Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

The sale of Adolf Hitler's family home in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has sparked concern that it could become a shrine for Nazi sympathisers.

The unassuming house where Hitler was born in 1889 has been put on the market priced at 2.2 million euros, the BBC reports.

Residents and local politicians fear that the property could fall into the hands of far-right extremists.

Braunau's mayor Gerhard Skiba wants to prevent that happening, but the council does not have the funds to buy it.

The building is currently used by an organisation helping the disabled and has also housed a library, bank and technical institute.

Some historians have suggested turning the building into a museum. However Mr Skiba vigorously opposes the idea, saying it would encourage people from all over the world to visit the site.

For the time being, the only reminder of the building's infamous past is a small memorial dedicated to the victims of the Nazis.