Austria Takes Steps to Rename Streets Linked to Nazi Affiliates

The decision aims to acknowledge Austria's complex wartime past and is seen as a significant move towards reconciliation.

Two streets in Braunau am Inn, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, are set to be renamed after local officials conducted a clandestine vote in response to long-standing public grievances. This change follows a report that flagged the existing names as unconstitutional due to their associations with Nazi ideology.

The streets are currently named after Josef Reiter, a composer, and Franz Resl, an entertainer, both known for their affiliations with the Nazi party. The renaming process affects approximately 200 households, prompting a mix of support and discussion about how Austria confronts its historical narratives.

The Austrian government has faced criticism over its representations of history, often depicted as a victim rather than actively participating in World War II atrocities. This recent decision has been lauded by the Mauthausen Committee, a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, with chairman Willi Mernyi expressing gratitude to all who supported the cause.

Committee members have proposed that the new street names honor Austrian figures who resisted the Nazis, such as former deputy mayor Lea Olczak, whose father fell victim to the Mauthausen concentration camp, and Maria Stromberger, a resistance member who served as head nurse at Auschwitz.

While many streets in Austria have already undergone renaming due to Nazi connections, the need for continued action remains evident, especially as the country strives to reckon with the shadows of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of around 65,000 Austrian Jews and millions of others during the Nazi regime.