Austrian politicians vote to seize house where Hitler was born

A slab outside the house reads: 'For peace, freedom and democracy. Never again fascism'
Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters
Toby Green15 December 2016

Austrian politicians have passed a law which will force the owner of Adolf Hitler’s birthplace to sell it to the state.

Hitler’s family rented rooms in the three-story building in Braunau am Inn at the time of his birth in 1889, although they moved elsewhere in the northern Austrian town a few weeks later.

For a number of decades the former guesthouse was rented by the Austrian interior ministry from owner Gerlinde Pommer in a bid to stop it becoming a pilgrimage for neo-Nazis, with uses including a charity day centre.

But Ms Pommer refused to allow renovations - forcing the charity to move out - or sell it.

Hitler was born in the house in the town of Braunau am Inn
AFP/Getty Images

The bill passed last night (Wednesday) by Austria’s lower house of parliament allowing a compulsory purchase of the building does not specify what will happen to it, although interior minister Wolfgang Sobotka has said the government supports recommendations for a “thorough architectural rearrangement”.

Locals have reported visitors travelling to the building from many countries.

“I’ve even witnessed people from Italy or from France coming here… for adoration purposes,” Josef Kogler, a teacher in Braunau, told the BBC.

“One Frenchman, a history teacher I think it was, came and asked me for Hitler’s birthplace… It’s hard to understand.”

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