Berchtesgaden () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
in the district
Berchtesgadener Land,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
, in southeastern
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, near the border with
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, south of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
and southeast of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
. It lies in the
Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; the
Berchtesgaden National Park stretches along three parallel valleys.
The
Kehlstein mountain (), with its ''
Kehlsteinhaus'' (Eagle's Nest) is located in the area.
Etymology
''Berchtesgaden'', Upper Bavaria (Achental), earlier ''Perchterscadmen'', ''Perhtersgadem'', ''Berchirchsgadem'', ''Berchtoldesgadem''; the word underwent a Latin distortion of
Old High German
Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old Hig ...
''parach'', Romance ''bareca'' 'hay shed'. After the basic meaning was forgotten, a variant word of Old High German ''gadem'' 'room, one-room hut' was added, implying the same meaning: 'hay shed'. Cf. Old High German ''muosgadem'' 'spice room'.
There was a
folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
that supported a derivation based on the legendary figure of ''Frau''
Perchta
or (English: Bertha), also commonly known as and other variations, was once known as a goddess in Alpine paganism in the Upper German and Austrian regions of the Alps. Her name may mean "the bright one" ( goh, beraht, bereht, from Proto-Germ ...
(Berchta), a woman (''Holle'' < ''Holda'' 'well disposed, dear') with good and bad changing features, who was venerated on ''Perchtertag'' (
Shrovetide) and was sworn to during the Perchta procession.
History
The first ever historical note dates back to 1102 and mentions the area because of its rich
salt deposits. Much of Berchtesgaden's wealth has been derived from its
salt mines, the first of which started operations in 1517. The town served as independent ''
Fürstpropstei'' until the ''
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss'' in 1803. During the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
, Berchtesgaden changed hands a few times, such as in 1805 under the
Treaty of Pressburg, when the area was ceded to Austria.
Berchtesgaden came under
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
n rule in 1810 and became instantly popular with the Bavarian royal family, the
House of Wittelsbach, who often visited
Königssee and maintained a royal hunting residence in the former
Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...
monastery (still used today by
Franz, Duke of Bavaria). Nascent tourism started to evolve and a number of artists came to the area, which reportedly gave rise to ''Malereck'' ("painters' corner") on the shore of the Königssee in nearby
Schönau am Königssee. The most famous author who lived in Berchtesgaden was
Ludwig Ganghofer.
Nazi era
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
had been vacationing in the Berchtesgaden area since the 1920s. He purchased a home in the
Obersalzberg above the town on the flank of the
Hoher Goll and began extensive renovations on his ''
Berghof'' in the following years. As other top Third Reich figures, such as
Hermann Göring,
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...
,
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery. He gained immense power by using his position as Adolf Hitler's private secretary to control the flow of information ...
,
Heinrich Himmler, and
Albert Speer
Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as the Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of World War II. A close ally of Adolf Hitler, h ...
, began to frequent the area the Party began to purchase and requisition land in the Obersalzberg.
In order to serve as an outpost of the German ''
Reichskanzlei'' (Imperial Chancellery), Berchtesgaden and its environs (''Stanggass'') saw substantial expansion of offices, security, and support services, mainly on the Obersalzberg. Included in the town were a
new railway station, with a reception area for Hitler and his guests, and an adjacent post office. The Berchtesgadener Hof Hotel, where famous visitors such as
Neville Chamberlain and
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for lea ...
stayed, was substantially upgraded.
Even though a feared
Alpine Fortress last stand of the Nazi Regime in the Alps failed to materialize late in World War II, the Allies launched a devastating air raid on the Berchtesgaden area in the spring of 1945. The 25 April
bombing of Obersalzberg
The bombing of Obersalzberg was an air raid carried out by the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command on 25 April 1945 during the last days of World War II in Europe. The operation targeted Obersalzberg, a complex of residences and bunkers in Bavar ...
did little damage to the town. On 4 May, forward elements of the
7th Infantry Regiment of the
3rd Infantry Division arrived
[World War II: Race to Seize Berchtesgaden]
HistoryNet 12 June 2006 and received the town's surrender.
Post–World War II
After the war, Berchtesgaden became a military zone and most of its buildings were requisitioned by the
U.S. Army. Hotel Platterhof was rebuilt and renamed the
General Walker Hotel in 1952. It served as an integral part of the
U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Centers for the duration of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and beyond.
The remnants of homes of former Nazi leaders were all demolished in the early postwar years, though traces of some remained. In 1995, fifty years after the end of World War II and five years after
German reunification, the AFRC Berchtesgaden was turned over to Bavarian authorities to facilitate military spending reductions mandated within the
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
program by the US
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
and
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be sim ...
during the administration of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
.
