Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau am Inn, Austria, has been officially transformed into a police station. This change aims to reduce its allure as a site of pilgrimage for those who glorify the former Nazi leader. A memorial stone remains outside the building with the inscription, “For freedom, democracy and liberty. Never again fascism. Millions of dead remind us.”
Hitler was born in this building on April 20, 1889. His family left after a few months, eventually moving to Passau in Germany. Hitler’s regime, driven by racial fanaticism, caused the deaths of approximately 6 million Jews and other groups during the Holocaust. World War II resulted in at least 60 million deaths. Hitler ended his life in April 1945, shortly before the war concluded.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized Austria’s responsibility to address this dark chapter of history. He stated, “The Republic of Austria, the state, the county is facing up to this heritage, the terrible heritage of this time, and commits itself to deal with it.”
Renovating the building cost around 20 million euros ($22.8 million). The process resolved ownership issues through a 2017 court ruling that allowed the government to expropriate the building. A previous owner had refused to sell it. Suggestions to demolish the house were ultimately dismissed. Since 1972, the building had been rented by Austria’s Interior Ministry and used by various charitable organizations. It remained empty after a care center for adults with disabilities vacated in 2011.
The Austrian government proposed stationing police in the building to symbolize protection of civil liberties. However, some critics argue that the house lacks necessary historical context in its current form. Expert opinions favored a redesign over converting it into a museum, making it less recognizable.
The building’s facade underwent significant changes. Its previous ochre-yellow color turned white. Arched windows were replaced with simple rectangular shapes and the facade extended upward. The disposal of construction debris was done secretly to prevent it from becoming a source for Nazi memorabilia.
Historically, far-right extremists visited the site, taking photos, collecting stones as souvenirs, and leaving flowers. In 2024, four Germans were apprehended while placing white roses in the building’s window recesses and posing for photos, one of them giving the Hitler salute.