Well, I arrived in Berchtesgaden-Obersalzberg one day early. I decided to book a room at the Intercontinental (where I finished and e-mailed my final), which as the distinction of occupying the Goring hill. It was very expensive, but the room and the breakfast were great and the staff was very, very nice and professional... almost too nice. Almost as if they are trying to sanitize the place of its historical context. There are no marker’s (that I could find) here for anything. One must by expensive documentaries, or do a lot of advanced research to see the historical sites. The hotel had no references I could find to any history of the site. The only thing I could find was a measly brochure for the Obersalzberg Documentation Center.
Upon entering the hotel, I saw that it was indeed a mountain spa and a playground for the rich. I immediately encountered a boy, maybe about age 10, dressed in the lush ICH bathrobe. He struck me as the Aryan prototype: blonde hair and blue eyes; a veritable golden child. Totally ambivalent to the local history. It was kind of creepy- a site for the rich and powerful, projecting an image that helped the area spawn a host of evil.
The hotel is also not in the areas character. It is true, that before Hitler, the area was a prime mountain resort; however, it consisted of small hotels and pensions. And to think that the grand designers are, yes, American. I find it disgusting that America has played such a prominent role in helping Bavaria bury both its history and historical memory, by insisting that:
1. The Berghof and related Obersalzberg ruins be demolished, razed,
and removed.
2. Appropriating historical sites for its own use, and then abandoning them when
costs get too inconvenient.
3. Allowing and participating in a
monstrosity resort being built as the
temple of capitalism in a historically
sensitive site.
It’s “bring in the money and whitewash history”. The ICH completely changed the landscape of the Goringhügl to where it is virtually unrecognizable.
Also, the desire to let greenery take over the historical sites is beyond me, along with the dumping of debris there. Allowing this is a complete attempt to whitewash history. Allowing the Kaserne and Berghof sites to be a wild nursery and dumping lots borders on historical negligence.
Some Questions:
- What is your opinion of the destruction of historical ruins?
- Of the Intercontinental?
- Is politics more important in history?
- Shouldn’t the sites be marked?
- What are German children taught about this period in history?
- Can democracy elect a dictator again?