The last visit on the PLATTERHOF / HOTEL GENERAL WALKER on Obersalzberg before its destruction
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2020
- Last viewing of Adolf Hitlers Platterhof aka Hotel General Walker on Obersalzberg only days before its destruction.
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I stayed in this Hotel in 1987. It was a Massive Barracks Complex that the US Army converted into a Resort, It was truly very Unique. All of Obersalzberg is absolutely Stunning
I'm sorry to say that I think demolishing this stunning piece of 1930's architecture is an act of criminality. Even if you were to knock down every building from that era , it wouldn't, and couldn't, remove the history of that period . Think of the revenue that would have been generated for the local economy, had someone renovated the hotel instead of destroying it .. Madness. (In my opinion).
1878
They are giving us no history here , especially the most modern history that might have informed us of its probable economic woes. It all boils down to $$$, and if a property costs more to maintain than it delivers in revenue , well nuff said. Once a business fails, it's just a matter of time that It will decline beyond the point on no return economically and will inevitably be demolished. Apparently no local preservation group thought it was worth saving and it was lost like so many others have and will be all over the World. Too bad , so sad , but we can't save them all even if we tried hard.
Their excuse is always that it will become a shrine to right wingers.
It's history! and should be preserved!
@@danielguy1963 I absolutely agree Daniel.. People come here to the UK and then complain about our past.. How do they imagine, that the country got to where it is, and attracted them to live and work here.. It was the history of our ancestors achievements that made it what it is. Things move on and past times had different attitudes and values that were accepted and normal , just like some of the ridiculous values of today are accepted ..
@@pda49184 Absolutely Pete.
thank you for doing this film! I stayed there for 2 weeks in 1972. I was an Army kid age 16 staying with friends and their parents. Amazing place!
That's a great video. Thanks for sharing with us. I worked here as a Hausmeister in the mid to late 80's and can honestly say that I knew virtually every square foot of the hotel. My job was varied, I was a handyman that wasn't very handy, I carried laundry and mopped the front, I did some gardening and plumbing and I cleaned those awful carpets that you see in the video. I was also the movie theatre guy (projectionist) and was very adept at splicing broken film which happened pretty much every time I set it up.
I was a very young guy, made many friends who were either waiters / desk clerks / chefs / chambermaids and dishwashers. We were all equal and came from various corners of Germany, the US, UK and Ireland mainly.
We were all pretty young & reckless but we certainly had a blast! Nice trip down memory lane😁
I see what you mean about the carpets...
I stayed there for a week in 1983. It was beautiful and grand and have such great memories. This makes me so sad!
My dad was stationed in Italy ( career military officer)... My parents n the 6 of us kids went on a holiday n stayed at the General Walker hotel.... sadly I was a bit too young to recall much....sorry to know it's gone....
In 1992, I PCS to Rose Barracks Vilseck. As soon as I reported to my unit, I got a four day pass to come here. I was so excited how beautiful the whole place was. I have so many wonderful memories. I left Germany in 1994. It is very sad to find out that this hotel was demolished.
663 Ord in 86...
I was in Karlsruhe 93&4 stayed there twice during my tour. It was gorgeous back then.
Stayed there a few days for free after the Gulf War . Amazing place and quite a history. Shame to see it all gone
To this day I still don't understand why it was torn down... It was an historical hotel that preceeded Hitler's time and the demolishing of this historical building was senseless.... All in favor to rebuild it raise your hand 🖐️
It holds a special place in my memories. So sad the powers at be destroyed this classic.
It's like the demolition of Spandau Prison. That prison complex had existed since the early days of Imperial Germany, yet they decided to get rid of it after Hess' death to prevent "mUh nEo-nAzI sHrInE".
Meanwhile, there's still a memorial dedicated to the fucking Soviet Union in the same city (Berlin). Celebrating your own defeat at the hands of a brutal and merciless enemy makes no sense, even if Germany (like the USSR) was also ruled by a bunch of fanatics.
@@hereandthere6863 200% holds a special place in my memories. Deutschland, 69-70, 83-90. Best childhood EVER!!!
@@stevea4416 I stayed there during the summer of 91 and returned last September. Sad to see such a great building gone. One structure (the last one on this video) remains and is a snack bar.
I was stationed in Berchtesgaden in 1984, we would have lunch here sometimes, was a beautiful place
My classmates and I stayed there during a field trip in 1968. It was beautiful. So so sad the German government destroyed it.
