Braunau am Inn

The upper part of the Main Square 

( less than one third of the entire Square)

In the back ground:

The "Stadtturm" (town tower)  through which one reaches "Salzburger Vorstadt"

City Hall of Braunau am Inn

Building on the right: Stadtplatz 22

where I grew up.

The Stadtturm from the other side. 

The beginning of the "Salzburger Vorstadt"

Salzburger Vorstadt 15, 

the house in which Adolf Hitler was borne.

The property is now under consideration for demolition

to avoid its becoming a "shrine".

The granit block, brought from the area of the Concentration Camp Mauthausen bears the inscription:

"For Peace, Liberty 

and Democracy

never again Fascism

so warn Millions of Dead."

I grew up there.
From 1937, at age 4, almost 5, I had the pleasure of living in this lovely old town, which received the right to call itself a "Stadt"       ( town or city) as far back as 1260. 
It was, at times, a turbulent place, but all in all I was always happy there.
I left in 1951 to go first to Vienna and then to Linz, and finally in 1955 I packed my bags and arrived in Toronto, Canada.

Why am I telling you all this ? Because I want you to know that I knew and know this place intimately and I know well, how many people of this quaint town think and what makes them tick.

From the main square, through the "Finktor" (so it was called then) you get to the "Salzburger Vorstadt" and as you go outward, on your left hand side, you pass a yellow building.

Adolf Hitler was born there: at  Number "15 Salzburger Vorstadt in Braunau am Inn".
This is a fact! 
It is not bad and it is not good. 
It is simply so !
Now, after years and years of wrangling, authorized Government expropriated the property from its owner, and some folks would like to tear down this structure to prevent it from being used as a shrine.
What a lot of nonsense this is! If you tear it down, what do you do with the land ? 
Build a hospital ( too small ), a library ? (useless in the day of Google)  or a little parkette ?
Now there is a great idea: Build a little Park with benches, so people, so inclined, will come and tell their friends and children: "This is where He was borne, here, on the grounds of this park, stood the house where he first saw the light of day."
Some few will come, because they are interested in historical facts. Fewer still will come on the 20 April to memorialize his birth in the year 1889.
Let us make no mistake about it: Hitler was a very, very bad man. In fact, words in any language are inadequate to describe the evil of this man.

If, however, we were to tear down every building in which a 
"bad man" was borne, there would be many empty spaces on many a street, in many a town and in many a country.

The removal of bricks and mortar will change nothing.
The changes must come from within the minds of men.
It is important to not forget what lead to the excesses, to this murder of millions, to this mayhem, which almost destroyed Europe. What made it possible ? 
Why did so many intelligent and educated men and women, Judges, Teachers, Doctors, Engineers, previously good men and women all, follow without a question this lunatic and his mad ideology, and contribute to this mass murder ?
.
So, if you must, remove the stones and binding agents, destroy the edifice but expect no positive results.

But teach each new generation about what happened, what caused it and create in the minds of all who are here now a breeding ground not of prejudice and hate, but of understanding and respect.