Auschwitz death camp sign stolen

Discussion in 'The Holocaust' started by Medic7922, Dec 18, 2009.

  1. Medic7922

    Medic7922 Senior Member

    BBC News - Auschwitz death camp sign stolen

    The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has been stolen, officials there say.
    The sign was taken from above the gate overnight. Police are looking for the culprits.
    It is the first time the sign, made by prisoners, has been stolen since it was erected in the early 1940s.
    More than a million people - 90% of them Jews - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz during World War II
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Another piece of history gone (probably) forever.
     
  3. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I was going to say "somebody should do something about the gypsies", until I realised the irony...
    It can't have gone for scrap as it can't have been worth the effort, so I'm sure it will continue to exist, albeit in some collector's garage.
     
  4. Ferahgo

    Ferahgo Senior Member

    It could have been a number of parties, metal theives, rogue collectors, neo-Nazis maybe. Iconic object to keep under your hat though, might turn up at somepoint...
     
  5. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

    BBC News - Auschwitz death camp sign stolen


    The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has been stolen, officials there say. :mad:The sign was taken from above the gate overnight. Police are looking for the culprits.
    It is the first time the sign, made by prisoners, has been stolen since it was erected in the early 1940s.
    More than a million people - 90% of them Jews - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz during World War II.
    "It's a terrible thing," Auschwitz official Pawel Sawicki told the BBC.
    "It had to be planned - it's obvious it wasn't someone who just came along to do it," he said.
    The missing sign, which is occasionally removed by officials for conservation work, has been replaced by a replica.
    During the Holocaust, hundreds and thousands of prisoners passed under the sign, whose words mean "Work Sets You Free", but the vast majority were murdered or worked to death.




    I only pray that it was taken as a foolish prank, or by a collector - i hope it hasnt been taken for scrap metal value, then it would be lost forever
     
  6. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Merged these threads.

    Can't believe this has happened - to say it's sick is an understatement.
     
  8. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    I can't believe it would go for scrap metal. It'll probably go for sale to some underworld black market WW2 collector. Maybe?

    Sickening though. One day I will get myself to Auschwitz but now I know that when I see that sign, I'll know it won't be the original that millions walked under to their deaths.

    From an emotional point of view, for a lot of people, it will take that little bit of originality out of the visit.
     
  9. Auditman

    Auditman Senior Member

    How low can you get? Even the memories are not sacred to some people.
    Jim
     
  10. James Daly

    James Daly Senior Member

    I wonder just how exactly they managed it... ive been there, and that gate is actually a bit of a walk off the main road, through a car park and down a drive. Security must be pretty lax there if they can get up to it, take it down and drive off with no-one noticing. If they're gonna nick that, what else will they do?

    shocking :mad:
     
  11. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    A despicable act. If ever any object could carry a curse, I imagine this one would. May the present possessors of the sign share only a little in the misery of those who passed underneath it on their final journey.
     
    Gage likes this.
  12. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Terrible news.

    I wonder if the thief or thieves will be thick enough to put it on EBay.

    Like Diane has stated, I hope that there is a curse now on the scum of the earth that stole it.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  13. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    How can anyone do this?

    It reminds me a bit of my visit to the Sachsenhausen concentrationcamp where two barracks were burned down by neo nazis. What remain of the barracks is preserved so the public can see that there's still nazis around.



    Jakob
     
  14. Stig O'Tracy

    Stig O'Tracy Senior Member

    Hopefully someone will rat the bastards out.
     
  15. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Awful news. Is there nothing that won't be taken. I also hope there is a curse to this despicable sign.
     
  16. Medic7922

    Medic7922 Senior Member

  17. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    I was going to say "somebody should do something about the gypsies", until I realised the irony...



    You call that " irony " ?

    Please Do expand on ye mind set. The thought processes that even led ye to type that, and hit " submit reply ". For coming out with such a statement, on this forum.
     
  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I see on the news tonight that it has been replaced with a replica sign.
     
  19. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  20. Lucy Stag

    Lucy Stag Senior Member

    It's strange that I'm outraged by the theft of such a grotesque, sick item, but that's history. It's an incredibly powerful piece of a history, and I can't imagine why anyone would steal it. I guess for the same reason famous paintings are stolen, because black market people will buy it and hide it? But would it be stolen by Neo-Nazis so they can admire it?

    Ugh. Horrible.
     

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