(CNN) The house in which Adolf Hitler was born is set to be turned into a police station in a bid to stop it becoming a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis, the Austrian government says.

The building, located in the north-western Austrian town of Braunau am Inn, was forcibly acquired by the Austrian government in 2017.

The property's future has been the source of debate in Austria. In 2016, there were plans for it to be demolished.

The Interior Ministry noted that they received "special legal authorization" to expropriate the property, and paid compensation amounting to €812,000 ($898,389) to its former owner.

"The handling of Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau am Inn has been a challenge for the Second Republic for more than 70 years, especially in connection with the history of the Third Reich in Austria," the Interior Ministry said in a statement sent to CNN.

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