A memorial stone will be kept in front of the compound, engraved with the words “For peace, freedom and democracy, never again fascism, in remembrance of the deaths of millions”.
For now, the controversy surrounding the fate of the house where he was born is over. adolf hitler . Austria has announced it will use the complex to provide human rights training to police officers, in what authorities hope will be the latest chapter in a long saga over what to do with the building.
The elegant 17th-century house in Braunau am Inn, near the German border, was bought by the government in 2016 under a purchase order after a long legal battle . Hitler was born in a rented room on the top floor of the house in 1889, recalled the British newspaper The Guardian.
The development to convert the building into a training center incorporating a police station, which is expected to cost of approximately 20 million euros, will begin in the boreal autumn, according to the authorities.
According to the local newspaper OEN, the works had been adjourned and postponed first due to the coronavirus pandemic and now due to the complicated situation in the construction sector, given the notable shortage of materials.
Hitler’s birthplace has remained embroiled in controversy for years. In an attempt to stop neo-Nazi and far-right tourism, since 1972 the government has leased the block to former owner Gerlinde Pommer, reports the BBC.
It used to be a center for people with disabilities, until in 2011 Pommer opposed plans to reform the property and make it wheelchair accessible. The government repossessed the house in 2016 under a purchase order for a price of US$896,000.
A legal dispute ensued between authorities and Pommer, which sought compensation of US$1.7 million for the property. However, the Austrian Supreme Court rejected his claim in June 2019 and established compensation $899,000.
The authorities had decided to expropriate the building so that it would not fall into hands that would use it for propaganda purposes and the courts had to put the house at a price much higher than what had initially been paid, barely 300,000 euros. Some have called for its demolition, while others have argued that it should be used for charitable purposes or as a place of reconciliation.
In 2019, then Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Peschorn explained that “the future use of the house by the police should send an unequivocal signal that this building will never again evoke the memory of the national- socialism”.
In a recent survey, most Austrians were against its transformation into a police station. Instead, 53% said it should become a facility dedicated to dealing with the themes of National Socialism, anti-fascism, tolerance and peace. Just over 20% said it should be removed, while only 6% favored its use by authorities.
The house is expected to open as a police station and training center in 2026. A memorial stone will be kept in front of the house, engraved with the words “For peace, freedom and democracy, never again fascism, in remembrance of the deaths of millions of people” after a decision by the local council, which goes against the recommendations of the commission of experts, pointed out The Guardian.
Source: Latercera
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