6 - Changes in the Land

Summary

When radio announcers in Bavaria broadcast the current traffic situation, chances are good that you will hear a reference to Irschenberg Mountain. Located on the Autobahn between Munich and Salzburg, the Irschenberg creates a steep incline for drivers heading for Munich, and when vacationers head back in droves from the Alps or Italy, congestion on the Irschenberg is almost inevitable. Of course, the drivers' reactions differ widely depending on individual tempers, driving time, and the other people in the car. However, few realize that their frustration is, at least in part, a result of arbitrary decisions in the Nazi era. It was the personal wish of Fritz Todt to follow the difficult route over the Irschenberg Mountain, for only such a path would offer a panoramic view of the Alps and the scenic Chiemgau. After Todt's death in 1942, Hitler even thought of building a mausoleum for Todt on the Irschenberg as a special tribute to the supreme engineer of the Nazi era. Construction was to start after the victorious conclusion of World War II.

The example of Irschenberg Mountain shows that an environmental history of the Nazi era will remain incomplete if it deals only with laws, institutions, and people. The Nazi regime also had an impact on the German landscape, and this impact was the result of both intentional design, like the Irschenberg detour, and the unintended consequences of other Nazi projects.