Austria Hopes Hitler’s Birth House Won’t Lure Nazi Pilgrims After €20 Million Rebuild

Austria is nearing completion of a €20 million renovation to turn Adolf Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau am Inn into a police station, aiming to curb neo-Nazi pilgrimages. The Interior Ministry says the new use is intended to remove the building’s commemorative symbolism and clearly demonstrate that Nazism will not be glorified there. While authorities hope the move brings a measure of calm, local residents and critics call it a “double-edged sword,” arguing the costs and the choice of a state-symbol role are problematic.