Two streets in Braunau am Inn, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, are set for a name change after the local council's decision, spurred by public outcry. The streets currently bear the names of Josef Reiter, a composer, and Franz Resl, an entertainer, both known associates of the Nazi party.
This decision followed a confidential vote and a commissioned report which declared that keeping these names contradicted Austrian constitutional values. Approximately 200 households will need to update their addresses as a result.
The Mauthausen Committee, which advocates for Holocaust remembrance, hailed this move as highly symbolic. Notably, the Mauthausen concentration camp, where tens of thousands of prisoners lost their lives, sends a stark reminder of the horrors of Nazism.
Committee chairman Willi Mernyi expressed gratitude for community support and highlighted the need for renaming based on honoring those who resisted the Nazis. Suggestions have been made to rename the streets after significant figures like former deputy mayor Lea Olczak, whose father died at Mauthausen, and Maria Stromberger, a resistance hero.
While many streets in Austria have already been renamed due to their Nazi connections, including a notable one for Ferdinand Porsche in Linz, there remain others that need addressing. The Holocaust saw the tragic loss of approximately 65,000 Austrian Jews and countless others persecuted by the Nazi regime, underscoring the importance of this renaming initiative.
