Hitler's Bavarian Roots: A Historical Perspective

Adolf Hitler's connection with Bavaria dates back to the early days of his political career. In 1923, Hitler visited his friend and mentor Dietrich Eckart, who lived at the Platterhof Hotel in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. Hitler travelled under the name Herr Wolf and held meetings with supporters in local guesthouses. This visit marked the beginning of Hitler's interest in the region. After his release from Landsberg Prison in 1926, following an unsuccessful coup in Munich, he returned to Obersalzberg and stayed in a small cabin near Platterhof. It was during this time that he completed writing Mein Kampf.

Hitler's association with Bavaria strengthened in the following years. In 1928, he rented Haus Wachenfeld, a vacation home in Obersalzberg, and in 1933, after becoming Chancellor of Germany, he purchased the house with proceeds from sales of Mein Kampf. Hitler lived in Haus Wachenfeld for a couple of years before initiating a major expansion of the building, transforming it into a sprawling landhaus. The renovated residence was renamed the Berghof, and Hitler spent more time there than in his Berlin office. It became one of the most important centres of government in the Third Reich, where he planned invasions of Poland, France, and Russia.

Hitler's time in Bavaria also included his involvement in the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed coup attempt in Munich, Bavaria, in 1923. This event brought Hitler into the national spotlight for the first time, despite its failure.

Hitler's holiday home in Bavaria

Hitler then began renovating and expanding the building. The renovations included window shutters, a small office, a winter garden, stonework, and a giant window that could be lowered to provide a panoramic view. The house was renamed The Berghof (English: "Mountain Court") in 1935 and featured a large terrace with colourful canvas umbrellas, a dining room panelled with cembra pine, and a library containing books on history, painting, architecture, and music. Hitler's study had a telephone switchboard room, and the house was maintained by several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and other domestic workers.

The Berghof became a centrepiece of Nazi propaganda, with the German and international press portraying Hitler's life at home in a positive light, softening his image by depicting him as a man of culture, a dog lover, and a good neighbour. The area became a popular tourist attraction, with visitors gathering at the end of the driveway or on nearby paths hoping to catch a glimpse of Hitler. This led to the introduction of severe restrictions on access to the area and other security measures, including the presence of SS troops.

Hitler spent a lot of time at the Berghof, planning invasions of Poland, France, and Russia. He also received important guests at the residence, including political figures, monarchs, heads of state, and diplomats. The social scene at the Berghof included Eva Braun, Heinrich Hoffmann, and the wives and children of other Nazi leaders. Hitler left the Berghof for the last time on July 14, 1944, heading to his military headquarters in East Prussia.

The Berghof was damaged by British bombs in April 1945 and set on fire by retreating SS troops in May 1945, just days after Hitler's suicide in Berlin. The house was then looted by Allied troops. In 1952, the Bavarian government demolished the remaining shell of the building to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine.

Hitler's failed coup in Bavaria

Adolf Hitler's connection with Bavaria is multifaceted. Bavaria is a state in Germany, and Hitler, who was born in Austria, served in the Bavarian Army after World War I. Hitler was also a member of the tiny Deutsche Arbeiterpartei ("German Workers' Party"), which was based in Munich, Bavaria. Later, as the leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler led a failed coup attempt in Bavaria, known as the Beer Hall Putsch or the Munich Putsch, in 1923.

On November 8, 1923, Hitler and his associates planned to crash a meeting of Bavarian leaders, including Minister President Gustav Ritter von Kahr, Armed Forces General Otto von Lossow, and State Police Chief Hans Ritter von Seisser. This "triumvirate" of Bavarian leaders had been publicly advocating for a nationalist march on Berlin but were secretly calculating that others would do the dirty work of overthrowing the Weimar Republic. Hitler and his fellow conspirators, including Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, planned to interrupt the meeting, announce the deposition of the Bavarian and federal governments, and force the triumvirate to legitimize their movement.

Hitler's personal bodyguard detachment, the Stoßtrupp Adolf Hitler, arrived at the Bürgerbräu Keller beer hall in Munich, joining the Storm Trooper units that were preparing to surround the building. Hitler slipped inside and, firing his pistol into the ceiling, interrupted Kahr's rally. He declared that the "national revolution" had begun and, surrounded by armed guards, pushed his way to the front to address the crowd. He then ordered the triumvirate into an adjoining room, where he bullied them at gunpoint into backing his putsch.

