Austria continues to distance itself from its former Nazi associations. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka announced today that the house where Hitler was born on the German border will be demolished. The house serves as a focal point for neo-Nazi and extremist activities.
The decision was reached after a protracted legal struggle organized by neo-Nazi elements in Austria. The interior minister stated that after a number of hearings had taken place with experts, a decision had been reached. Among other reasons, the decision aimed to prevent the place from becoming a pilgrimage spot for elements who see themselves as the successors of the original Nazis.
The owners of the house, who knew they had a problematic property but also realized its historic value for neo-Nazis, refused for decades to sell it to the state and therefore Austria had rented it from them at full price rent over the years.
In the wake of the Interior minister's decision and a previous decision to expropriate the property, the Austrian parliament will pass a law transferring the property to the state and it will then be slated for demolition.
The building will be replaced by a different edifice which will serve the needier members of the local community.