Hitler’s birthplace in Austria opens as police station in bid to deter neo-Nazis

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Or sign-in if you have an account.A memorial stone outside the building Hitler was born in bears the inscription: "For peace, freedom and democracy. Never again fascism. Millions of dead serve as a warning." Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON /AFP via Getty ImagesThe building where Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, has opened as a police station following years of debate over its future.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERSEnjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountThe Nazi leader was born in an apartment inside the building in 1889 and spent the first few weeks of his life there, before his family moved to another address.Now, the building is home to a police unit specialized in tackling drug trafficking. Located on the border with the German state of Bavaria, district police commander Stefan Haslberger says Braunau am Inn is on a key drug smuggling route, according to Austrian newspaper Der Standard.At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner said the new police station stands in stark contrast to the building’s associations.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“Today’s police, our Austrian federal police, is the exact opposite of the symbolism tied to this place,” he said. “This house will now become a place of democracy, rule of law, security, freedom and human dignity.”The redevelopment, which is estimated to have cost €20 million (roughly $32 million), involved adding an underground parking garage and a training room, alongside holding cells, offices, break rooms and other facilities, according to Der Standard. The building’s facade has been repainted white and now bears a sign saying “Police.”The opening marks the end of years of public discussions over how best to deter neo-Nazis from visiting the site and treating it as a shrine. As part of these efforts, debris from the construction was disposed of at a secret location to prevent it from becoming Nazi memorabilia.Even before the redevelopment, the only feature that linked the building to Hitler was a stone on the street outside, which comes from the Mauthausen concentration camp and bears the inscription: “For peace, freedom and democracy. Never again fascism. Millions of dead serve as a warning.” Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in 2012 (R) and in July, 2026, on the day it officially opened as a police station. Photo by MANFRED FESL /APA/AFP via Getty Images Police officers and guests attend an inauguration ceremony in the courtyard of the birth house of Adolf Hitler. Photo by MANFRED FESL /APA/AFP via Getty ImagesThe building was previously privately owned and had housed a charity for people with disabilities until the Austrian government acquired it through a compulsory purchase in 2017.It took two government-mandated commissions to determine how the state ought to proceed with handling the building. In 2016, the first commission recommended that the government urge the previous owner to make necessary renovations to the building so that it could be used for a public service.The second commission concluded that the building should not be demolished because it would be a denial of Austria’s past, and nor should it become a museum, as this could further attract neo-Nazi visitors.The decision to turn Hitler’s birthplace into a police station was announced in 2019, and was not without opposition. CEO and chair of The Abraham Global Peace Initiative, Avi Benolo, previously told National Post that he feels the building is “not even worthy of that recognition, not even worthy of talking about.”If it were up to him, he would “erase that building from existence, just like Hitler should be erased and everything he stood for,” he said.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police chief inspector Kurt Reiter opening a prison cell inside the newly opened police station. Photo by KERSTIN JOENSSON /AFP via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the Mauthausen Committee, Austria’s main ⁠Holocaust survivors’ group, has argued both that a police station is inappropriate and that more should be done to draw attention to Hitler’s crimes.“Every year at the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial there’s a ceremony to say: never again. ​And in Braunau they’re saying: let’s forget as soon as possible,” Robert Eiter of the Mauthausen Committee ​and the Network Against ⁠Racism and Right-Wing Extremism told Reuters.“The world won’t forget where the worst mass murderer in history was born. Wikipedia won’t change its entries,” Eiter said, adding ⁠there will ​be no reduction in the number of neo-Nazis making “the pilgrimage to Braunau.”Elsewhere, Hitler’s private apartment on Munich’s Prinzregentenplatz also now serves as a police station, while his official residence in Berlin’s Reichskanzlei and his holiday home in the Bavarian Alps, Berghof, were destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.