Berghof Obersalzberg

[Reichssammler]

Two private photographs from the Berghof.

[Alex20]

Location of the telephone exchange in the Berghof.
Please excuse me if I get things wrong posting a reply but I am new to the forum.
I have been reading with interest questions about the location of the telephone exchange in the Berghof and remembered that Florian Beierl mentioned it in his book In Hitler’s Mountain. On page 72 of the English translation there is a picture with the caption:

“In 1941 the east wing was extended. In the basement, below the bay window, a dedicated telephone switchboard was installed. A faithful copy of this facility was also set up in the Berghof bunker”.

Brilliant forum by the way. So much knowledge.

Alex

[Geoff Walden]

Also, I noticed something in the film captions as I watched the Berghof tunnel film (M1655) this time. Timestamp 10:23:50 is said to show a tunnel that was planned for Hitler's escape, all the way underground to the Bahnhof, complete with wooden slide like in the salt mine! I don't recall reading such anywhere else ... I will have to go back and look through Florian Beierl's "Hitlers Berg" (presumably, the captions for these OSB films came from Florian Beierl - he is among the group seen exploring - probably he was leading). I do remember some Allied soldier in 1945 said something about a tunnel all the way from the OSB to the Bahnhof, but he talked like it was in existence and he saw it. I'll have to go back and find the source of that ... I think maybe we did discuss it in this thread somewhere.
Geoff

I found part of this mystery ... The 1945 story comes from a 1983 reminiscence by a soldier named Howard Vogel - https://www.theberghof.net/index.htm. We discussed this webpage on page 120 of this very thread. There are a LOT of problems with this page and with the Vogel narrative. But he says he actually saw a tunnel going from the Bahnhof up toward the Obersalzberg. But I still can't believe that's what he saw ...

[Mannheim]

Am I missing something here? The plan for Hitler's escape was to run into the tunnel, get on a wooden slide, slide down the tunnel and then get a train? I reckon Howard might have been in the wine cellar ...

[British Sapper]

It's a fairly long way from the OSB down to the Bahnhof. A tunnel/slide, for Hitler to catch a train ? I'll have a drink of what they have been on.

[avid21]

christian, that was just amazing footage- thank you for sharing. i believe that these tunnels are no longer accessible. wonder why acceptance of history with neutrality is so difficult. concealing or destroying will hardly change anything for the people who want see beyond.

[tunix0]

I have been reading with interest questions about the location of the telephone exchange in the Berghof and remembered that Florian Beierl mentioned it in his book In Hitler’s Mountain. On page 72 of the English translation there is a picture with the caption:

“In 1941 the east wing was extended. In the basement, below the bay window, a dedicated telephone switchboard was installed. A faithful copy of this facility was also set up in the Berghof bunker”.

Brilliant forum by the way. So much knowledge.

Alex

Alex!

I overflowed the book of Rochus and unfortunately he does not speak of a telephone exchange as he talks about his service rooms and the adjutancy. But I will keep looking after it. Maybe the telephone exchange was rebuilt into the east wing when it was expanded.

BTW, has anyone ever heard any sound on any of these AKH films? They play for me totally silent. It would be great to hear the conversations as the tunnel explorers walk along!

Thanks for the picture Geoff! I also thought that my sound would not work. But the videos really seem to be online without sound.

Also, I noticed something in the film captions as I watched the Berghof tunnel film (M1655) this time. Timestamp 10:23:50 is said to show a tunnel that was planned for Hitler's escape, all the way underground to the Bahnhof, complete with wooden slide like in the salt mine! I don't recall reading such anywhere else ... I will have to go back and look through Florian Beierl's "Hitlers Berg" (presumably, the captions for these OSB films came from Florian Beierl - he is among the group seen exploring - probably he was leading). I do remember some Allied soldier in 1945 said something about a tunnel all the way from the OSB to the Bahnhof, but he talked like it was in existence and he saw it. I'll have to go back and find the source of that ... I think maybe we did discuss it in this thread somewhere.
Geoff

I have never heard of it and I would sort it out as a false memory. Maybe get attention too. Such a tunnel would hardly make sense and would be very difficult to realize. Maybe he misinterpreted the tunnels an the Obersalzberg too. And as it says on the website, it was an inmate of a slave camp who told him about it. Surely these slaves had to build the tunnels, but did they understand the connections of everything?

[Alex20]

Cheers tunix0,

Further to the discussion about the Berghof switchboard I found this entry ..

In Living with Hitler Herman Dohring says:

“ ... After the second renovation of the Berghof in spring 1938, the housekeeping wing alone measured some ninety metres. The ground floor was taken up by a new switchboard, a dining room for the Begleitkommando, a further dining room and common room for the staff, a scullery, toilets and an office.”

[Geoff Walden]

Great finds, Alex, and welcome to AHF! It is obvious that there were several telephone switchboards on the OSB. I don't know if they were all in operation at once. For example, at one time the Türken switchboard was in a small room off the main entry hallway (according to Frau Ingrid Scharfenberg), but other sources say the switchboard was in the side building that is now the garage ... perhaps the one in the main building was later moved to the side wing.

christian, that was just amazing footage- thank you for sharing. i believe that these tunnels are no longer accessible. wonder why acceptance of history with neutrality is so difficult. concealing or destroying will hardly change anything for the people who want see beyond.