Believing he had secured their support, Hitler and the three Bavarian leaders returned to the main hall and addressed the crowd, declaring their solidarity with Hitler's movement and announcing the new government's key appointments. However, the conspirators made a series of crucial mistakes. They failed to seize all key state offices and communications centers, and they relied on the triumvirate to bring in the military and police to support the putsch. While the rebels temporarily took over some offices, including the municipal headquarters of the Reichswehr and Munich police headquarters, they did not have the full support of the triumvirate, who escaped custody and denounced the overthrow.

In the face of this betrayal, Hitler hesitated for several hours before deciding to proceed with the march on Berlin. This indecision gave the Bavarian authorities time to organize and defend Munich. On the morning of November 9, Hitler led around 2,000 Nazis and other Kampfbund members in a march to the Feldherrnhalle on the Ludwigstrasse. However, they were met by law enforcement at the Odeonsplatz, and a shootout ensued, leaving 14 Nazis and four police officers dead. This put a final end to the coup attempt in the city.

Hitler and the other putsch leaders were arrested and charged with high treason. In March 1924, they stood trial before a five-judge panel chaired by Georg Neithardt. Neithardt tended to show leniency towards right-wing defendants who claimed patriotic motives, and Hitler's sentence reflected this bias. Despite the seriousness of the crime, Hitler was given the lightest possible sentence: five years in a minimum-security prison with the possibility of parole. He served just over eight months before being released in December 1924.

Hitler's Bavarian neighbours

Hitler's neighbours in Obersalzberg were subjected to the Nazi regime's oppressive rule, which aimed to control every aspect of their lives and reshape their centuries-old Catholic traditions to align with Nazi ideology. The fascist regime's impact extended beyond those who were Jewish, Roma, disabled, or other targeted outsider groups.

To make way for Hitler's residence and the surrounding Nazi leadership compound, many of his neighbours were compelled to sell their properties and leave the area. The construction of the Berghof and the adjacent Nazi leadership compound resulted in significant disruption to the lives of the local residents. The area became a highly restricted security zone, with a large contingent of the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler housed in barracks adjacent to the Berghof. The presence of these troops, along with other security measures, severely limited access to the area.

The lives of Hitler's Bavarian neighbours were also influenced by the propaganda machine that sought to portray him in a positive light. The Nazi-controlled German press and international media outlets contributed to this effort, presenting Hitler as a man of culture, a dog lover, and a good neighbour.

The residents of Obersalzberg experienced the impact of the Nazi regime's policies and witnessed the transformation of their community into a centre of Nazi power. The area became a hub for high-ranking Nazi officials, who acquired residences nearby, further isolating Hitler's neighbours from their previous way of life.

The full extent of the impact on Hitler's Bavarian neighbours can be understood through personal accounts, diaries, letters, and other archival records that provide intimate details of life under Nazi rule in this once-quiet region of Bavaria.

Hitler's Bavarian supporters

Hitler's connection with Bavaria is multifaceted. Not only did he have a holiday home in the Bavarian Alps, but the region was also a significant centre of government during his rule.

The Nazi regime had a significant impact on the lives of Bavarian villagers, with many experiencing economic recovery and an influx of new ideas and outlooks. However, the fascist regime also aimed to control every aspect of their lives and reshape their centuries-old Catholic traditions. While some Bavarian villagers remained loyal to Hitler, others were critical of the regime and risked "protective custody" in political prisoner camps.

Hitler's Bavarian opponents

The Bavarian police also opposed Hitler during the Beer Hall Putsch. A commemorative plaque in front of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich contains the names of the four Bavarian policemen who died fighting against the Nazis.

In addition, some Bavarians in the village of Oberstdorf initially opposed Hitler and the Nazi Party. When a postman tried to establish a branch of the Nazi Party in the village's staunchly Catholic community in 1927, it was an "uphill struggle." However, by 1930, it became clear that the people of Oberstdorf had changed their minds about National Socialism when Hitler won a plurality of votes in the September federal election.

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