Adolf Hitler’s Home, Bavarian Alps, 1945

Adolf Hitler’s reign of terror stretched across Europe, leaving a trail of stolen homes and chalets in his wake. Yet, by the end of World War II, justice prevailed as these ill-gotten gains were reclaimed. His opulent residence in Obersalzberg, nestled in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, met a fiery end on April 25, 1945, when retreating SS troops set it ablaze.

Within hours of the inferno, US and French troops gained access to the ruins, seizing the opportunity to indulge in a bit of plunder. Among the spoils taken by the American forces was a distinctive globe, custom-made for Hitler himself, serving as a grim reminder of the dictator’s ultimate downfall.