Leonding Cemetery
This small village just outside Linz with its approximately 25,000 people is another place that is strongly associated with Hitler, albeit not as clearly as Braunau. In Leonding Hitler’s father bought a house where he and his family Hitler lived for a couple of years at the turn of the last century. Leonding is also Hitler’s parents final resting place as they are buried in the village cemetery. The cemetery is just opposite the mentioned house. Hitler visited the grave during his visit to Austria shortly after Austria had been incorporated into Germany, March 1938.
Current status: Preserved (1998).
Address: Michaelsbergstrasse, 4060 Leonding.
Get there: Car.
Follow up in books: Kershaw, Ian: Hitler – A Biography (2008).
Hitler’s parents’ grave was long spared from neo-Nazi groups, sympathizers and, by all means, ordinary tourists. As long as these visits were limited, the local authorities could accept it. However, internet sites such as the old Panoramio, Google Earth and social media where people can post their own images contributed to the grave receiving unwanted attention. The consequence was that people increasingly travelled to Leonding solely to visit the grave. This unwanted influx of tourists finally resulted in the local authorities deciding in spring 2012 to remove the grave.