Adolf Hitler is a historical figure whose mark on this world is undeniable. Hitler is one of the most controversial men in history, loathed by many but worshiped by some. Hitler was the face of Nazism, a political party centered around Germanic dominance and racial supremacy. I am not here to be controversial, or discuss my opinions on the former German dictator, so if that is what you are looking for stop reading here. If you are looking for a debate on whether the mass genocide known as the Holocaust happened or not, go watch the new movie Denial. Recently, a source of contention that the media has picked up on is what Austria plans to do with Hitler's still standing childhood home. To state the obvious, the home of Adolf Hitler serves as a symbol for neo-nazi followers all over the world. The fact that the home is still standing makes it a place for Hitler supporters to convene and worship. In turn, the Austrian government does not want to be responsible for providing an atmosphere conducive to anti-semitism. The current owner of the house, Gerlinde Pommer, has refused to let the government tear down the property, the justifcations behind her reasoning are still unknown. Gerlinde has publically stated that she does not want any remodeling of the house done, in response to the government's suggestion of making the home into something different rather than taring the entire structure down. Most would immediatley jump to the conclusion of just taring down the building, but doing so would be sending a message that would reflect poorly on Austria. This problem is like a double edged sword though, because either route that the government takes will be met with opposition.
Taring down the house is like trying to erase the Hitler family and the part of European History that Adolf Hitler created. To try and erase history would not be wise of Austria as NPR widely stated. On the other hand though, to leave the house as is would be sending a message that the Austrian Government condones the actions of Hitler and wants to keep the building standing, almost as a tribute. The only other option that the government has is to try and renovate the residence to such a degree that it would not even slightly resemble the Hitler home. But, then again, the government runs into the wishes of Gerlinde Pommer which legally do need to be respected. There is no right way to go about this, and there is no way for Austria to win this battle. What it comes down to is which decesion is the lesser of two evils.
