About the prison
The time-honored building on Palmplatz 9 has been used in many different ways since its construction. Until the Napoleonic era, it was part of the citizen hospital (= retirement home) of the city of Braunau.
When corporal punishment was abolished by the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, space was needed to confine the convicts. Thus, in the 19th century, a part of the citizen's hospital became a court, including a prison wing. Over time the court was moved to the city square, but the prison operation was maintained until about 1970. The cells and the administrative rooms were then used by artists and associations until the year 2013. When the city of Braunau decided to sell the old walls, the prison was privatized in 2015. After a thorough refurbishment, the old prison opened its doors again.
Several rental apartments were created in the administrative wing and the private cell rental in the cell section.
The cells
The prison in the heart of Braunau offers a total of 9 completely renovated prison cells to stay overnight:
6 single cells (1 bunk bed)
3 double cells (2 bunk beds)
To make your stay truly authentic, you can use the original furnishings of the recently transferred prison of the city of Salzburg. To make sure you sleep comfortably, all bunk beds have been fitted with new mattresses and bedding.
What the prisoners did not have at that time is the free WLAN in each cell!
Inner yard
A massive wooden gate leads from the Palmpark into the courtyard paved with heavy, large granite stones.
As the ground suddenly gave way during the renovation work, the forgotten fountain was discovered and then repaired. Now it offers a cozy place to stay.
The surroundings
In the immediate vicinity of the old prison walls lies the former citizen hospital, a remarkable gothic building, the associated citizen hospital church and the Palm Park - named after Johann Palm, who lost his life because of his resistance agains Napoleon.
