Austria transforms Hitler's birthplace into police station in bid to curb neo-Nazi visits
Austria has converted the house where Adolf Hitler was born into a police station in a bid to strip the site of its Nazi symbolism and deter neo-Nazi.
The new police station in Braunau – and Hitler's birthplace. (Photo: IMAGO via DW)
Austria has officially opened a police station in the house where Adolf Hitler was born, in a move authorities hope will discourage the site from becoming a destination for neo-Nazi sympathisers.
The renovated building in Braunau am Inn, a town near Austria's border with Germany, was inaugurated on Wednesday and will now house local and district police officers.
The building's historical significance stems from the fact that Hitler was born there on April 20, 1889, although his family moved away just weeks later. Despite his brief stay, the house has attracted visitors for decades because of its association with the Nazi leader, prompting repeated calls for a permanent solution to prevent it from becoming a gathering place for extremists.
More To Read
Austrian authorities say repurposing the building as a police station is intended to strip it of the symbolism that has long attracted neo-Nazi extremists. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Braunau Mayor Johannes Waidbacher said the project reflected the town's willingness to confront its past.
"I believe that the opening of the police station today brings clarity to the discussion, perhaps also a bit of calm for the people of Braunau,” Waidbacher said, according to Al Jazeera, adding that the transformation showed the local community was "confronting its history".
The opening follows years of debate over the building's future. The Austrian government acquired the property in 2017 after a lengthy legal dispute and announced plans to convert it into a police station two years later.
While Austrian authorities believe the conversion will strip Hitler's birthplace of its symbolic appeal and discourage neo-Nazi visitors, not everyone is convinced the move will achieve that goal. Critics argue that changing the building's purpose does little to erase its historical association with the Nazi leader, insisting extremists are likely to continue travelling to Braunau despite its new role.