Braunau Revokes Honorary Citizenship from Two Individuals with Nazi Associations

Following the completion of the historian's report at the end of 2024 on four controversial street names in Braunau, the birthplace of dictator Adolf Hitler, the municipal council on Wednesday evening revoked the honorary citizenship of two individuals with a Nazi past: the composer and "ethnic composer" Josef Reiter, who was already a candidate for the NSDAP in 1929, and "district heritage curator" Eduard Kriechbaum. However, their names remain present in public spaces.

Braunau Responds to Nazi Past

Commissioned by the city, historian and director of the memorial site Schloss Hartheim, Florian Schwanninger, scientifically researched the role of four namesakes during the Nazi era as well as their possible illegal Nazi activities before the "Anschluss" of Austria in March 1938. Besides Josef-Reiter-Straße and Eduard-Kriechbaum-Stiege, these included Franz-Resl-Straße, named after the Linz entertainer and Nazi protagonist, and Dr.-Wilhelm-Scheuba-Gasse, named after a doctor from Steyr and member of the Nazi Air Corps. Schwanninger classified Reiter, Kriechbaum, and Resl in category 1, very burdened, and Scheuba in category 2, burdened.

What will happen with the historically burdensome street names has not yet reached a consensus in Braunau's city politics. However, the cultural committee at least presented a motion to the municipal council in the Wednesday evening meeting to revoke the honorary citizenship of the two Braunau honorary citizens Reiter (received in 1922) and Kriechbaum (received in 1952). The municipal council unanimously voted for the revocation in the case of Reiter, while the FPÖ abstained in the case of Kriechbaum. However, the ÖVP, SPÖ, and Greens voted with the required majority in favor, according to the Braunau city office.

(APA/Red)

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