Austrian authorities have completed a conversion of the historic building where Adolf Hitler was born into a police station, marking the resolution of a prolonged dispute over the property’s future.
The 17th-century structure, located in Braunau am Inn, has been the subject of significant controversy for years due to its historical significance and concerns about potential misuse by extremist groups. Hitler was born at the address in April 1889 but lived there only briefly before his family relocated elsewhere in the town and eventually departed when he was three years old. The building held particular sensitivity given Hitler’s return to the area in 1938 following the annexation of Austria.
For many decades, Austria’s interior ministry maintained control over the property through rental arrangements with its former owner, Gerlinde Pommer, as a means of preventing its use as a destination for far-right pilgrimage. A local charity organization operated the space as a day center and workshop for individuals with special needs until 2011, when Pommer refused to authorize necessary renovations and subsequently forced the organization to vacate.
After years of negotiations, Austria’s parliament enacted legislation in 2016 permitting the government to acquire the property compulsorily. The state provided Pommer with compensation of €812,000, though she pursued legal action challenging the amount and ultimately lost her case. Initial proposals to demolish the building and construct a replacement generated widespread opposition from those who viewed destruction as inappropriate denial of Austria’s historical record.
In 2019, the government announced plans to establish a police station at the location and conducted a European-wide architectural competition for the renovation design. The refurbished building, substantially altered in appearance with its original yellow facade modified, now includes security cameras. A commemorative stone placed outside in 1989 references opposition to fascism and victims of concentration camps but does not mention Hitler by name. Some observers expressed concern about the police station choice, while others had advocated for a center dedicated to historical education or a return of the charitable organization.
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