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It is located in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, close to the border with Austria, 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km south-east of Munich. It is situated north of the Berchtesgaden National Park .
| Coat of Arms | Map |
|---|---|
| Data | |
| State: | Bavaria |
| Region: | Oberbayern |
| District: | Berchtesgadener Land |
| Area: | 34,78 km² |
| Population: | 7.672 (30.06.2002) |
| Population per km²: | 221 people/km² |
| Altitude: | 520m to 1100m above sea-level |
| Postal code: | 83471 |
| Telephone prefix number: | +49 8652 |
| Geographic location: | 41° 37' n. Br. 13° 0' ö. L. |
| number plate: | BGL
|
| Address of townhall: | Rathausplatz 1 83471 Berchtesgaden |
| Website: | www.berchtesgaden.de |
| Politics | |
| MayorA mayor ( Latin major "better") is the chief executive official of a city, town, or village. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs as to the powers and responsibilities of a mayor, as well as the means of becoming mayor. The French: | Rudolf Schaupp ( FWG ) |
Nearby to the south is the second highest in Germany, Mount WatzmannMountains of Germany The Watzmann is the second highest mountain in Germany ( Zugspitze is the highest at 2,962m). The two main peaks are Mittelspitze (2,713m) and Suedspitze (2,712m). The best climbing period is June through October. The easiest route is (2713 m) and a lake called the Königssee (5.2 km²).
Also there is the Kehlstein mountain (1835 m), at the top of which is the KehlsteinhausThe Kehlsteinhaus was one of Adolf Hitler's homes in the German Alps near Berchtesgaden. The so-called Eagle's Nest was built as a 50th birthday present to Hitler from the Nazi Party. The building was commissioned by Martin Bormann, with construction proc (sometimes called "The Eagle's Nest"), offering remarkable views.
The area was historically noted for its salt mines, close by is the Obersalzberg (literally upper salt mountain).
The site was appropriated by the Nazis for senior leaders to enjoy in the 1930s, one of Hitler's residences, the BerghofThe Berghof was Adolf Hitler's home in Obersalzberg, in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden. It was located lower down the same mountain as the Eagle's Nest, which Hitler rarely visited due to his fear of heights. The Berghof was connected to the Platter was there (demolished in 1953, ruins removed in 1996).
A number of other relics of the Nazi era are in the area, the Kehlsteinhaus was build as a present for Hitler's 50th birthday and was only fortunately saved from being demolished post-war, the GestapoGestapo is a portmanteau contraction of the name of the official secret police force of Nazi Germany, Geheime Staatspolizei ( German for "secret state police"). History The Gestapo was established on April 26, 1933 in Prussia. With members recruited from HQ at Hotel Zum Türken, the remains of houses belonging to Hermann Göring, Albert Speer, and Martin Bormann, a massive railway station, the Hotel Platterhof (renamed the General Walker Hotel, 1953 and demolished, 1999) and a number of bunkers and similar fortifications. Post-war the Nazi buildings were acquired by the US military and during the Cold War the area was a Armed Forces Recreation Center.
Today there is a documentation centre on the Obersalzberg which not only shows the Obersalzberg in the 1930s and 40s, but also the crimes of the Nazi-regime.