Walker Hotel

[Annelie]

Understand that the Hotel was renamed after General Walker. Don't actually know why.

While watching an documentary on assassination of JFK there was an connection with an General Edwin Walker and somehow I wondered (have done an net search) if these are two and the same General? Checked Geoff's Third Reich In Ruins but if didn't give me what I was looking for. Just an curious unusual co incidence.

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Hello Annelie. If you mean the former Obersalzberg "Pension Moritz" then it was named after General Walton Walker. Here's a link, although Wikipedia it might give you the answer or at least some more on who/what to look for. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Walker_Hotel
And a merry xmas to you
w

[Annelie]

Thankyou.

You are correct. I missed this.
It all makes sense now.

Merry Christmas

[British Sapper]

The General Walker had a very ornate reception area and quaint, antiquated telephone system when I was there in the mid-1970's. To make a call to the UK, you had to book one through the reception. When your call was ready they used to 'page' you, and you then went into a phone booth to make your call.

Some of the American attempts at British pronunciation of towns/cities was quite comical.

[Geoff Walden]

That's exactly how we had to make phone calls to the States at the US Army post where I was stationed in 1979. We had a small room run by the Bundespost (who ran the phone system back then) and you went to the German guy behind the counter and gave him the Stateside number and a deposit of so many Deutsch Marks, then a few minutes later he would direct you into one of three tiny booths where you would be connected. After your call, you paid him the final bill (which was very expensive back then).

Here are some period postcard views of that wonderful hotel reception area and columned entry hallway in the Platterhof (my father brought these postcards back home in 1946).

[British Sapper]

Geoff we used to roll up occasionally in the back of an army truck(s) at the General Walker after having several beers at the Berchtesgadner Hof . Mainly for a change of scenery, or sometimes due to an invitation for a function given by the US Forces. A similar type of older German architecture at the Walker & Hof.. We used the 'Hof' as our 'centre of operations' so to speak as we were based at Strub kaserne in the US section, as we were always made very welcome there by the staff and guests when not on duty. Oh and the resident group/musicians at the Hof were all from Wales at the time. Shameful what they have done to first the Hof , and later the General Walker. I am glad I saw them both when in their pomp.

[Br. James]

Wonderful views of the General Walker Hotel lobby! When I visited the Obersalzberg in May of 1999 the hotel was still standing, though closed up and apparently abandoned.. .I walked freely all around the buildings, looking into as many windows as i could reach, but without any light on inside, I really couldn't see much of anything. I certainly never saw the lobby from outside.

Not a soul was around the whole area, other than the old lady who managed the Zum Türken and sold tickets to go down into the tunnel system, which of course I did!

Thanks so much for this, Geoff -- which brought back many memories for me! Cheers, my friend,

Br. James