Agreed. And at first, I thought it was demolished in the early 50s. But no. What makes this even more egregious is that it was demolished a little over 2 decades ago.
I was in a three piece band entertaining American soldiers in the Ratskeller room back in 1974. I was there for 3 months. I remember the general manager was Herr Lau and the barman was Bert. We were from Wales and it was there I learned Americans liked loads of ice in their drinks.
...and another historical building gone, I also recently found out they tore down the General Von Steuben hotel I stayed at in 1999 ( military TDY from America), which was built by the 3rd reich engineers in 1942, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The music for this documentary is amazing!
A historical building destroyed for what..? Did it erase his memory..no..what next Templhoff airport cause someone landed there.
Tankerman, our CAS site for Pershing was called Von Steuben to the southeast of Neu Ulm, Wiley Barracks where I was stationed from 76-78.
thank you for that, maybe i will see of the von steuben hotel here on YT
The Gen Patton hotel in GP is being refurbished and will be apartments. Visited the site in 22 and 18.
As a child I stayed there twice in the 70's. I learned to bowl there at the 2 lane bowling alley in the basement (as i remember). I learned shuffleboard there in the lobby. And I learned to ski near there at the place with the rope tow.
I watched this with a very sad & heavy heart. I went to the area in 2005 & ate & drank a few beers in the only part that remains.
Als ich 1987 dort war, standen in der Lobby 50 Scheffel Körbe mit faulen Zwiebeln. Ich und ein paar Freunde beschlossen, eine Zwiebelschlacht zu veranstalten. Mein Gott, was war das für ein Durcheinander. Als es vorbei war, waren überall Zwiebeln klebrig und wir stanken alle nach faulen Zwiebeln. Gute Zeiten!
You don't have to speak German anymore. You have been liberated
@@BonShula Yahoo Yahoo
@@mistervacation23 We have been liberated. Hitler is not your leader schwein schwein
I stayed there several times in the 60s when my father was stationed in Germany. It was a crime to tear it down.
I stayed at this place when I was in the military in the early 80s. It was a beautiful hotel and we had much fun there. I really hate to see that it was torn down.
Rufus, I stayed there in the Fall of '91, shortly after returning from the Gulf War. I was stationed in Amberg at the time. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been.
@@hittpitch1019 I appreciate your reply on this historic place. I had a lot of fun in that building on various retreats etc. I'm sure you appreciated the beauty of Obersaltzberg and the history.
@@1954cgn, absolutely! As I said, one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I've ever had the privilege of traveling to. To this day I remember just how clean and clear the air was up there. It's as if you took the best of the Rockies and the best of the Appalachians and combined them into one. Loved it!
Cheers!
Das ist so traurig. Ich habe dort von 1990 bis 1993 gearbeitet. Es war was besonderes und ich habe viele sehr schöne Erinnerungen. Man könnte weinen, wenn man das so sieht. Es hatte so viele Möglichkeiten gegeben was tolles daraus zu machen, aber nein es musste abgerissen werden, damit in der Nähe ein Luxushotel entstehen kann.😥
Sehe ich genauso. Ich finde es schade das sie immer mehr solche tollen Gebäude abreißen nur weil sie damals eine andere funktion hatten. Ich finde auch das solch ein Luxus protz Hotel wie es heute da steht garnicht hinpasst. Ich fahre gern nach Berchtesgaden/Obersalzberg wegen der Natur. Aber von Jahr zu Jahr wird der Tourismus immer mehr und durch Korona wohl noch mehr wenn man denn wieder reisen darf.
I stayed there for three day's back in 92" I had a blast it was all positive. I was so never back then they had a tour going up to the eagles nest. It was winter, and I said where and who is Hitler, I was gulf War error I was a m1-al tanker ee had a blast what a tragedy!!!!
I stayed there in the mid 1980s. Incredible place big rooms huge leather chairs and great food. Good place to explore from. Sad to see its gone.
What a waste..... I stayed in this beautiful hotel once and it was a true treasure .
Having been stationed here in the early 70s, I attended many late-night AFRC Ski Patroller's parties here. The hotel was also a great place to meet officers' wives who were on a week of skiing while their husbands were off doing what their wives wished they were doing at home. I have a rug donated to me by the hotel from the lobby that I still have today
NICE!!!!
Stayed there for about a week while in the Army. It was in 1982 or 3.
Awesome place!
Torn down to make a parking lot what a shame!
Your video reminds me of Nosferatu.
Thanks for filming before the short sighted demolition.
