Gutshof & Teehaus

Since Reichsleiter Martin Bormann was interested in farming, he built an experimental farm as part of the Obersalzberg complex. Although this farm was to serve as a model for other farms in the Third Reich, it was never particularly successful. Bormann's farmers raised cattle, horses, and pigs here. The Gutshof complex also included bee houses, milk cooling buildings, a smithy, and various other structures in the pastures and meadows. The main buildings were not substantially damaged during the April 1945 bombing, and the main part of the farm was appropriated by the American forces and turned into a sports lodge and golf course, with skiing in the winter. Since the Americans left the Obersalzberg in 1995 the Gutshof has functioned as a golf club and restaurant. In the fall of 2007 the side building (seen on the right in the photos below) was torn down and plans call for a modern apartment or hotel facility to be built in its place.


Administrative and residence buildings of the Gutshof (Hartmann, "Verwandlung")	Same view today. The buildings now house a golf club and restaurant.

The view looked like this in mid-October 2007 as the side building was being demolished.

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Farm buildings of the Gutshof, then and now. (Hartmann, "Verwandlung")


On the left, a view of the Gutshof from the meadow side in the winter, from Eva Braun's personal photo albums. The Watzmann mountain is in the background. On the right is the entrance to the wing of the Gutshof that housed the staff, with its original wooden door. (This building was torn down in October 2007.) (National Archives, RG 242-EB, 20-41B)


The original Gutshof building plaque - several of the Obersalzberg buildings had similar plaques.	A view of the Gutshof complex from the back, or Hof side.


Original architectural pieces that can be found in the Gutshof today - left, a fodder stall; center, one of the heavy oak beams that support the ceiling; right, a stone water basin.


The Gutshof complex from the rear. The period photo shows the famous Watzmann mountain towering in the background; the modern photo is from a slightly different angle. The meadow area is now a golf course. (National Archives, RG 242-HB)

This picture taken by Eva Braun shows a similar perspective of the Gutshof, with the mountains in the
background. This photo is interesting because it shows some of the Gutshof outbuildings that are rarely
seen in period photos. At the left center of this view can be seen the pig sty (Schweinestall or Zuchtstall)
- a low white building at the edge of the photo - with the larger hay barn (Heuscheune) next to it. Today there are no remains
of the Heuscheune, and only low foundation remains of the Schweinestall. (National Archives, RG 242-EB, 11-11C)

The Gutshof area as photographed by a U.S. reconnaissance plane in May 1945. The Gutshof itself suffered little damage,
although a bomb did hit the building on the left side in this view (several other bomb craters can be seen scattered about the
area). The buildings across the road from the Gutshof were the pig sty and hay barn - the hay barn took a direct bomb hit.
At the top right edge of this photo is Albert Speer's architectural studio. (U.S. National Archives)

The pig sty (Zuchtstall) and hay barn, as shown on a 1941 Obersalzberg map. The hay barn had
two stories, with ramps leading up either end so hay wagons could be driven into the upper floor.


The ruins of the pig sty could be seen on the Obersalzberg until the mid-1990s, when they were removed. Only a small amount of rubble can be found on the site today. (courtesy Ana L. Jackson)


These buildings served as cooling houses for the milk of the Gutshof herds, until it was bottled. The one on the left is located on part of the Antenberg Hill above the Platterhof, and the one on the right is at the entrance to the Scharitztkehlalm pasture area.


The Scharitzkehlalm is a mountain pasture at the foot of the Hoher Göll and surrounding mountains (the Kehlsteinhaus is on the mountain to the left of this view - not seen in this photo). Martin Bormann appropriated it as a pasture for the Gutshof cattle herds. The Nazis installed elaborate water systems (seen in the foreground above), and even paved some of the stream bed running through the valley, including artificial steps (below).

Besides his Berghof home, undoubtedly Hitler's favorite place on the Obersalzberg was a cozy Tea House built in 1937 on the northern boundary of the area, just below the Mooslahnerkopf hill, overlooking the Berchtesgaden valley below. Most of Hitler's stays at the Berghof included a daily afternoon walk to this Teehaus. This pleasant walk often became the scene for important political decisions, but Hitler preferred to relax, and even nap, in the Teehaus itself, surrounded by his closest friends and associates. The Teehaus was apparently undamaged by the 1945 bombing, but was mostly destroyed ca. 1951, due to its association with Hitler. The ruins remained in the woods near the 13th hole of the Gutshof golf course, until they were removed in 2006. (Note - the 1937 architectural plans for the Teehaus as well as captions in Eva Braun's photo albums spell the name "Moslanderkopf," but it is generally given as "Mooslahnerkopf" today, and that is the spelling found on period maps of the area.)

