Hitler's Birthplace to be Converted into a Police Station as Austria Looks to Distance Itself from Nazi Dictator

After years of debate, construction work has commenced on transforming the Austrian house where Adolf Hitler was born into a police station, RadarOnline.com.

The project officially began on October 2nd in Braunau am Inn, Austria. The controversial decision to convert the historical site has sparked mixed reactions from activists and critics.

Photos and video footage were obtained by the Washington Post of workers installing fencing around the property and making preparations for the construction, reportedly expected to last approximately two years.

The completion date is set for 2026, at which point the police will move into the building.

While activists and critics appreciate the effort to repurpose the site, many oppose the idea of turning it into a police station. These individuals advocate for alternatives such as demolition, transforming the house into a memorial, or creating an exhibition space.

The memorial stone outside the property with the inscription, "For freedom, democracy and liberty. Never again fascism. Millions of dead are a warning" is expected to remain.

Austria has long sought to distance this inconspicuous building, where Hitler was born in 1889, from his legacy.

The decision to repurpose the house into a police station was announced by Austria's then-interior minister, Wolfgang Peschorn, in 2019. He stated that this move "should send an unmistakable signal that the role of this building as a memorial to the Nazis has been permanently revoked."

The house has been a cause for concern as it has attracted visitors who glorify Hitler.

The conversion into a police station aims to alleviate these concerns, preventing the property from becoming a place of cult worship. Nonetheless, the issue of how to confront the past has remained a subject of heated debate.

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According to the outlet, critics argue that the authorities should have consulted more extensively with Braunau residents regarding the property's future use.

Erich Marschall, a participant in an initiative opposing the police station plan, expressed disappointment in the lack of community engagement.

Filmmaker Günter Schwaiger, who released a documentary about Hitler's birthplace, strongly opposes the conversion of the property into a police station.

He described it as "completely the wrong signal" and "a slap in the face of the victims." Schwaiger believes an alternative use should have been chosen.

The Austrian government has rented the house from its longtime owner for several decades after World War II.

It was last used by an organization supporting disabled individuals until 2011, when the owner refused to make necessary renovations, ultimately resulting in the abandonment of the property.

The country's constitutional court upheld a government decision in 2017 to seize the house and subsequently invited architects to submit plans for its makeover.

The redesign has been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is estimated to cost around $20 million.