How much for the Hitler House?

[rooster59]

How much for the Hitler House?

By Catherine Hardy

What is happening?

The authorities in Austria are said to be consiering buying Adolf Hitler’s birthplace from its private owner.

The aim is to bring a bitter legal battle over ownership to an end, and prevent the house from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine.

Officials say the state would make an offer of compensation to the current owner.

The Hitler House

Dwelling is in the northern town of Braunau-am-Inn
Adolf Hitler born there on April 20, 1889
Empty since 2011
Government embroiled in dispute with owner, Gerlinde Pommer.
Turned into a centre for the disabled in 1970s

What is the disagreement about?

Five years ago, Ms Pommer unexpectedly refused to grant planning permission for renovation.

She also rejected a purchase offer from the Austrian Interior Ministry.

What do the locals think?

There is heated debate among Braunau’s 17000 residents.

Some think the house should become a refugee centre.

Others say it should be transformed into a museum dedicated to Austria’s liberation.

Some say the dwelling should be demolished. However, as part of the historic centre of Braunau, the house is protected by a preservation order.

What they are saying

“We have come to the conclusion over the past few years that expropriation is the only way to avoid the building being used for the purposes of Nazi sympathisers” – Interior Ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-04-10

[Rob13]

Torch it.

[Bobotie]

Torch it.

why ?

[Rob13]

To prevent it from being a shrine for the neo-nazis. Doesn't make much sense to spend money on preserving it.

[tonray]

Put it to Bid. Donald Trump might raise the price a bit, he can commute to Washington if need be.

[Rob13]

Yeah, it'd be good home for him

[SheungWan]

Put it to Bid. Donald Trump might raise the price a bit, he can commute to Washington if need be.

Yeah, it'd be good home for him

Very silly indeed.

[Bobotie]

To prevent it from being a shrine for the neo-nazis. Doesn't make much sense to spend money on preserving it.

if we use that sort of logic...lets bulldoze Rome as well then and not preserve that either...plenty of "shrines" to despots there as well

[Rob13]

I'm not seeing people trying to continue on with Nero's etc. politics, if so i'd probably agree with you. Hitler still has a following, Auschwitz and Dachau are enough of a memorial, no sense holding on to anything directly related to Hitler's life. Plow it under and replant.

[Thorgal]

To prevent it from being a shrine for the neo-nazis. Doesn't make much sense to spend money on preserving it.

Too late, the actual private owner, Gerlinde Pommer, makes some average 4.800 EUR per month on random visitors.

Not all of them are neo-Nazi's...

[Bobotie]

I'm not seeing people trying to continue on with Nero's etc. politics, if so i'd probably agree with you. Hitler still has a following, Auschwitz and Dachau are enough of a memorial, no sense holding on to anything directly related to Hitler's life. Plow it under and replant.

Could the Neo-Nazi's not also try to use the remnants of Auschwitz and Dachau as "Shrines" ?....if so then we need to bulldoze them as well ?....good or bad its historically significant..

what your proposing is no different from what ISIS is actively engaged in some middle east country blowing up and destroying historically significant site and artefacts, because they maybe don't like that version of the history and are therefore trying to erase it.

[i claudius]

While i think Hitler should burn in hell , you cannot destroy history , if you do then the likes of ISIS have won ,

[Rob13]

what your proposing is no different from what ISIS is actively engaged in

I don't think so. Usually countries preserve the birthplaces of someone as an honor to them. George Washington,Shakespeare etc. Hitler doesn't deserve that honor. The trouble he caused should be remembered and the people he killed should have a memorial so leave the concentration camps to do that.

ISIS is trying to destroy entire cultures by the destruction they're doing. I don't see any positive reason to commemorate Hitler's house . I'm not sure but I think there are still buildings that Albert Speer designed still standing in Germany, I have no problem with letting them remain. Either way there's no shortage of things left standing to remember that era.

[Yann55]

'Austria's liberation' ... huh ?

