--- title: "Police station in Hitler's birthplace: how Austria turned a symbol of Nazism into a barrier for radicals" description: "A police station has officially opened in Austria in the house where Adolf Hitler was born. ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ Authorities spent millions on reconstruction so that the building would no longer become a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis. However, in other regions of the country, historical memory sometimes gives way to commerce, as in the case of the Gitternberg concentration camp. ๐Ÿš๏ธ๐Ÿšซ" date: 2026-07-23T04:50:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/police-station-hitler-birthplace-austria-braunau tags: [austria, braunau-am-inn, hitler, police, nazism] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Police station in Hitler's birthplace: how Austria turned a symbol of Nazism into a barrier for radicals ![Armed Austrian police officers (Polizei) in masks and tactical gear stand by police vans in front of the building that houses the police station in Hitler's former home, symbolizing the transformation of a Nazi symbol into a barrier against radicals.](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/23/police-station-hitler-birthplace-austria-braunau/police-station-hitler-birthplace-austria-braunau-1.webp) In the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn, located in the heart of the Alps, an event took place that can be called a symbolic finale in the struggle against the Nazi past. In the house where Adolf Hitler was born, a fully-fledged police station was officially opened. This decision was the result of a long-term political and legal struggle by the authorities against attempts to turn the building into a pilgrimage site for the far-right. ### From the maternity ward to a cult object The building at Salzburgervorstadt 15 was built back in the 17th century and originally functioned as a hotel. It was here, in April 1889, that the future dictator was born. The Hitler family lived in this house for only a few weeks after the birth. When the boy turned three, the family left Braunau am Inn forever. Hitler himself only returned here briefly in 1938, during the Anschluss of Austria. After the war, the house became an object of close attention. For a long time, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior rented the property from a private owner. The rent was deliberately inflated: the state paid a lot of money to prevent the house from becoming a memorial for neo-fascists. Until 2011, a charity for people with special needs operated in the building. However, the owner refused to sell the house to the state and did not allow necessary repairs to be carried out. As a result, the building stood empty for several years, gradually deteriorating. ### Battle for the walls: law and compensation The turning point came in 2016. The Austrian parliament passed a special law allowing the compulsory expropriation of the house from the owner. The woman was paid compensation of 812,000 euros. Despite the substantial amount, she unsuccessfully tried to challenge the decision in court, claiming the payment was insufficient. Initially, the authorities considered the option of completely demolishing the building and constructing a new facility in its place. However, this idea provoked a stormy reaction from historians and experts. They argued that destroying the walls where Hitler was born would be tantamount to denying the country's Nazi past. The authorities were forced to change their strategy. ### Transformation: from history to modernity In 2019, a new status for the building was announced โ€” a police station would be located there. To implement the project, a pan-European architectural competition was held. The house underwent total reconstruction: the building was completely renovated, and the facade was changed beyond recognition. Now the structure looks like a modern office block, carrying no historical references to Nazism. The conversion work cost the budget millions of euros. Law enforcement officers have already moved into the offices. The presence of armed police, as the authorities planned, is intended to be a reliable physical and psychological barrier for radicals and extremists wishing to make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Fรผhrer. ### The shadow of oblivion: contrast in Austria Despite the decisive steps in Braunau am Inn, the attitude towards historical memory in Austria is not always consistent. In the town of Leobersdorf, the mayor allowed the demolition of the remains of the former Gitternberg women's concentration camp. On the site where the camp barracks once stood, the construction of a supermarket by the well-known Lidl chain and a large logistics hub is planned. Rumor has it that the local official made a good profit from this deal, which creates a sharp contrast with the attempts by the authorities of Braunau am Inn to erase the ideological context of Hitler's building.