Who has some of the pieces from this beautiful place? A piece of carpet, a door handle, or even a chandelier? Would love to own a piece of this beautiful architecture.
This was a magnificent hotel as was the Berchtesgadener Hof. We have good memories of stays in both hotels as well as in those in Garmisch that are no more. One evening at the Hof, we asked the maitre de if they had Strudel. He said no, but said he wanted some too, so asked his wife to make some for us the next day. Off the subject perhaps, but one more memory of the wonderful German people who worked there in the 70s and 80s. These magnificent, solidly built hotels, with the old-fashioned heavy metal door keys (to be turned in at the desk when you ventured out), broad stairwells, inlaid floors, and rich, wooden paneling spoke of history, and a history not to be sterilized and relegated to Dokumention Centres. I know and respect that this is a matter for Germany to determine, but I'd like to think that lessons from history transcend the physical environment that bore witness.
I’ve never understood either it’s like the authorities want to erase “certain aspects” of Nazi Germany but keep other aspects !! Like the Autobahns are they going to dig all that up? I suspect not, banning VW Beetles? List can be endless this building should’ve been saved in my opinion
Or the organization Todt? Or the concentration camps? I know it's an exaggeration, but don't put the autobahn as if they belong to the same list. On the other hand they decided to keep the Nuremberg rallies site and are pouring millions to restore it, it can come as confusing to us foreigners (I assume you aren't German either) but that is the case when we don't experience the same wounds.
it only had a bad rap because the nazis took it over ... it was a resort hotel originally
Stunning place when I stayed there in the 1970s and 1980s. Sad to see it in that condition and sad to see it go.
I spent two nights there in 1977 with three friends while skiing on Rosfelt. We were stationed in Neu Ulm at Wiley Barracks. I have just a couple pics of the hotel.
I stayed here in 1979, it was beautiful. I’m soooo sad it was destroyed....
Sad, this is something I will never understand with Germany. The destruction and removal of everything connected to WWII. History is history and should be preserved regardless. Removing it will not make it go away, the opposite could happen and that is we could end up in this situation again because people forgot what WWII was and how it came about. Sadly it seem history could repeat is self in a not to distant future :-(
Not only in Germany!
I agree..madness and pointless!!
It’s a shame. Just gut the whole inside . Make it into a happy place.
Hi, unfortunately the allied countries forced the german gouverment to tear these buildings down as they went away from Obersalzberg.
Why have we destroyed the famous landmarks? The were beautiful and full of historic details. What a pity the next generation will only see pictures. How sad.
An amazing historic building of it's time and in such grandeur to only be demolished, such a pity. A sad event for all to lose such a building.. The past will always be history which you cannot erase, we learn from the past like everything but such buildings should not be destroyed but praised for their architecture, detail and built to last. May people think twice before destroying historic properties.
Nice video. I remember visiting Obersalzberg in 1955 when I was in High School and entering an underground bunker there. I don't know which bunker it was but I do remember that the entrance was in a large concrete pad where a building had once stood. There were concrete steps leading down to a landing where, on the concrete wall facing the steps, were gun ports. Off the landing at a 90 degree angle were more steps leading to a concrete corridor with rooms leading off the corridor. The walls of each room were pock-marked by bullet marks where a soldier had fired a submachine gun into the open door before entering the room. I don't remember how far the corridor ran or if it was blocked. I wish I had taken pictures! Do you know which bunker this might have been? I did take pictures of Adlerhorst, though.
Could had been the SS bunker
Had Lunch there with visiting family in the 80s, sad that all had to be destroyed for a new Parking Lot...
I have so many fond memories of vacations spent there when I was in High School. This just about broke my heart.
So I guess your heart must break every time a Hotel building gets torn down which you may have spent a vacation in 🤪
@@HowlingWo1f yes, Zev, sometimes. It is like seeing a little part of my own past obliterated.
Same here... We stayed there every year for many years growing up. What a shame, it was such a fun place!
Thankyou for posting this ...such a shame to destroy all these well built historic buildings....Dont know what the Germans are thinking ....
Why is it necessary to demolish these beautiful, grand buildings? They look to be VERY well built and still in fairly good condition. A quality refurbishment would be a more prudent expenditure of funds as well as preserving the architectural heritage herein. I didn't notice any elevators, but a few could be installed for modern-day accessibility requirements and this hotel could likely be in use for many years to come.
I stayed in that Hotel in 87 as a young soldier stationed in Germany, lots of good memories there.
