Adolf Hitler’s Birthplace

The Adolf Hitler Birthplace is a Biedermeier town house in the Upper Austrian town of Braunau am Inn that has been designated as a historic property. The building has a long and complex history, dating back to the 17th century, and has been the subject of debate and controversy over its usage and ownership.

The Birthplace of a Dictator

The building was used as a brewery, with adjoining constructions and rented residential units, until the early 20th century. Adolf Hitler’s parents, Alois and Klara, were reported to have rented an apartment on the top floor of the front building from 1888 to 1892. Adolf Hitler was born there on April 20, 1889, and lived there for the first few weeks of his life.

The exact site of Adolf Hitler’s birth is unknown, since it is unclear whether he was born in the existing front building or the previously demolished back structure. The building was not marked or commemorated in any way until after World War II, when it became a symbol of Nazi atrocities and a target of vandalism and protests.

A Cultural Center and a Disputed Property

Following Austria’s annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) bought the property and turned it into a cultural center, where they displayed Nazi propaganda and artifacts. The building was also used as a library and a youth hostel. After the war, the property was returned to its prior owners, the Pommer family, in 1952 and thereafter leased to the Republic of Austria for a symbolic amount of one Austrian schilling per year.

Until 2011, the structure fulfilled a variety of functions, first as a public library, then as a school, and last as a center for people with disabilities. However, the lease agreement stipulated that the building could not be used for any purpose that would glorify or promote Nazi ideology, and that any alterations or renovations had to be approved by the owners. This created a conflict between the government and the owners, who refused to sell the property or allow any changes to be made.

The debate between usage and possession heated up in the 2010s, as the building became increasingly dilapidated and a source of embarrassment for the town. Topics discussed included, among others, demolition, expropriation, conversion, or preservation of the building. The land was formally expropriated in behalf of the Republic in 2016, after a lengthy legal battle with the owners, who were compensated with 810,000 euros. However, the building has remained unused since then, as the government has struggled to find a suitable and acceptable use for it. The idea to convert the structure into a police station has been met with opposition and delays, as some critics argue that it would be inappropriate or ineffective to turn a former Nazi site into a symbol of law and order.

A Memorial Stone and a House of Responsibility

Under the leadership of Mayor Gerhard Skiba, the municipality of Braunau am Inn marked Adolf Hitler’s 100th birthday in 1989 by constructing a memorial stone made of Mauthausen granite on the pavement in front of his old house. The stone is a symbol of resistance to war and Nazism, and a reminder of the millions of victims of the Holocaust. The diamond-shaped face of the free-standing block is roughly 160 cm wide and 115 cm tall. The inscriptions on the object’s front and back say, respectively, “For peace, freedom, and democracy – never again fascism – remind millions of dead” and “Stone from the Mauthausen concentration camp.”

The city has taken a firm position against “Hitler tourism,” which has progressed to the extent of selling souvenirs with the name “Hitler,” a formerly customary practice in the region. The town has also tried to distance itself from its infamous son, by emphasizing its cultural and historical heritage, and by supporting initiatives that promote tolerance and human rights. One such initiative is the “Braunau sets an example” campaign, launched by Reinhold Klika, a writer and public relations consultant from Braunau, in February 2000. The campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian projects around the world, and to foster a positive image of Braunau as a place of peace and responsibility.

Another initiative is the “House of Responsibility,” proposed by Andreas Maislinger, a historian and founder of the Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service. The idea is to transform the Adolf Hitler Birthplace into a center for education and research, where young people from different countries and backgrounds can learn about the causes and consequences of totalitarianism, racism, and genocide, and work together on projects that address the challenges of the present and the future. The political parties SP, VP, FP, and the Greens have joined forces to support Maislinger’s proposal, which has also received endorsements from prominent figures such as Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and former US President Jimmy Carter.

A Historic Building with a Biedermeier Facade

The Adolf Hitler Birthplace is a historic building with a Biedermeier facade, located at the corner of Salzburger Vorstadt and Ranshofner Strasse in Braunau am Inn. The building has three clear building sides, with a gradually sloping ground level and a curving entrance on the left side. The main facade faces the Salzburger Vorstadt, a busy street that leads to the town center and the Inn river.

The building dates back to the 17th century, when two separate constructions were built on the site. The arcaded tract facing the courtyard was most likely built in the second half of the 16th century, while the front building was added later. The two houses were co-owned and substantially joined in 1758, when the property was acquired by the brewer Johann Nepomuk Pommer. During the second quarter of the 19th century, the exterior design and internal modifications were combined, giving the building its current appearance. The Biedermeier facade was built in the second quarter of the 19th century, and features round-arched windows with shell design on the first floor, and round-arched windows on the top floor. The double gable facade at the back of the construction allows the formerly independent structures to be identified.

The agricultural construction on the courtyard-facing side was demolished in the first part of the 20th century, when the NSDAP bought the property and renovated the ground floor. The three-story, pre-built, single-axis corridor tract in the northeastern part is next to the adjacent building. Upper levels have arcades with squat segmental arches supported by polygonal or chamfered pillars. The passageways are arched with lunette barrels from the second part of the 16th century.

The inside of the building has barrel-vaulted corridors on all floors, and the spiral staircase was expanded in the latter part of the 19th century. The bottom level rooms have barrel or lunette barrel vaults, while the upper floor rooms have various flat ceilings. The building has a total floor area of about 800 square meters, and consists of 12 rooms and two kitchens.

Braunau am Inn, Austria