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Festivals The Berchtesgaden Connection
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A Brief History |
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Berchtesgaden became notorious prior to and during the Second World War. Hitler and his henchmen appropriated the Obersalzberg area, near Berchtesgaden, as a Nazi headquarters and stronghold. Hitler's Berghof, the Hotel Platterhof and a model farm were built there, as well as homes for Speer, Goering and Borman. The area was heavily bunkered and fortified, and was visited often by Hitler during the war.
After the war, those properties in the area appropriated by the Nazis were taken over by the U.S. Army. As the ensuing Cold War required a large continuing U.S. military presence in Europe, many of the confiscated Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg properties were rebuilt and used as a U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC). The Hotel Platterhof was rebuilt and renamed the General Walker Hotel, and opened for guests in 1953. The region that had been infamous for its connection to the Nazis was now to become famous for the warm hospitality extended to the American and other Allied forces. For various reasons, American civilians were able to work for AFRC, and Berchtesgaden became a favorite for young American travelers looking to extend their stay. Many who stopped in for only a few months to replenish their money ended up staying for years, working alongside the local Germans, a more permanent contingent from the UK and Ireland, and many others from the four corners of the world. It was a special environment, framed in great natural beauty, where people from all over the world came together and worked and played, and learned more about one another, and the world that we live in. As the Cold War ended, the down-sizing of the American military presence in Europe led to the closure of many of the AFRC operations in Germany. An era has passed, but the memories of good times and good fellowship remain. Let your trip take you to Berchtesgaden. |
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Berchtesgaden Links |
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Send us your favorite picture . . . rlee(at)karmabum(dot)com
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 "And the living was easy . . ."
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 Overlooking the Bahnhof with the Watzmann in the background. Photo by Ed Barber |
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 Salzburg,
home of the Mozarteum and the "Sound of Music", only twelve
miles from Berchtesgaden.
Photo by Ed Barber |
 Click
on the picture at left to see an aerial view of what has become of
the General Walker Hotel.
Photo by Franz Woergetter |
