The birth home of one of history’s most notorious figures has undergone a significant transformation and is now being repurposed to deter extremist activities and is ready to be operational once again.
Adolf Hitler’s place of birth, located in Braunau am Inn, Austria, has been renovated at a cost of €20 million (£17 million) and will now serve as a police station. Authorities assert that this conversion is the most effective way to “neutralize” the building and prevent far-right groups from using it for their own purposes.
Formerly a private residence, the Austrian government took possession of the property about ten years ago after a lengthy legal dispute with the previous owner. The recent refurbishment included removing Nazi-era elements from the exterior, such as repainting the yellow plaster façade white and installing a police sign above the entrance.
A memorial stone outside the building bears an inscription advocating for peace, freedom, and democracy while condemning fascism. Hitler, born in the house in 1889, lived there briefly before his family relocated within the same town.
During World War II, the Nazis altered the building to reflect Germanic characteristics. Post-war, the Pommer family acquired the three-story home, subsequently leasing it to the Austrian government in the 1970s for charitable purposes. However, in 2011, a dispute over accessibility modifications led to the eviction of the last occupants. Following a legal battle, the property was seized by the government in 2016 for €810,000 (£690,000).
Despite suggestions to convert the site into a historical monument, experts advised against it due to concerns about attracting extremists. In 2020, a decision was made to repurpose the building as a police station, a project that faced delays but was eventually completed.
The Austrian government intends to maintain a permanent police presence at the site, restricting public access to discourage visitors with Nazi sympathies. However, not everyone supports this approach, with some advocating for a different commemoration to remember the millions of victims of the Nazi regime.
Ludwig Laher, a member of the Mauthausen Committee Austria, expressed that promoting pacifism would have been a more widely supported initiative than the current police station setup.