An Austrian man was arrested this week on suspicion of glorifying Nazism after allegedly impersonating Adolf Hitler at the dictator's birthplace. Sporting a distinctive side parting, moustache and 1940s-style suit, Harald Zenz, 25, walked into a bar in the town of Braunau am Inn on Monday and introduced himself as "Harald Hitler," the British Independent reported Wednesday. According to the report, Zenz was later spotted browsing World War II-era magazines in a local book shop, and posing for photos outside Hitler's childhood home. Local police spokesman David Furtner said Zenz was detained after being seen repeatedly in front of Hitler's house. "He appears to glorify Hitler," Furtner said, adding it did not appear as if Zenz was taking part in a prank or performance. An official with the Ried Prosecutor's Office told local media that Zenz was arrested because "the glorification of Adolf Hitler is punishable. If I dress as Hitler and pose outside his birthplace, I am reviving this nationalist ideology." Glorifying Hitler or the Third Reich is a crime in Austria, which Nazi Germany annexed in 1938. Zenz remains in custody while prosecutors decide whether to press criminal charges, the official said. Authorities in Braunau have been attempting to prevent the town becoming a destination for right-wing extremists. The house itself is the object of a legal squabble between its owner and the government, which wants to take possession and remodel it to erase all associations with Hitler.
Austrian police arrest Hitler lookalike for 'glorifying' Nazi era
Harald Zenz, 25, arrested after allegedly posing for photos outside Hitler's childhood home • He reportedly walked into a bar and called himself "Harald Hitler" • Prosecutors mull pressing charges • Glorifying Hitler or Third Reich is a crime in Austria.
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