A building in Upper Austria that served as a brothel for inmates of the Gusen concentration camp until 1945 has come up for sale.
The listing on a real estate platform has surprised both the local community and a nearby memorial organisation.
The somewhat dilapidated semi-detached bungalow is advertised as a “house with a history” and “offering a good basis for individual design” according to local newspaper OÖN, which broke the story on November 28.
The property agent also stresses the close vicinity of a kindergarten, a school and various shops.
The history of the house, though, is a little more sinister than the advert reveals.
It was constructed as part of the Gusen concentration camp, set up by the National Socialists in December 1939. It is next to a quarry in the small town of Gusen, north of the Danube, just a few kilometres from the bigger Mauthausen concentration camp.
While less well-known than Mauthausen, the Gusen camp was hardly less murderous. Between 1939 and 1945 more than 71,000 people from all over Europe were sent to the camp.
At least 35,800 of them perished in Gusen – either from being worked to death, starved or executed.
The building up for sale was used as a brothel for inmates starting in June 1942. Around 10 female prisoners at a time were forced to provide sexual services to other inmates who had earned the “privilege” by currying favour with the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary organisation. That group ran the Nazi’s network of concentration and extermination camps.
After the Second World War, the Gusen camp was largely built over with private houses and most barracks were torn down.
The house now up for sale, though, still largely retains its original appearance from 1945, including stone walls and pillars.
Barbara Glück, director of the nearby Mauthausen memorial, said on November 27: “We only learned of the ad on November 21 and we are rather surprised.”
Regarding a potential acquisition of the property, Glück added: “We will assess these new facts together with historians, survivor associations, the Austrian interior ministry and, of course, with the residents of Gusen, before we take a decision.”
The Gusen communal administration was reportedly also unaware of the sale.
The Austrian interior ministry had presented plans for an extension of the Gusen concentration camp memorial onNovember 17 – in which the former brothel did not play any role.
