'Never Again Fascism': Why Has Hitler's 17-Century Birthplace Been Turned Into A Police Station?
The building where Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 has been turned into a police station. This comes after the decades of controversy surrounding the 17th-century former inn, which had been attracting several neo-Nazi crowds in Braunau am Inn, Austria.
- World News
- 2 min read
Braunau am Inn: The building where Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 has been turned into a police station. This comes after the decades of controversy surrounding the 17th-century former inn, which had been attracting several neo-Nazi crowds in Braunau am Inn, Austria.
The Braunau am Inn town is located near Austria’s border with Germany.
The Austrian government has refurbished the place, hoping its new purpose will discourage neo-Nazis from treating the building as a pilgrimage site.
The only item of the historical site that still remains there is the rock place outside the house, reading, "For freedom, democracy and liberty. Never again fascism. Millions of dead remind us.”
The rock warning remembers the victims of fascism. A new sign identifying the building as a police station has also been installed.
District and local police units will now operate from the building, which underwent renovations costing approximately €20 million (around ₹196 crore").
Hitler was born in the house on April 20, 1889, but his family moved out shortly afterwards. During the Nazi era, the building was transformed into a site honouring Hitler and housed an art gallery. In later decades, it was used by a charitable organisation before remaining largely vacant from 2011.
Austria acquired the property in 2017 following a lengthy legal dispute with its former owner. Plans to turn it into a police station were announced two years later. Authorities deliberately redesigned the building to reduce its association with Hitler and prevent it from becoming a gathering place for far-right extremists.
Speaking at the inauguration of the police station, Braunau Mayor Johannes Waidbacher said the transformation demonstrated that the town was confronting its history and accepting responsibility for it. Austrian officials said placing the police inside the building represented democracy, freedom and the rule of law, values directly opposed to Nazi ideology.
The decision, however, has attracted criticism. Anti-racism campaigners argue that changing the building’s function cannot erase its historical significance or necessarily prevent extremists from visiting. Some have called for the site to provide more information about Nazi crimes and Austria’s historical role.
Local reactions have also been mixed. While some residents have accepted the police station, others believe the property should have continued serving a charitable purpose. Austrian authorities maintain that the new use offers the most practical way to strip the building of its appeal to neo-Nazi groups.
Published By : Nidhi Sinha
Published On: 22 July 2026 at 23:39 IST