Hitler's Austrian hometown to rename two streets named after prominent Nazi party members

Published on 04/07/2025 - 18:08 GMT+2

Two streets successful Adolf Hitler's Austrian hometown of Braunau americium Inn, which carnivore nan sanction of 2 Nazi statement supporters — euphony composer Josef Reiter and entertainer Franz Resl — are to beryllium renamed.

Local media reported that nan determination was made connected Wednesday, pursuing a "secret vote" by nan metropolis council, pinch 28 councillors successful favour and 9 against.

Local authorities had published a erstwhile study which recovered that maintaining nan thoroughfare names was unconstitutional.

Once nan sanction alteration has been enacted, astir 200 households will person a caller address.

The Mauthausen Committee, which raises consciousness astir what happened astatine nan attraction campy adjacent to Braunau americium Inn, said renaming nan streets was a determination pinch "symbolic significance."

At slightest 90,000 prisoners were killed astatine nan Mauthausen camp, while 65,000 Austrian Jews were assassinated complete nan people of nan Holocaust and 130,000 were forced to fly nan country.

The Mauthausen Committee told section media they are paying tribute to section Austrians who fought against nan Nazis pinch nan caller thoroughfare names.

Across Austria, nan names of different streets and sites person been changed, successful bid to steer clear from glorifying Nazism.

For instance, successful 2022 nan metropolis of Linz successful Upper Austria announced it would rename "Porsche Street" named aft 1 of nan astir infamous engineers of nan Third Reich.

Another tract which has attracted a awesome woody of contention successful Braunau americium Inn Adolf Hitler's puerility home, successful which he was calved successful 1899.

Despite having been utilized for a assortment of purposes — including arsenic a library, a school, but besides a shelter for abnormal group — for galore neo-Nazis it was, and continues to be, a visit site.

To forestall nan location from becoming a wide gathering tract for neo-Nazis, nan Austrian authorities bought nan location from nan property's proprietor successful 2016 nether a compulsory acquisition order, pursuing a heated nationalist debate.

While galore based on that nan location should beryllium demolished, critics stated that specified a move would magnitude to a denial of Austria's history and its domiciled successful nan Holocaust.

In 1989, a memorial chromatic informing against nan dangers of fascism was placed extracurricular nan house, which states "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy. Never Again Fascism. Millions of Dead are a Warning."

Three years on, nan Austrian authorities announced that Hitler's puerility location would acquisition lengthy renovations successful bid to beryllium transformed into a constabulary station.

In Austria, nan Freedom Party of Austria — which came successful first successful nan country's September wide election, having been founded successful nan 1950s by erstwhile members of nan SS and different Nazi veterans — has soared successful fame successful caller years.