This view (which appears to be a composite photo) shows the location of the Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus,
in relation to the more famous Kehlsteinhaus ("Eagles Nest"), high on the ridge above. The so-called Eagles Nest
is often called "Hitler's Tea House," but this is technically incorrect. Hitler did not treat the Kehlsteinhaus
as a tea house, and the location he visited daily for afternoon tea was actually the Mooslahnerkopf Teehaus.
(Ernst Baumann photo)


Teehaus seen from near the overlook. This 2005 view shows the foundation ruins of the round part of the Teehaus. Note - all the ruins shown on this page were removed in August-September 2006. The period view above now looks like this:


Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun in the Teehaus. On the right is a view taken from a U.S. reconnaissance plane in May 1945. The round part (where Hitler and his guests took tea) can be plainly seen, with the part that housed the kitchen partly hidden by trees. (U.S. National Archives)


The photo on the left is a still from period movie film. Eva Braun's sister Gretl, along with adjutant Julius Schaub (on the left in uniform) look at the photographer, while others (including possibly Albert Speer and his wife) enter the Teehaus. (I believe the woman on the right is Hermann Esser's wife, or perhaps Sofie Storck.) This view shows the steps leading up to the Teehaus door - these steps still existed (until the ruins were removed in 2006), as seen in the modern photo, shot from a position to the lower right of the period view. Below is an approximate reproduction of the period viewpoint.


Ruins of the back part of the house, which was built against the rock hill.


Ruins of the lower part of the kitchen wing.

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Roof of the round part of the Teehaus. The weather vane is said to now be on a building in the valley below. The modern photo shows one of the chimneys, upside-down and resting on the upper part of the main building ruins. The chimney retains its original tin liner. (The chimney seen here is likely the chimney for the kitchen in the main part of the building, not the fireplace chimney seen in this period photo.)


The walk to the Teehaus featured an overlook above the Berchtesgaden valley, one of Hitler's favorite views. (National Archives RG 242-H)


Hitler enjoys the view at the overlook with Eva Braun, his dog Blondi, Leibstandarte-SS commander Sepp Dietrich, and architect Albert Speer. (National Archives RG 242-EB)	Same view today - the wooden railings had been removed for several years, but were put back in place just before this photo was taken in May 2004 (apparently for the filming of a German TV mini-series, "Speer und Er," aired in May 2005 - this show used several Obersalzberg sites).


Above, Hitler walks with Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, in a still from Eva Braun's movies. Below, a pensive Hitler sits at the overlook, while an apprehensive-looking Albert Speer gives Hitler plenty of space. A replica of the bench was put in place here in 2004 for the filming of "Speer und Er," but it has since been removed and the old modern picnic table is back. (U.S. National Archives)

This panoramic view of the Mooslahnerkopf overlook is from a period color photo by Walter Frentz. Hitler,
with Blondi at his side, talks with Foreign Office ambassador Walter Hewel. ("Hitlers Berghof 1928-1945,"
Kiel, Arndt-Verlag, 2000)

I have received several requests for information on the exact location of the Teehaus site, as this appears on few published maps. The Teehaus site and overlook are located in the woods behind the 13th hole on the Gutshof golf course, but I strongly recommend that you do not cross directly across the golf course to get there; or I suggest you use this route only at times when the golf course is not open to golfers. The route shown above is longer than walking across the golf course, and the first half of it is all downhill (so it is all uphill going back), but it keeps you from trespassing on the golf course itself. Begin across the street from the Hotel Zum Türken (lower right) -- walk into the woods and follow the graveled foot path that slants down the hillside on the left. Follow this path through the woods then across the open hillside with the ski lift, then into the woods again. Follow the path down the hill until you get to a left-hand turn that goes back in behind the back of the golf course, shortly past an open area where several paths come together. This path goes mainly just inside the woods on the back side of the golf course (if you start sharply downhill, you have missed the left-hand turn to this path). Keep following this broad path - it was recently widened when the Teehaus ruins were removed. When you reach a broad dirt trail, turn right - this leads to the overlook and Teehaus site (marked by a star on this photo). There are several different paths going through the woods along this route, but basically, if you just keep the golf course to your left without actually going out onto the playing area, these directions will take you to the Teehaus site. But remember that the ruins shown in these photos are no longer there - they were removed in August 2006. (aerial photo © SAGIS) (MapQuest Map Link)

For further information, including Internet links, check the Bibliography page.