Heiglkopf, Mountain summit in Upper Bavaria, Germany
Heiglkopf, also spelled Heigelkopf, is a 1,218-metre mountain on the territory of the municipality of Wackersberg, south of Bad Tölz in Bavaria. Its summit, reached on foot, gives a view over the Isar valley. The mountain lies close to the Austrian border and can be climbed from Wackersberg or via the Blomberg.
In April 1933 the Wackersberg municipal council made Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen and renamed the 1,218 m Heiglkopf after him; a 10-metre iron swastika, lit at night by torches, was erected on the summit in June 1933. The name Hitler-Berg appears on Bavarian maps from 1937 to 1942. After 1945 the swastika was destroyed and the original name restored.
The mountain lies on the territory of Wackersberg, south of Bad Tölz. In 1933 the municipal council made Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen of the village, and in April 1934 it voted to rename the summit Hitler-Berg; the name appears on Bavarian maps from 1937 to 1942. The folk music band Dreiviertelblut took up local traditions from the Nazi period on the Heiglkopf on its debut album Lieder vom Unterholz.
Several hiking routes lead to the summit, including a shorter trail of around 4 kilometers from Wackersberg and a longer route of about 12 kilometers from the Blomberg parking area. The paths are marked and the terrain requires sturdy hiking boots and basic fitness.
In March 2007 the peak drew international attention when Google Earth labelled it "Hitler-Berg" beside its real name, a label probably taken from US NGA maps. Bavarian historical maps show "Hitler-B." from 1937 to 1942, and Google Maps still returned the mountain for that search term in January 2014. The folk band Dreiviertelblut sings about traditions from the Nazi era on the Heiglkopf on its debut album.
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