[ The General Walker Hotel was demolished in 2000–2001.
In 1986, Berchtesgaden was a first-round candidate city to host the XVI Olympic Winter Games to be held in 1992. The vote eventually went to Albertville, ]France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, in October of that year.
Berchtesgaden today
The Hotel Türken, which was near the Nazi buildings and was often used by the SS and then by the ''Generalmajor'' of the Police, was badly damaged in 1945. It was rebuilt in 1950 and reopened as a hotel before Christmas. Visitors can still explore the historic underground hallways and tunnels that had been used by the Nazis.
In 1972, local government reform united the then independent municipalities of Salzberg, Maria Gern and Au (consisting of Oberau and Unterau) under the administration of the town of Berchtesgaden. Another suggested reform uniting all remaining five municipalities in the Berchtesgaden valley (Bischofswiesen, Ramsau, Marktschellenberg and Schönau) failed to gain enough popular support; it passed in Berchtesgaden but failed everywhere else.
The Berchtesgaden National Park was established in 1978 and has gradually become one of Berchtesgaden's largest draws. Mass tourism is confined to a few popular spots, leaving the rest to nature-seekers. Other tourist draws are the Königssee, the salt mine, the '' Kehlsteinhaus'', open seasonally as a restaurant, and the Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg museum about the area's history, operated by the Munich Institut für Zeitgeschichte since 1999.
Recreational and competitive sports have grown in importance. The town's ski slope is popular. The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track
The Königssee bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track is a venue in Germany for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton, located in Schönau am Königssee, Bavaria, near Königssee (German for "King's Lake") and the border with Austria. Completed in 1968, i ...
has hosted ski-running and a number of international events and competitions. Berchtesgaden's most famous sports personality is Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl (often named: Hackl Schorsch, ; born 9 September 1966) is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as ''Hackl-Schorsch'' or as the ''Speeding Weißwurst'' a reference to what he ...
, a multiple Olympic medal winner. The city is home to the International Luge Federation (FIL).
Unlike the northern part of Berchtesgadener Land and the Salzburg area, Berchtesgaden has virtually no manufacturing industry.
Berchtesgaden Central Station is connected by the Salzburg–Berchtesgaden railway to the Rosenheim–Salzburg railway at Freilassing.
The Bavarian state government facilitated the erection of a hotel, which opened in 2005 and is operated by the InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, is a British multinational hospitality company headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the ...
. Since May 2015, the hotel has been the Kempinski Berchtesgaden.
Geography
Berchtesgaden's neighbouring towns are Bischofswiesen, Marktschellenberg, Ramsau, and Schönau am Königssee.
The municipality counts the following villages which are (''Ortsteil''): Am Etzerschlößl, Anzenbach, Hintergern, Metzenleiten, Mitterbach, Oberau, Obergern, Obersalzberg, Resten, Unterau, Untersalzberg I, Untersalzberg II, and Vordergern.
Image:Berchtesgaden1.jpg, The Watzmann from Berchtesgaden
Image:Berchtesgaden towards the Königssee.jpg, View of Berchtesgaden towards the Königssee
Notable people
* Wolfgang Bartels
Wolfgang Bartels (14 July 1940 – 6 February 2007) was a German alpine skier who competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1964 Winter Olympics.
He was born in Bischofswiesen and died in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden
Ramsau is a German munic ...
, (1940–2007), Olympic alpine skier bronze medalist
* Karl Bartos, (born 1952), electronic musician, former electronic percussionist in the band Kraftwerk
* Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
, (1856–1939), psychoanalyst, owned a house for family holidays in Schönau near Obersalzberg. His villa was taken over during the Second World War by Heinrich Himmler.
* Franz Graßl
Franz Graßl (born 7 March 1965) is a German ski mountaineer.
Graßl was born in Berchtesgaden. He is member of the Berchtesgaden branch of the German Alpine Club (DAV) and the Bergwacht. He was member of the German ski-mountaineering team unt ...
, (born 1965), ski mountaineer
* Judith Graßl
Judith Graßl (born 6 April 1968) is a German ski mountaineer.
Graßl was born in Berchtesgaden. She is married to the ski mountaineer Franz Graßl with two children. They live in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden.
Selected results
* 2003:
** 4th, ...
, (born 1968), ski mountaineer
* Georg Hackl
Georg Hackl (often named: Hackl Schorsch, ; born 9 September 1966) is a German former luger who was three time Olympic and World Champion. He is known affectionately as ''Hackl-Schorsch'' or as the ''Speeding Weißwurst'' a reference to what he ...
