Anton Schiffer

Panoramic View of Berchtesgaden (1869)

This panorama depicts Berchtesgaden, a market town in the Bavarian Alps renowned for its natural beauty. Painters began to travel there early on. Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) spent many summers here. In 1888, Berchtesgaden was connected to the rail network, making it a prime destination for tourists.

Berchtesgaden’s most famous guest was Adolf Hitler (1889–1945). After spending nearly every summer here since 1923, he and other members of the Nazi elite bought up an entire area around Obersalzberg, at its center the Berghaus, a former pension the dictator transformed into his personal retreat. In 1944, Nazi propaganda began to claim there was an Alpine redoubt in the area. The Nazis produced fake blueprints and transport reports, convincing the Allies that they were building bunkers and factories and accumulating troops in the region in preparation for a final defense. This was so effective that the Americans and British diverted parts of their armies from Berlin in the last days of the war.

Oil on canvas, 96.5 × 127.5 cm

Neue Galerie Graz / Universalmuseum Joanneum