Hitler's birthplace becomes police station in Austria
Austrian police (photo: Getty Images)
A police station has officially opened in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn in the house where Adolf Hitler was born. Authorities hope to permanently erase the building's ideological associations, the BBC reports.
The building was originally a hotel built in the 17th century. It was here that the future Nazi dictator was born in April 1889, although he did not stay there for long.
The Hitler family left the house at 15 Salzburger Vorstadt just a few weeks after his birth. When the boy was three years old, the family left the town for good. Hitler returned only briefly in 1938 during the annexation of Austria.
Decades of rent and expropriation
For many years, Austria's Interior Ministry rented the property from a local woman. The rent was very generous, as the government sought to prevent the building from becoming a pilgrimage site for far-right visitors.
Until 2011, the building was occupied by a charity for people with disabilities. The owner refused to allow renovations and would not sell the house to the state. The building then stood empty for several years.
Everything changed in 2016 when parliament passed a special law. The legislation allowed the state to forcibly take ownership of the house. The owner received compensation of 812,000 euros (about $950,000) but unsuccessfully challenged the amount in court, arguing that it was too low.
Renovation instead of demolition
The building was initially set to be demolished and replaced with a new structure. The idea sparked outrage among experts, who argued that destroying the building would amount to denying the country's Nazi past.
The authorities changed course, and in 2019 announced plans to establish a police station there. A Europe-wide architectural competition was held for the project. The building was completely renovated, and even its facade was changed beyond recognition.
The work was costly. Millions of euros were spent on the renovation. The building now looks like an ordinary modern office.
Police officers have already moved into their offices. Their presence is intended to serve as a strong barrier against extremists.
Background
However, Austria is not always willing to preserve the memory of the country's criminal past. For example, the mayor of the town of Leobersdorf authorized the demolition of the remains of the former Hirtenberg women's concentration camp. A Lidl supermarket and a large logistics hub are planned for the historic site, and the mayor is said to have profited significantly from the project.
