Austria threatens to expropriate house of Hitler's childhood


              FILE - This Sept. 27, 2012 file photo shows an exterior view of Adolf Hitler's birth house in Braunau am Inn, Austria. The Austrian government is looking at options that would allow it to expropriate the house where Hitler spent his early childhood as it seeks to end a dispute with the dwelling’s owner over its use, officials said Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. The move is the latest in efforts by the government to ensure that the house is not turned to a use that makes it even more of a shrine for Hitler fans. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, File)
FILE - This Sept. 27, 2012 file photo shows an exterior view of Adolf Hitler's birth house in Braunau am Inn, Austria. The Austrian government is looking at options that would allow it to expropriate the house where Hitler spent his early childhood as it seeks to end a dispute with the dwelling’s owner over its use, officials said Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. The move is the latest in efforts by the government to ensure that the house is not turned to a use that makes it even more of a shrine for Hitler fans. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, File)

VIENNA (AP) - Austria's government is looking at options that would allow it to expropriate the house where Adolf Hitler spent his early childhood.

The move is the latest in efforts by the government to ensure that the house is not turned to a use that makes it even more of a shrine for Hitler's admirers. Municipal officials in Braunau, where the house stands, already complain that it draws neo-Nazi visitors to the town.

Interior Ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck said Wednesday that his ministry expects expert opinions by the end of the month on expropriation and other legal options.

He says that won't be necessary if the owner - a woman authorities refuse to identify - accepts a government offer to buy it.

She reportedly has turned down past offers, however.

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