They are accessible, just not accessible by the general public. I agree with your assessment 100%. I understand that certain parts of these tunnels are unfinished and therefore could be dangerous, but these parts are only a small portion of the rest that could be opened to the public. The finished parts could be cleaned up and opened, with the unfinished parts blocked off by gates or other see-through barriers, just like in the Platterhof/Gästaehaus tunnel system at the Dokumentation. Particularly, Bauteil A and B of the Berghof tunnel, and the Vorderbrand tunnel, could be opened to the public. So could Bormann's and Göring's tunnels, for that matter. But seemingly "history with neutrality" is not possible there. (I love that wording - "history with neutrality"!)

[British Sapper]

IIRC there was an old switchboard still in use at the General Walker in the mid 1970's. I recall we had to book a phonecall at reception to ring the UK. When the call was ready, they paged you, they had these rather quaint old telephone booths to use.

[Alvin Y.]

Hi all,

Regarding the topic Bunker - Train to the Berghof or vice versa - I'm currently researching in the book by Florian M. Beierl:
'Hitler's mountain. Light into the darkness of history '.
A very short summary of what I have found so far. Mr. Beierl describes in his book from page 168, especially from page 182, a tunnel which was created below the Gutshof. This tunnel and the Obertaltunnel ran exactly towards each other. And the Gutshoftunnel headed directly for the shaft of the Berghoftunnel. With the help of a special computer software, the experts were able to get an accurate picture of the planned plants. They extended the not quite finished bends of the tunnelsystems in the same radius and the result was fascinating. Overall, a huge bunker complex, which should realize roads from the direction of Berchtesgaden and from the direction of Salzburg, was in planning. The staff of Hitler should therefore also come underground and from both sides (Berchtesgaden and Salzburg) on the 'mountain' or rather in the Fiihrerheadquarters. On the way to a large centralbunker on Obersalzberg Hitler should have gotten off, and should be transported by elevator directly to the Berghof. In the heart of the tunnel systems should be space for vehicles, weapons, documents, Hitler's art, of course food & drinks and many other things.

A train that should start from the station was obviously not planned. But the described roads, which should lead deep into the mountain, are another example of the fabulous plans of the bunker facilities in the Obersalzberg.

More information and great photos can be found on the website of Geoff:
http://www.thirdreichruins.com/bunkers. ... talstollen
Thank you for your efforts Geoff.

These topics are incredibly interesting and I highly recommend the book by Mr. Beierl and the website of Geoff. Unfortunately I could only find a version of Florian Beierl book with German language. Whether this book is also available in English, I cannot say.
-
Also a contribution to the topic 'Berghof' I would like to post. Maybe this YouTube link has already been shared but I think for some members the movie could be new.

Here is the link with English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqBiu45onyY

Regards, Alvin

[tunix0]

Overall, a huge bunker complex, which should realize roads from the direction of Berchtesgaden and from the direction of Salzburg, was in planning. The staff of Hitler should therefore also come underground and from both sides (Berchtesgaden and Salzburg) on the 'mountain' or rather in the Fiihrerheadquarters. On the way to a large centralbunker on Obersalzberg Hitler should have gotten off, and should be transported by elevator directly to the Berghof. In the heart of the tunnel systems should be space for vehicles, weapons, documents, Hitler's art, of course food & drinks and many other things.

Yes that's right, they had many plans. That's fascinating, what was realized at that time, not only in Berchtesgaden. However, we must never forget that it was associated with a lot of forced labor.

What was built in Germany or even Europe in the few NS years, is really incredible. And it is really sad that so much of it is kept secret or even removed.

But seemingly "history with neutrality" is not possible there. (I love that wording - "history with neutrality"!)

That's the point. Unfortunately, our generations are not ready yet. Henk also said that we might have to wait another 100 years to expose the Berghof site. Future generations may then again marvel at the remnants of the Berghof, which are still buried under the rubble. Just as it is done with Roman camps or similar today.

But as long as NS paints are applied and candles are placed, the time is not ripe for it. Our task should be to protect the existing one and preserve it for future generations. How Henk does it with his work on the grounds or Geoff with his website. Or as we all here in the forum.

[tunix0]

I have just found the following sale:

https://www.weitze.net/militaria/31/Waf ... 38431.html

A photo album of a member of the 3rd SS Flakabteilung B on the Obersalzberg. There are many photos of the different flak positions. And the postcards of the Berghof rooms are labeled, which kind of room it is.

Unfortunately very expensive.

[Geoff Walden]

These topics are incredibly interesting and I highly recommend the book by Mr. Beierl and the website of Geoff. Unfortunately I could only find a version of Florian Beierl book with German language. Whether this book is also available in English, I cannot say.
-
Also a contribution to the topic 'Berghof' I would like to post. Maybe this YouTube link has already been shared but I think for some members the movie could be new.
Here is the link with English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqBiu45onyY
Regards, Alvin

Thanks, Alvin, that's a very interesting interview!

Here is Florian Beierl's book in English:
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Hitlers-M ... 186&sr=8-1

[Br. James]

Thank you so much, Geoff, for providing the link to the testimony of young Elisabeth Kalhammer, a serving girl at the Berghof from 1943 to 1945. Such personal testimony provides realistic insight to perhaps understand what it was like to actually be there...

Here is another 'witness' that needs to be heard/read by a wider audience: Julius Schaub. Schaub wrote his account/autobiography of his life from 1925 to 1945 in his book titled "In Hitlers Schatten" -- "In Hitler's Shadow" -- in the early 1960s and it has been reprinted a number of times since then, though always in German. IMHO an edition of this book in English translation would be most valuable toward understanding life within the Inner Circle which surrounded Hitler.

Br. James