Adolf Hitler house in Austria to be used for police human rights training
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Loading... - Olympia Aetos
- 29 May 2023
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The utilization of the Austrian house, where Adolf Hitler was born, for human rights training of police officers marks a new development in the ongoing dispute over its fate. In 2016, the government employed a compulsory purchase order to acquire the property in Braunau am Inn, a town near the German border, following a protracted disagreement.
The house, located on the top floor, served as the birthplace of the genocidal dictator in 1889. Commencement of construction to convert the building is anticipated to take place in the autumn. However, these plans have generated controversy. Some Austrians advocate for its demolition, fearing that the site might become a gathering point for neo-Nazis. A committee of experts has also recommended tearing it down.
Nevertheless, detractors argue that demolishing the house would amount to denying Austria's historical past. Instead, they propose transforming it into a reconciliation center or allocating it to charitable purposes. According to the Austrian broadcaster ORF, the current proposal envisions the completion of renovation works by 2025, with the police force relocating to the premises the following year.
During the Nazi era, the house underwent a transformation into a Hitler shrine, despite the fact that Hitler resided there for only a few months. This attracted numerous tourists to the town. As the Nazis began losing control in 1944, the house was boarded up. To deter far-right tourism, the Austrian government rented the property from its former owner, Gerlinde Pommer, for many years. It subsequently served as a day care center for individuals with special needs under the auspices of a charity.
In 2016, a law was passed enabling the government to seize the house from Mrs. Pommer, who received compensation amounting to over €800,000 (£694,000) in return. Three years later, the Ministry of Interior announced its intention to convert the 17th-century house into a police station.
Austria, which was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, portrayed itself for decades as an early victim of the regime. However, it is now beginning to acknowledge its own complicity in Nazi crimes, even though many individuals at the time welcomed the Anschluss, the annexation by Germany.