, (born 1966), first Winter Olympics competitor to win five consecutive medals with consecutively two silver and three gold medals in the men's single luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for ...
event
* Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
, (1889–1945), leader of the Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
and German dictator 1933–1945; owned the Eagle's Nest mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden
* Kathrin Hölzl, alpine ski racer and gold medalist in the giant slalom at the 2009 World Championships
* Princess Irmingard of Bavaria, Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
resister and survivor of Oranienburg-Sachsenhausen, Flossenbürg and Dachau
Dachau () was the first concentration camp built by Nazi Germany, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents which consisted of: communists, social democrats, and other dissidents. It is lo ...
concentration camps
*Katrya Hrynevycheva
Katrya Hrynevycheva (Ukrainian:Катря Гриневичева) (November 19, 1875 – December 25, 1947) was a Ukrainian writer and community leader.
Biography
Katrya Hrynevycheva was born in Vynnyky, Ukraine in 1875. Hrynevycheva was a teache ...
, Ukrainian writer and community leader.
* Jutta Kleinschmidt
Jutta Kleinschmidt (born 29 August 1962) is a German competitor of offroad automotive racing events. She is known for her numerous showings in the Paris Dakar Rally, and notably for having won the event in 2001, becoming the only woman driver to ...
, (born 1962), German offroad automotive racing competitor
* Toni Kurz
Toni Kurz (13 January 1913 – 22 July 1936) was a German mountain climber active in the 1930s. He died in 1936 during an attempt to climb the then-unclimbed north face of the Eiger with his partner Andreas Hinterstoisser.
Biography
Toni Kurz ...
, (1913–1936), German 20th century mountaineer
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
* Patric Leitner, five-time winner of luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for ...
World Cup and four-time World Championship titles (in men's doubles with Alexander Resch)
* Felix Loch, four-time luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for ...
gold medalist (two in singles and two in mixed team) FIL World Luge Championships
* Manuel Machata
Manuel Machata (born 18 April 1984) is a German former bobsledder who competed from 2005 to 2015.
Manuel Machata grew up in Ramsau near Berchtesgaden, Germany. He attended the CJD Christophorus high school in Berchtesgaden. After completing high ...
(born 1984), German former bobsledder
* Peter Öttl, Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
motorcycle road racer
* Hans Plenk
Hans Plenk (born 21 February 1938) was a West German luger who competed during the 1960s.
He was born in Berchtesgaden.
He won the bronze medal in the men's singles event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.
Plenk won five medals at the ...
, Olympic bronze-medalist in the men's single luge
A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for ...
event
* Romy Schneider, (1938–1982), German-French film actress
*Kaspar Stanggassinger
Kaspar Stanggassinger (12 January 1871 - 26 September 1899) was a German Roman Catholic priest and a professed member of the Redemptorists. His inclination to the priesthood manifested from his childhood and he soon became a seminarian before d ...
, (1871-1899), Redemptorist priest, declared Blessed in 1988
* Silvia Treimer
Silvia Treimer (born 29 March 1970) is a German ski mountaineer.
Treimer was born in Berchtesgaden and lives in Rosenheim. She is married to the mountain guide Christian Treimer with one daughter named Anna, and works as judicial officer in Rose ...
, ski mountaineer
* Hermann von Barth
Hermann von Barth (5 June 1845 – 7 December 1876) was a famous German mountaineer.
Life and career
Hermann von Barth was born on 5 June 1845 at Eurasburg Castle. He initially studied law in Munich, where he was affiliated to the Corps Franc ...
, (1845–1876), German 19th century mountaineer
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
* John Allan Wyeth
John Allan Wyeth (May 26, 1845 – May 22, 1922) was an American Confederate veteran and surgeon. Born and raised on a Southern plantation in Alabama, he served in the Confederate States Army and completed his medical studies in New York City a ...
(1894–1981), American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
war poet and Post-Impressionist painter, was a regular visitor to Berchtesgaden, where he would indulge in his passion for landscape painting, during the 1930s.
Toy symphonies
in the 1760s a number of anonymous toy symphonies (including the famous Toy Symphony often attributed to Haydn or Leopold Mozart) were composed at Berchtesgaden, then a manufacturing centre for toy instruments. Some of the instruments used for these can be seen in the Museum Carolino Augusteum in Salzburg.[Davies, Hugh. 'Toy Instruments', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)]
References
External links
*
Regional tourism portal
Regional website for visitors and tourists
Berchtesgaden National Park
pictures and information
PhotoGlobe – Berchtesgadener Land
offers high quality photos of the area around Berchtesgaden together with GPS coordinates.
AFRC Timeline
(historical and modern comparison photos)
Pictures from Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden military intelligence records, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania
{{Authority control
Berchtesgadener Land
Ski areas and resorts in Germany