Austria ponders taking over house of Hitler's childhood

The Austrian government is looking at options that would allow it to take possession of the house where Adolf Hitler spent his early childhood as it seeks to end a dispute with the owner over its use, officials said Wednesday.

The move is the latest in efforts by the government to ensure that the house is not turned to a use that makes it even more of a shrine for Hitler's admirers. Municipal officials in Braunau, where the house stands, already complain that it draws neo-Nazi visitors to the town on the border with Germany.