which you can see in the previous photo] 

A 1938 photo showing the Berghof's construction—and transformation from the much smaller Haus Wachenfeld.

Hitler greets Poland's Foreign Minister, Jozef Beck, on the steps of the Berghof. 

Hitler's home, June 8 1945

Hitler's home June 8 1945

"Berchtesgaden, August 1945. View of the Alps, as seen from the big window. Most of the white is snow, naturally much more beautiful than the picture shows."

Taken by Sgt. Guilford W. Condron — a railway conductor in the 735th Railway Operating Battalion, Company C.

Photos taken during a visit to Berchtesgaden by Sgt. Guilford W. Condron — a railway conductor in the 735th Railway Operating Battalion, Company C.

Condron's photo from the Berghof's big picture window set against a period photo of the exact same view. 

Bill Donovan (35817526) outside the destroyed Berghof

Private William H Snider Jr of Akron, Ohio - from the 3029th Quartermaster Bakery Company - outside the Berghof, sometime in 1945. 

Notice the 'HITLER'S HOME' sign is produced in the same style as 'SS POLICE HOUSE' shown above, outside the Zum Tuerken. 

Same view as the photo above, during construction. 

Nice view of the Bechstein piano.

Eva Braun on the left. 

22 August 1939. Hitler informs his military leaders of Germany's plans to invade Poland.

Berghof terrace, 1945

"Jaques Arouet" on the Berghof terrace 

View of the Berghof adjutants' wing

East wing of the Berghof, showing dining room and destroyed kitchens.

Knocked out adjutants' wing of Berghof

Credit: http://oldillusion.weebly.com/

Ingrid Bergman and friends visit the Berghof

2nd floor windows from left to right: Eva Braun's bathroom; Eva Braun's sitting room; also Eva Braun's sitting room; Hitler's bathroom (thanks to NL from Axis History Forum)

1948

Top of stairs (1948)

1948

1948

Hitler’s study, with blown safe (1948)

1948

Eagle's Nest great hall

Eva Braun is on the far left, with (I think) Margarete Speer (Albert's Speer's wife) next to her.

Eagle's Nest great hall

Wedding reception for Gretl Braun and Herman Fegelein, June 1944.

Zum Tuerken hotel

During the period, this hotel situated right behind the Berghof was commandeered by the Nazi Party and housed the Reichssicherheitsdienst (RSD) security service and SS guard battalion.

Destroyed kindergarten.

Parking lot under the SS barracks

This GI incorrectly refers to this building as "Goring's cabin" but it's actually the Luftwaffe building. It sat right above the infamous 'Art Bunker' where Goering stored his looted artwork – although the two buildings were not connected. Thanks to - Geoff Walden of Third Reich in Ruins. 

Berchtesgaden train station

Credit: http://oldillusion.weebly.com/

Unexploded bomb [by the horse] "on the way to Berchtesgaden from Hitler's home". Most likely dropped during the RAF bombing raid just a few weeks before. 

"Obersalzberg 1944"

Note the 88mm guns aimed skyward to defend the area from allied air raids. These would have seen action just six months later, when the RAF bombed the area, looking to knock out key buildings and, potentially, Hitler himself if he'd been there. Read more here.

"The cup is named in honor of Col. Robert F. Sink, the 506th’s first commander. Its base is made from wood taken from the leg of Hitler's dining table. It is a tradition for officers joining the 506th to drink from the cup as a kind of initiation ritual.

The handles of the cup are the reserve handles of a parachute used by a member of the 506th to jump into Normandy. The bowl itself is made from melted-down silverware taken from the Eagle's Nest and is decorated with Col. Sink's jump wings."

http://english.chosun.com/m/svc/article.html?contid=2005062861017&Dep0=www.google.co.uk

View of destroyed guard house outside the Zum Tuerken, facing downhill. See next photo for context.

"Wrecked Nazi plane at airport near Berchtesgaden. Snapped this picture from train traveling at almost 40 MPH"

Taken by Sgt. Guilford W. Condron — a railway conductor in the 735th Railway Operating Battalion, Company C. This is most likely Ainring Airfield, which was used by Hitler and other party officials when visiting the area.

Bormann's jacket

A member of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, wearing one of Martin Bormann's white summer jackets looted from his Berchtesgaden home. The jacket itself is now in a private collection somewhere.

Shown here and below: scanned pages from Troost's swatch book, held in the Bavarian State Library. 

"House Berghof, Great Hall"

"Great Hall / living room" 

"Fuhrer's bedroom / Blomberg [presumably Werner von Blomberg] - Guest room" 

One of the Berghof's guest bedrooms. The fabric used on this couch can be seen in Troost's swatch book—see below. 

A close-up of the couch pattern 

The same fabric in Troost's swatch book 

"Guest room" 

"Bruckner's bedroom" [Refers to Wilhelm Bruckner] /

Servant's room / Apartment house administrator" 

"Great Hall" 

Gerdy Troost, pictured here in Munich's Haus der Kunst for the 1939 "Day of German Art."