BERCHTESGADENER HOF TABLECLOTH AND NAPKIN

Pair of fine beige linen items from the famous Berchtesgadener Hof, the inn and restaurant located near Hitler's Berghof at Berchtesgaden. Included is a cream white tablecloth, 96 x 62 in., as well as a matching napkin, 15 x 15 in. Both items are embroidered with 'Berchtesgadener Hof' in brown letters encircling an edelweiss flower. Light staining, else very good. The Nazis bought it in 1936, remodeled it and renamed it the Berchtesgadener Hof, and used it to house dignitaries visiting Adolf Hitler's Berghof, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, and David Lloyd George. High-ranking Nazis such as Josef Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, and Joachim von Ribbentrop also stayed here, as did visiting military officers such as Erwin Rommel. Eva Braun lived at the Berchtesgadener Hof when she first came to Berchtesgaden, before moving into the Berghof. Later, Obersalzberg functionaries such as Martin Bormann's brother Albert lived here, as did Hitler's sister Paula (incognito, as Paula Wolf). After the U.S. Army occupied the area in May 1945, the Berchtesgadener Hof was the scene of several high-ranking surrenders, including that of Field Marshal Albert Kesselring. We know Erhardt visited Berchtegaden and the Berghof in the company of Gen. Mark Clark in June, 1945 and returned with 'souvenirs' to Vienna. The exact date of manufacture is unknown.