Hitler was welcome with open arms by a massive majority of the Austrian population ... an inconvenient truth, but a truth nevertheless.

[Kiwiken]

It is just a house. Those feeble minded enough to follow Hitlerian theories should look in the mirror as to whether they themselves would have passed muster. It is part of the historic heart of their City. So a Despot was born there. As another said should we also purchase and demolish any where else he stayed. Maybe also where Stalin was born. Or Mao, Or Pol Pot, Or Caligula, Or Napoleon. Nazi ideology has a following so does hard core Communism, Eugenics, Religious Zealots. All just as despicable. But a Building is just that a Building. Getting angry about it means you think you are wrong. Being tolerant and remembering history truthfully is the best way to stymie them

[Steely Dan]

They could open a theme park as the Lithuanians did with Stalin.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grūtas_Park

[blazes]

Mr Hilter already has a more famous spot dedicated to his memory, not too too far from his birthplace (assuming he was actually "born").

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/hitlers-eagles-nest-at-berchtesgaden

see also Monty Python's sketch for a more intellectual view of German history:

and not forgetting Basil Fawlty with the Germans:

"oh....you're speaking German....I thought there was something wrong with you....

[wabothai]

Like the "Eagles Nest" just change it into a restaurant.

[Jingthing]

Make it a gay synagogue.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Jingthing

[Basil B]

Torch it.

why ?

To prevent it from being a shrine for the neo-nazis. Doesn't make much sense to spend money on preserving it.

Should have been raised to the ground along with the whole village back in 1945/6... they had the justification to do it then, now it is not so easy.

[Rob13]

Kind of like saving Jeffrey Dahmer's house

[Jingthing]

Another approach is to preserve it for Nazis only and charge them 1,000 dollars per visit with the funds going directly to the Jewish charity of their choice.

[arend]

Jewish community center, deli and Israeli consulate services works for me... in your face neo-nazis...

[Jingthing]

Jewish community center, deli and Israeli consulate services works for me... in your face neo-nazis...

Or perhaps a comedy club with Jewish comedians only. (There are other kinds? )

[Naam]

Make it a gay synagogue.

with a gypsy "hazzan"

[Basil B]

Turning it into anything relating to the Jews would be an insult to over 6 million souls...

[Jingthing]

Turning it into anything relating to the Jews would be an insult to over 6 million souls...

I can well understand that POV and perhaps you're right but I don't pretend to know what most of them would think about that. I reckon Jewish religious leaders would probably agree with you but Jews weren't slaughtered by Hitler for their religion but rather for Hitler's ideology of racism.

[Kiwiken]

Its just a house. Tearing it down makes it a shrine just as much as some may wish it to be. Fanatics will always have symbols. It is less significant than the Braun house of Beer Kellar. Remember It was not just the Jewish people who perished in the Camps but Gypsies, Gays and other minorities. Christians and Russian Prisoners. Non of Our Countries went to war to save these people. We went to protect Ourselves from a loathsome ideology. And if such things rear their ugly heads again I am sure We will all do the same again.

[Jingthing]

Its just a house. Tearing it down makes it a shrine just as much as some may wish it to be. Fanatics will always have symbols. It is less significant than the Braun house of Beer Kellar. Remember It was not just the Jewish people who perished in the Camps but Gypsies, Gays and other minorities. Christians and Russian Prisoners. Non of Our Countries went to war to save these people. We went to protect Ourselves from a loathsome ideology. And if such things rear their ugly heads again I am sure We will all do the same again.

It has.

In the form of ISIS and similar brands of "Islamic" inspired extremism.

Of course it wasn't only Jews but Hitler was specifically obsessed with Jews ... to wipe them off the face of the earth.

He succeed HALF way with that (globally).

Modern Jewish population has now reached pre-holocaust levels.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Jingthing

[Scott]

The topic is about Hitler's house. It's not about Jews, or gays or gypsies.

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