A beautiful building and a shame to destroy it.
Stayed at the Hotel General Walker,
(Platterhof), It had alot of History, If only those Walls could of talked?
One Beautiful Place,One Great week of Exploration on the Obersalzberg!
Sept.1982- Berghof's Garage Ruins, still standing! Ruins were huge! But the Kehlsteinhaus(Road,Tunnel, and the Elevator), Beautiful Scenery, and the (German Engineering Marvel)!
Would be interesting to see pictures from the past of the platerhof alongside this film. A then and now kind of comparison. Still an interesting video.
We have tons of other documentaries in german language which we are currently translating. Stay tuned!
@@BEGAFILMHISTORYINMOTION I have post cards from this hotel from the 1940s.
@@ryancampbell1252 Would you maybe send us Photos/Scans of those cards? Stuff like this is always really interesting for future projects.
Greets from Berchtesgaden.
@@BEGAFILMHISTORYINMOTION if you have a contact I can send you the photos I have of Berchtesgaden, and surrounding areas from around 1945.
@@ryancampbell1252 office@begafilm.com thank you very much!
I stayed at the general walker hotel back in 1967 while stationed in Germany
If I was at the Platterhof in person, @ 6:30, I could easily imagine being at the Berghof with those vaulted ceilings and post. The dimensions look identical.
Just another act of cultural vandalism being carried out in that vicinity.
“Cultural Vandalism”? Is that what they also called the act of killing millions of Jews?
Looking forward to your videos, always had an interest in this period and managed to visit this area in October 2018.The area is stunning, i have been to some beautiful places around the world and this is up there with the best.
Spent many a days there while on leave. Best I remember it was like $25.00 per night. Great area to go on vacation, etc.
Nice video thanks
It's as if the stones themselves were guilty.
The scorched Earth policy still exists I see
It's amazing how thick those exterior walls were. I guess they were built that way because of the winter cold in the high alpine region.
And the possibility of Russian howitzer shells.
It would be worth finding out who ordered the complete distruction of this beautiful Hotel???
I stayed here in 1989. It was such a beautiful hotel. I also took a tour of the bunker under the hotel but it was starting to get dangerous to take tours down there. It was one of my favorite trips while in Germany.
Absolute vandalism.
Amazing footage thanks for sharing. They wrecked the whole area unfortunately, pulled everything down.
Sehr cool. Hab noch alles gesehen als ich als Kind dort war. Echt schade um das schöne Anwesen. Danke für eure tollen Filme.
The marble alone is worth a lot.
I was lucky to Stay at the Walker 3 Times. It was so beautiful there. These videos bring me to tears.
Possession of this hotel and the surrounding area was assumed by the US Military after the war. Managed as a retreat for occupying forces under the Moral, Welfare, and Recreation programs, I assume the property was turned back over to the German government as US forces drew down in the '90s. Under US Army management is was a world-class resort. Guess we should have kept it.
The US-Army gave it back in desolate condition! It would have cost millions to renovate it... thats one of the reasons why bavarian gov. destroyed it in the end.
Was this the General Walker?
You can tell it was well built. If they would have done the maintenence. Even poor maintenance it would last a 100 years are more
Stayed there as a young private on 2 separate USO single soldier retreats in 95 over 4 day weekends.
I'm glad a film like this remains. I got to stay at the Walker several times when I was stationed in Stuttgart 89-93 and it was a Rec Area. Magnificent structures an a criminal act tearing them down. It was in US hands far longer than Nazi hands so don't really buy the "Keep it from being a Nazi shrine" line of bull. That was proud GERMAN history they destroyed. Absolute shame!
SAD! I stayed many times in the Walker Hotel while stationed in Germany in the 80’s. I loved skiing and hiking that area. Would have been nice to restore it to its 1930s glory from a historical perspective.
so sad
Evocative. Why the 'music' ?
Some context (if possible) would have been nice. Observation,: A lot of U-Tube video walk throughs do a grand corridor tour but often fail to give us a glimpse through open doorways. Still it was very interesting and as many here have already said the Demolition was Cultural Vandalism.
Demolishing this is SO short-sighted and just plain hateful.
I would've left that building for future generations to visit and learn about the dark side of history than rather destroy it.what the NSDAP did is already in the history books(oral history), destroying there buildings and proprganda can't destroy what's already been made.Im looking at it from a history, architecture and art lovers point of view.
