Hitler's Austrian Abode: A Historical Perspective

where did hitler live in austria

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on 20 April 1889. He lived in the town for the first two months of his life before moving to Passau, Germany, with his family in 1892. In 1894, the family returned to Austria and settled in Leonding. In 1895, Hitler's father, Alois, retired to Hafeld, near Lambach, where he farmed and kept bees. Hitler lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s, studying fine art and pursuing his passions for architecture and music. He also lived in Munich, Germany, in 1913, and joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919. Hitler's holiday home and headquarters, Berghof, was located in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany, and he spent a significant amount of time there during his rule as the Führer of Nazi Germany.

Characteristics Values
Where was Hitler born Braunau am Inn, Austria
Date of birth 20 April 1889
Hitler's father's profession Customs official
Hitler's family's residence An apartment building at Salzburger Vorstadt 15
Year of the family's move to Passau, Germany 1892
Year of the family's return to Austria 1894
Place of residence after returning to Austria Leonding
Hitler's father's retirement place Hafeld, near Lambach
Hitler's father's retirement occupation Farming and beekeeping
Hitler's school Volksschule (a state-funded primary school)
Hitler's move to study fine art Vienna, Austria in 1907
Hitler's holiday home Berghof in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Germany
Hitler's headquarters for the invasion of the Soviet Union Wolfsschanze ("Wolf's Lair") in East Prussia

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Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889. Braunau am Inn is a small Austrian town on the border with Germany, near Salzburg. Hitler was born in an apartment building at Salzburger Vorstadt 15, where he lived for the first two months of his life. The building was home to a craft brewery and several rental flats, one of which was occupied by Hitler's family. Hitler's father, Alois Hitler, worked as a customs official in Braunau am Inn from 1875. In addition to Hitler, the family included Alois's third wife, Klara, and Hitler's elder half-siblings, Alois Jr. and Angela.

Hitler's birthplace has been a site of controversy for the town of Braunau am Inn and the Austrian government. The building where Hitler was born later became a bank, a school, and a centre for people with disabilities. In 2016, the Austrian government expropriated the building and has since been debating what to do with it. Some have suggested that it should be razed to prevent it from becoming a shrine to neo-Nazis, while others have argued that doing so would be erasing a part of Austria's history.

In 2019, the Austrian government reached an agreement with Gerlinde Pommer, the owner of the building, to purchase it from her for $908,000. The government announced plans to renovate the building and hold an open competition for architects to propose designs for the site. The function of the building will be a consideration in the competition.

Hitler returned to Austria in 1894, and the family settled in Leonding. In 1895, Hitler's father, Alois, retired to Hafeld, near Lambach, where he farmed and kept bees. Hitler lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s, studying fine art and pursuing his interests in architecture and music.

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He lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on 20 April 1889. He lived in the town for the first two months of his life before moving with his family to Passau in Germany in 1892. In 1894, the family returned to Austria and settled in Leonding. In 1895, Hitler's father, Alois, retired to Hafeld, near Lambach, where he farmed and kept bees.

Hitler lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s. He moved to the city in 1907 to live and study fine art. He applied for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected twice. He was financed by orphan's benefits and support from his mother. After his mother's death in 1907, he ran out of money and was forced to live a bohemian life in homeless shelters and dormitories. He earned money as a casual labourer and by painting and selling watercolours of Vienna's sights. During his time in Vienna, Hitler pursued his passions for architecture and music.

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He studied fine art and pursued architecture and music

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, a town in Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria). In 1905, after passing a repeat of the final exam, Hitler left school without any ambitions for further education or a clear career path. However, in 1907, he moved to Vienna, financed by orphan's benefits and support from his mother, to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.

Hitler applied for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected twice, once in 1907 and again in 1908. The directors of the academy noted that he struggled to draw people and suggested he apply to the School of Architecture, as his preferred subject was architecture. Hitler, however, lacked the necessary academic credentials as he had not finished secondary school.

Hitler considered himself an artist and not a politician. He worked primarily in watercolours, expressing his love of painting and architecture. He drew inspiration from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism, admiring the technical ability and comprehensible symbolism displayed by this art. He produced between 2,000 and 3,000 works between the ages of 18 and 25, when art was his only profession.

