The debate over a planned police station in Adolf Hitler’s hometown of Braunau is polarizing – how much is apparent from the differing approaches of the Mauthausen committee and the committee set up by the Ministry of the Interior…
Historian Florian Kotanko had already clarified the meaning of the most recent archival find (a newspaper article from 1939 – the “Krone” reported): “One cannot but interpret it as that Hitler wanted the house where he was born to be used for administrative purposes It is an irony of history that the Republic of Austria is now planning just that.”
Oliver Rathkolb, a member of the Committee for the Historically Accurate Handling of Adolf Hitler’s Birthplace, set up by the Ministry of the Interior, sees the situation as follows: “Since this is only a newspaper report, there is no evidence that this alleged statement of Hitler really existed. Mr. Kontanko’s comparison is completely wrong as the police today act on a democratic and constitutional basis.”
Doubly absurd
Rathkolb continues: “The alleged offices were intended for the NSDAP district leadership, so for a criminal organization! The comparison is therefore doubly absurd.”
In the meantime, numerous memorial associations speak of a completely different absurdity in their reactions to the “Krone” story – especially the Mauthausen committee. Board member Robert Eiter: “The attempt to neutralize such a building is absurd – we have been saying that for a long time. If the plans for a police station are now apparently in accordance with Hitler’s will, the absurdity of that cannot be surpassed.”
Eiter concludes: “Moreover, the police have not proven to be Hitler’s best tenants in recent times, because they did not exactly act in an exemplary manner in the arrest of a neo-Nazi in the Braunau outdoor swimming pool.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
