During his lifetime Adolf Hitler would spend more time on the Obersalzberg than in any other place. From the time he rented Haus Wachenfeld in mid October 1928 until he left the Berghof for the last time on 14 July 1944, Hitler would spend more than one third of that time on his beloved Obersalzberg. By the mid 1930s however, Haus Wachenfeld was increasingly viewed as a home no longer befitting the German Chancellor; this modest Alpine cottage simply did not reflect Hitler’s status as Chancellor. The new ‘Berghof’ that emerged from the 1935/36 rebuilding programme, having absorbed its humble predecessor, offered the Führer a country residence worthy of his position. When not in Berlin, it was at the Berghof that foreign leaders were received and entertained, and later, where important decisions relating to the conduct of the war would be taken.
Hitler, always something of a frustrated architect drew up his own detailed plans for the Berghof; these were then presented to the well-known Munich architect Alois Degano, who in turn was responsible for overseeing the construction of the new residence. The Führer was concerned that the new building might not sit comfortably in its surroundings; his main worry was the potential impact of this much larger building and its possible effect on the landscape. Nonetheless, on seeing the completed Berghof, Hitler expressed total satisfaction with the entire undertaking.
Adolf Hitler described this region as his ‘Wahlheimat’, (his chosen homeland). However, the importance of the Berghof lies not only in the fact that it was Hitler’s country residence; additionally it was here that many important political and later military decisions were taken. The question of the annexation of Austria was decided in the Berghof. On 12 April 1938 the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg was summoned to the Berghof where he was persuaded that it was in his country’s interest to legalize the Nazi Party in Austria and to appoint the pro-Nazi, Dr Arthur Seyß-Inquart Austrian Minister of the Interior. Von Schuschnigg tried to resist the not inconsiderable pressure, but to no avail. Inevitably the Anschluß (annexation) was carried out according to Hitler’s wishes within a matter of days.
On 15 September 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain visited the Berghof to discuss the then escalating crisis surrounding the issue of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Hitler was determined to deal with the matter of the German-speaking area one way or another. This meeting led directly to the signing of the ‘Munich Agreement’ two weeks later. The question of the Sudetenland was resolved in Hitler’s favour as the Czech government was forced to cede the area to Germany. In March 1939, Hitler, through clever manipulation and pressure brought to bear, attempted to force the ailing President of Czechoslovakia, Dr Emil Hácha to sign the document of the surrender of his country or risk invasion within a matter of hours. Hácha signed. German troops crossed the Czech border the following day; there was no resistance.
In May 1939 Hitler informed his generals that war with Poland was inevitable. To that end he instructed the generals to draw up plans for the invasion of Poland. While at the Berghof in August later that year, Hitler sent a telegram to Stalin outlining his ideas for a ‘non-aggression pact’ between their two countries. The pact, containing a secret protocol on Poland, was signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939. With Stalin’s signature barely dry on the agreement, Hitler summoned his generals to the Berghof where he convinced them that the time to attack had come. The Führer spent the next few days at the Berghof discussing the impending invasion. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, eight days later.
‘Operation Barbarossa’ the invasion of the Soviet Union was planned at the Berghof. It has been said that it was the magnificent view of the Untersberg Mountain located across the valley from the Berghof that inspired Hitler to choose the name Barbarossa for the operation. (The story of the Untersberg and the legend of Frederick Barbarossa have already been discussed in caption number 105). The Führer spent months at the Berghof through 1940, during which time he was involved in planning Operation Barbarossa. On 31 July 1940, Hitler informed his generals that he planned to attack Russia early the following year. The Führer signed the final orders for the invasion of the Soviet Union at the desk in his study in the Berghof on 18 December 1940. The German attack on the USSR began on a front extending from the Baltic to the Black Sea on 22 June 1941.