In 1909, Hitler began earning money by selling small oil and watercolour paintings of buildings and landmarks in Vienna, copied from postcards. He also pursued music during his time in Vienna, as his childhood friend and roommate, August Kubizek, studied music at a conservatory.

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He rented Haus Wachenfeld, a vacation home in Obersalzberg

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria) in 1889. In 1893, when Hitler was three years old, his family moved to Passau, Germany, but they returned to Austria a year later and settled in Leonding. In 1895, Hitler's father retired to Hafeld, where he began farming and keeping bees. Hitler attended a state-funded primary school in Fischlham.

In 1907, Hitler left Linz to live and study fine art in Vienna, Austria. He applied for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected twice. After this, he moved to Munich, Germany, in 1913. During World War I, as an Austrian citizen, he served in the Bavarian Army as a dispatch runner on the Western Front in France and Belgium.

Hitler's interest in the hills above Berchtesgaden, Germany, began in 1923 when he visited his friend and mentor, Dietrich Eckart. He stayed in a small cabin on the mountain near the Platterhof Hotel. In 1928, Hitler rented Haus Wachenfeld, a vacation home in Obersalzberg. Haus Wachenfeld was a chalet-style building constructed in 1916 for a businessman from Buxtehude. Hitler's half-sister Angela lived with him and acted as his housekeeper, although she left soon after her daughter Geli's death in 1931.

In 1933, after becoming Chancellor of Germany, Hitler purchased Haus Wachenfeld with funds from the sale of his political manifesto, Mein Kampf. The house was refurbished and expanded, and it was renamed Berghof. Hitler spent about a third of his time as Führer at Berghof, and he also received foreign diplomats and politicians there. The house was maintained like a small resort hotel, with several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and other domestic workers. The area became a German tourist attraction during the mid-1930s, and visitors gathered near the house hoping to catch a glimpse of Hitler.

Berghof was damaged by British bombs in April 1945 and again in May by retreating SS troops. It was looted after Allied troops arrived in the area. The Bavarian government demolished the remaining structure in 1952.

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He purchased Haus Wachenfeld in 1933 with funds from Mein Kampf

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, a town in Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria). In 1893, when Hitler was three years old, his family moved to Passau, Germany, and then to Linz, Austria, where he acquired the distinctive lower Bavarian dialect that marked his speech throughout his life. In 1907, Hitler left Linz to live and study fine art in Vienna.

Hitler's interest in the hills above Berchtesgaden began in 1923 when he visited his friend and mentor, Dietrich Eckart, who lived at the Platterhof Hotel. In 1928, Hitler rented a pretty, alpine-style vacation home, Haus Wachenfeld, next door to the Hotel zum Türken. After becoming Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hitler purchased the house with funds he received from the sale of his political manifesto Mein Kampf.

Hitler's holiday home, Haus Wachenfeld, was a small chalet-style building that was refurbished and expanded in 1935–36 under the supervision of Martin Bormann and architect Alois Degano. It was renamed "The Berghof" or "mountain farm". The house had a sprawling picture window that could be lowered into the wall to give a sweeping, open-air view of the snow-capped mountains in Hitler's native Austria. The house was maintained much like a small resort hotel by several housekeepers, gardeners, cooks, and other domestic workers. The Berghof became a centrepiece of Nazi propaganda, with the Nazi-controlled German press and the English-language international press covering Hitler's life at home in a positive light. These stories helped to soften his image by portraying him as a man of culture, a dog lover, and a good neighbour.

The area became a German tourist attraction in the mid-1930s after Hitler came to power as dictator. Visitors gathered at the end of the driveway or on nearby public paths in the hope of catching a glimpse of Hitler. This led to the introduction of severe restrictions on access to the area and other security measures. A large contingent of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was housed in barracks adjacent to the Berghof, and they patrolled an extensive cordoned-off security zone that encompassed the nearby homes of other Nazi leaders.

Frequently asked questions

Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889.

Hitler and his family moved to Passau, Germany, in 1892. In 1893, his father, Alois, was transferred to Linz, Austria, but the rest of the family remained in Passau. They returned to Austria and settled in Leonding in 1894.

Yes, Hitler lived in Vienna, Austria, in the first decade of the 1900s. He moved there in 1907 to study fine art.

Hitler owned a holiday home in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Germany, called Berghof. It was located in the Obersalzberg and was one of his most well-known headquarters.

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