The Terrassen Halle - Obersalzberg
N 47° 37.808 E 013° 02.429
33T E 352789 N 5277052
The Terrassen Halle is the only surviving remnant of the Platterhof hotel which has a long and interesting history including being turned into a military hospital during WWII and its subsequent bombing at the end of the war.
Waymark Code: WM1A80
Location: Bayern, Germany
Date Posted: 03/12/2007
Views: 157
It began as an Obersalzberg estate called the Steinhauslehen. Mauritia "Moritz" Mayer bought it in 1877 and later opened the Pension Moritz. Moritz Mayer enjoyed considerable local fame, and after her death, the pension became known as the "Platterhof," because Moritz was widely assumed to have inspired the character of "Judith Platter" in Richard Voss' novel Zwei Menschen (Two People).
After the Nazis took over the Obersalzberg, the original Platterhof was remodeled, and a large multi-wing hotel erected around the original building, still known as the Platterhof. This was supposed to be a national people's hotel, where the common people of the Third Reich could stay when visiting their Führer, but in keeping with Martin Bormann's increased seclusion of the area around Hitler's Berghof, the Platterhof never served that purpose. Indeed, as with much of Bormann's other construction, it ended up being an expensive luxurious monument, totally unsuitable for the common people. Instead, it served high-ranking Nazi dignitaries and other important visitors. In 1943, necessities of war turned the Platterhof into a military hospital and rest home. The complex included a large multi-story garage building, with quarters on the upper floors for hotel staff.
The bombing attack of 25 April 1945 did considerable damage to the Platterhof. It was not destroyed, but it stood derelict for several years. However, it escaped the 1952 destruction of Nazi buildings, and was rebuilt and renovated by the U.S. Army as the Hotel General Walker, as part of the Armed Forces Recreation Center.
The Large Terrace Hall was used by the U.S. Army as the "Skyline Room" restaurant. Rumor says this building was left standing because it was built by the U.S. Army, even though it shows plainly in pre-1945 photos (the Americans did add an extension onto the side of the building).
After return to the German government in 1995 its fate was unclear, but it was torn down, along with the ruins of the garage, in 2000. Sadly, plundering such had not been seen since 1945 was allowed to happen. Some of the furnishings in the Platterhof were original to the wartime building (furniture, chandeliers, decorative fittings), and other original furnishings from the Kehlsteinhaus and other area buildings had been placed there by the AFRC. According to local sources, before the authorities knew what was happening, most of these priceless items were allegedly plundered by the demolition crews, and apparently little or nothing has been recovered.
Only a side building (the Terrassen Halle) and the rear terraces were spared from destruction. The hotel site has been turned into a parking lot for the Dokumentation Obersalzberg center and the Kehlsteinhaus bus ticket office.
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Admission Fee: Free
Opening Days/Times: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Posting a picture(s) of the location would be nice although not required.