House of Responsibility
In the last issue of the CenterNews, we informed our readers about the "International Center for Reconciliation" — an initiative of all political parties of the city of Braunau (Austria), to purchase the house in which Adolf Hitler was born, and to transform it into a site honoring peace, freedom, tolerance, and democracy. While a year ago the exact purpose for this project was rather vague, its new name, House of Responsibility, spells out its broadly expanded purpose. Plans still call for exhibits about the Nazi past, but now include exhibits about the injustices, human rights violations, and genocides that have taken place since then.
The building will also house the offices of the Austrian Gedenkdienst (Austrian Holocaust Memorial Service) organization, so that young Austrians can inform themselves about the Gedenkdienst alternative to compulsory military service. (A Gedenkdienst intern spends 14 months working at a major Holocaust institution instead of 8 months in the military.)
Also located within the building will be the offices of Braunau's Society for Contemporary History (see CenterNews Vol.4, No.2).
By linking issues of the past with those of the present, it is hoped that guideposts can be established to prevent horrific conflicts in the future.
The purchase of the house has not yet been finalized. A homepage available in English as well as German, provides further information: http://www.hrb.at

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