Hitler’s birth house gets revamped as a police station

The renovation process in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has begun today

Following several years of discussions and controversy as to what should be done with Adolf Hitler’s birth house, the Austrian government decided to turn it into a police station as a way of minimizing the mystique around it and preventing turning it into a shrine to the Nazi leader.

Work on the redesign process of the building located in the border town of Braunau am Inn began today with workers putting up temporary fences around the three-story building. The work is expected to last until 2026, after which the police department can move in.

What’s the reasoning behind this decision?

According to the authorities, turning Hitler’s birthplace into a police precinct will have the effect of making it less attractive for pilgrimage by Nazi supporters. It will, in effect, be a place of law, order and guardianship of civil liberties.

The building, which dates back to 1790, is somewhat unremarkable and the only sign of its historical significance is a memorial stone with the inscription “For freedom, democracy and liberty. Never again fascism. Millions of dead people remind us”.

At the time of Hitler’s birth, the building had several rental flat units, one of which was rented by Adolf’s father Alois. There was also a craft brewery in the same building.

After World War 2, the Austrian government rented the building from its proprietors, leasing it to NGOs to do their work for the benefit of society. However, the owners refused to sell the house to the authorities. In the end, a court decision allowed the expropriation of the property.

The aim of the government now is to restore it to its original look so it will lose its current appearance and recognizability, and hopefully its mystique.