Thanks for the look see. Sad to see it in such a state, but you video gave me a look at least. Did they keep the conference centre portion? Thought I read they might.
I stayed there when I was a young kid.
I remember the restrooms/ showers were in the hallway for everyone to use
I will never forgive Germany for the destruction of this beautiful place. So many wonderful childhood ski vacations and Xmases were spent there. Disgustingly shameful.
FFS why demolish a superb piece of architecture? This hotel should have remained for many decades to come.
This should have never been destroyed. It’s history began long before WWII and it would have lasted forever. I remember entering the remnants of the bunker system from the basement of the hotel. While the US agreed to destroy that system, it should have remained as a reminder of what evil can arise. Erasing history will do nothing to stop it from repeating himself.
The Platterhof was the hotel Hitler used for his quests that came to visit him at his home which was in the same area. At the end of the war Hitlers home was totally destroyed. The Platterhof was taken over by the US military and was used as a R&R site for soldiers. I was stationed in Germany as an Air Force Officer in the mid 1970’s and my wife and I stayed in what then was called the General Walker twice. One of the most interesting things was when we checked in we were given a map of the underground bunkers/ tunnels which were extensive. The bunker/tunnels were entered from in the hotel down a very steep set of stairs. The tunnels were still in good shape thanks to German construction. The hotel may have destroyed for the same reason they destroyed Hitlers house “no shrine left”!
But they leave the pyramids intact ....
BRILLIANT.
Are they going to tear down the Autobahn too?
Although hitler pushed it as his doing it was started before him in the twenties. Only a small part was completed before he came to power.
I was really sad to see this was torn down. It was well built and a historic landmark. I stayed there in the 1980’s. I went down into the tunnels. What memories. I think the reason to tear it down was due to economics. It was a huge complex and sue to its age became cost prohibitive and it needed a lot of renovation. But still think they could have kept a smaller section and made it into a hotel. It was located in a great area.
How dare they demolish that
If walls could these would have a lot to say.
I wish that I could have bought this place and restored it, before they tore it down, such a shame and waste
If walls could talk these would have a lot to say.
Absolute waste of a structure that had plenty left to offer. Beautiful design and layout of the property. Such a shame to demolish it and not repurpose it...
1) the cost of maintaining?
2)needed space for Parking lot!
3)New Klempinski Intercontinental,
Out with the Old, In with the New!
(Pension Moritz,Platterhof, Hotel General Walker, Gone Forever!) But,
Could We have a Historical Plaque at the edge of the Parking Lot?
A complete disgrace to destroy the complex and replace it with a garbage parking lot that sits empty all year.
I spent 2 week vacations in the mid seventies- such a amazing place. Sad
My wife and I met here in April 1990
Sad to see it destroyed
Memories 85-90, 95-98
lovely place ,didn't need much to spruce it up. Disgraceful if its been destroyed
They say when you're in something ..........some times......you really don't know what your into.....I spent several days at the Platterhof ..it was a very beautiful hotel....did the German government really think by destroying this magnificent building, it would mean that there never was a Nazi........how stupid.......history is history...... and by trying to hide it......doesn't mean it never happened.....this grand hotel should never have been demolished...it was in fact, an Historical building .
Very, Very Sad.
Was Hitler ever in these rooms?
If only walls could talk.
save that for the bunker system below 😚
What a waste. Destroying that
Thats a lot of static shots. Why not just take pictures instead then? Nonetheless; thank you for recording this and uploading.
It was a such a beautiful hotel and such a piece of history. I stayed there a couple times - as well as the Berchtesgadener Hof, another hotel with historical significance that had to go. I am not buying the cost/benefit analysis grounds for taking down the Platterhof. More modern German self-immolation of its history.
Americans, as you can tell by the comments below, loved the General Walker, Germans try, without success to erase their history. I stayed there a couple of times in the late 80's and did the standard tourist things. My father went thru the area in 1945-48. He didn't care much for it. Niemal vergessen.
whats WRONG with the bavarian goverment!! That building was so beutatyfull , and well made. It could have been restored for not that much money... its HISTORY. now there is afucking carpark!!
Hitler saw Paris,mabey that should be cleansed too.
Germany wants to destroy this so they can do all of this again, and not remind the future generations what happened here, keep moving on, keep your business to yourself vibes...
stayed there in 1991 when i was in the army
You think this bombing damage was bad - think of the destruction of priceless Roman - era buildings in Pompeii, including incredible frescoes and statues because some bomber pilots were carelessly bombing anything that looked interesting.