Austria's lower house of parliament has approved the compulsory purchase of the building Adolf Hitler was born in, a step towards changing the site beyond recognition to reduce its appeal as a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis.

The text, approved late on Wednesday, did not specify what form the planned overhaul of the building will take, which some deputies who voted against the bill cited as their reason for opposing it.

Opponents included some members of the small, liberal Neos party, according to a statement by parliament, but a count of votes was not immediately available.

The bill must now be passed by the upper house, which is expected to be a formality.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka has said the government supports a planned "thorough architectural rearrangement" of the house Hitler was born in near the border with Germany in 1889, which could include demolishing the building.

The compulsory purchase of the house in the town in Braunau am Inn should put an end to a long-standing dispute with its owner, a retired woman who has turned down previous offers by the state to acquire the site.

Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo Show all 20 1 /20 Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 473668.bin Busts of Adolf Hitler feature in the exhibition which opens tomorrow at the German History Museum in Berlin REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 473669.bin A cut-out caricature of Adolf Hitler AP Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474134.bin German Nazi uniforms are displayed at the media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474137.bin Front pages of the German magazin 'Der Spiegel' displaying portraits of Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474136.bin Exhibits with the Nazi swastika are displayed at the media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474135.bin Exhibits with the Nazi swastika are displayed at the media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474138.bin Journalists look at busts of Adolf Hitler at a media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474126.bin Busts of Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474124.bin Visitors attend a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474121.bin A book with the Nazi swastika is displayed at the media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474122.bin Portraits of Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler (top) and his regime are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474127.bin 2010 Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474123.bin Uniforms of Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler and his regime are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474131.bin A journalist looks at busts of Adolf Hitler at the media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474133.bin Visitors attend a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474129.bin A visitor looks on a documentation display during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474128.bin Uniforms of Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler and his regime are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474130.bin A visitor looks on a documentation during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474132.bin Tin soldiers of the Nazi criminal Adolf Hitler regime are pictured during a press preview of 'Hitler and the Germans Nation and Crime' (Hitler und die Deutschen Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen) at Deutsches Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) on October 13, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The exhibition seeks to answer the question of why so many Germans chose to follow Hitler and his fascist ideology and so devotedly despite the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. The exhibition will be open to the public from October 15 until February 6, 2011. Getty Images Hitler exhibition breaks Germany's last taboo 474125.bin Busts of Adolf Hitler are displayed at a media preview of the exhibition "Hilter und die Deutsche Volksgemeinschaft und Verbrechen" (Hitler and the German Nation and Crime) at the Deutsche Historisches Museum (German Historical Museum) in Berlin October 13, 2010. The exhibition will open to the public on October 15 and run till February 6, 2011. REUTERS

Mr Sobotka has said the three-storey building could be used by the town of Braunau for "charitable or official purposes" after its conversion.

The Interior Ministry has been renting the building since 1972 and sublet it to Braunau.