The house where Adolf Hitler was born in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has officially been converted into a police station, in an effort to prevent the building from becoming a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis.
After years of debate over the future of the historic property, the Austrian government decided to repurpose the building for police use, aiming to strip it of any symbolic significance that could be associated with the glorification of the Nazi dictator.
Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, was born in the building in April 1889. He was responsible for launching World War II and orchestrating the Holocaust, during which approximately six million Jews were murdered.
Austria acquired the property following a lengthy legal battle and subsequently carried out a renovation project costing around €20 million. The goal was to alter both the appearance and function of the building so that it could no longer serve as a gathering place for far-right extremists.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the building’s new role as a police station represents the rule of law and democracy, standing in direct contrast to the legacy of the Nazi regime.
Outside the building, a memorial stone from the Mauthausen concentration camp remains in place, bearing the inscription “Never Again Fascism” as a reminder of the victims of Nazism.
The decision has nevertheless sparked debate. Some critics argue that converting the building into a police station risks obscuring its historical significance, while others view the move as an effective way to deprive extremists of a site they could use as a symbol.
