The birthplace of Adolf Hitler, located near the Austrian-German border, has been transformed into a police station by the Austrian government to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi pilgrimage site. After acquiring the property in 2017, which previously housed a charity for the handicapped, Austria announced in 2019 its conversion into a police station, with renovations commencing in 2023.
Prior to the conversion, the only indication of its historical significance was a rock from the Mauthausen concentration camp with the inscription “Never again fascism,” devoid of any reference to Hitler. This rock remains in place, while the only new signage on the building now reads “Police.”
Stephan Mlczoch, head of the Austrian interior ministry’s history department, explained that the goal was to remove any connection to Hitler and eliminate the mystique surrounding the building. Hitler briefly resided in the house in 1889 during his family’s brief stay, as the Nazis promoted a cult of personality around him, turning the residence into an art museum.
Passersby often pause to take photos, and local officials report a decrease in visitor incidents, possibly due to the prohibition of the Hitler salute and other Nazi symbols in Austria. Mayor Johannes Waidbacher expressed overall acceptance of the conversion by the residents of Braunau, noting that using the building for charitable purposes would have made it too accessible to the public.
While the transformation has garnered support, some opposition has arisen, particularly from the Mauthausen Committee, Austria’s Holocaust survivors’ group. They argue that a police station is inappropriate and advocate for greater acknowledgment of Hitler’s atrocities. Robert Eiter from the committee emphasized the importance of remembering the Holocaust and expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of stopping neo-Nazi pilgrimages to Braunau.
Hitler’s Nazi regime was responsible for the genocide of approximately six million Jews and other marginalized groups during the Holocaust. Despite Austria’s previous stance as a victim of National Socialism, it now acknowledges its role as perpetrators. Eiter emphasized that the historical significance of the birthplace of the worst mass murderer in history would not be forgotten, predicting that neo-Nazis would continue to visit Braunau.
Local opinions on the conversion vary, with some residents preferring alternative uses for the building, while others view the police station as a positive step towards distancing the site from its dark past.
