Austrian authorities are considering turning the house where Adolf Hitler was born into a museum, reports Haaretz.
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in the town of Braunau-Am-Inn. Despite the fact that Hitler’s parents, Alois and Klara, moved shortly after their son’s birth, the house attracts neo-Nazi’s from around Europe, many of whom make an annual trip to mark Hitler’s birthday. Earlier this year, a memorial stone from the site of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria was defaced. The local government pays €4,000 a month to the owners of the house to prevent it from falling into the hands of neo-Nazis, although it has stood empty for over three years.
The plan for a museum was conceived by the historian Andreas Maislinger who told Haaretz “The house will only lose its appeal for such people when it stands as a clear and just symbol against Nazism.” Maislinger’s plan has gained broad support, including from the interior ministry and Hollywood producer Branko Lustig. The mayor of Brauna-Am-Inn said: “It is a difficult subject. But the idea in principle of a house of responsibility is, in itself, not a bad one.”
An alternative plan for the building which included demolition and the construction of luxury flats has failed to gain significant support. A decision on the future of the building is expected soon.