Auschwitz 'Arbeit Macht Frei' Sign Stolen

"WARSAW, Poland -- The iron sign bearing the Nazi slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" that spanned the main entrance to the former Auschwitz death camp was stolen Friday, Polish police said.

"The sign -- with the German words for "Work Sets You Free" -- is believed to have been stolen from the gates of the Auschwitz memorial site between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., when museum guards noticed it was missing and alerted authorities, police spokeswoman Katarzyna Padlo said."

Auschwitz 'Arbeit Macht Frei' Sign Stolen - WSJ.com

Thieves steal Auschwitz's 'Arbeit macht frei' entrance sign - Times Online

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/18/world/AP-EU-Poland-Auschwitz-.html?hp


Dave

 

Incredible! Neonazis or a private collector or some other lunatic... ????

 

How the hell does this kind of stuff happen! From the image it doesn't look like the sign is easy to take down, would the guards not have heard anything? Are security cameras not in place?

I'm always against such things happening, I hope those responsible are found and the sign is returned.

 

well apparently! its only hooked up there,but you need to know how to to unhinge it, it will raise an interest worldwide...

 

its unfortunate what people will stoop to these days. I hope that they recover the sign.

 

How do those morrons imagine they could ever sell or display this ? I hope they get arrested . It's just sick .

 

Disgusting, it is like stealing medals from a veteran. Absolutely disgusting.

 

hope we dont see it on epay anytime soon

 

Like stealing from a grave. When caught, throw the book at the idiots.

 

What a bunch of idiots! People who would do such a thing would need to spend some time in Auchwitz alone! Just to teach 'em a lesson or two..what a horrible thing to do


Suzie

 

I wonder why it was never alarmed! had it been welded in place would they have still tried to remove it,and if so! what reason lays behind it?..

 

I think they were filmed and I hope they 'll identify them . In the meantime the local authorities replaced the sign with an exact copy. Maybe they should put a copy up on a permanent way and put the original in the museum when they find it back? This would avoid further bad surprises.

 

very strange? why now! after all this time? did someone decide to steal it! ransom? possible,melt it down? mmmm! or just to make the news,or prove that it was easy to do....

 

Or they're just sick in the head...

 

The wrought-iron sign was half-unscrewed, half-torn off from above the death camp's gate between 0330 and 0500 on Friday, said a police spokeswoman.

Investigators say at least two people would have been needed to steal the 5-m (16-ft), 40-kg (90-lb) sign.

Police said they were reviewing footage from a surveillance camera that overlooks the entrance gate and the road beyond but declined to say whether the crime was recorded, The Associated Press news agency reports.

Auschwitz museum spokesman Jaroslaw Mensfelt said it might have been too dark for the camera to have captured images.

He said the thieves apparently carried the sign 300m (yards) to an opening in a concrete wall. The opening was left intentionally to preserve a poplar tree dating back to the time of World War II.

Four metal bars that had blocked the opening had been cut and footprints in the snow led from the wall opening to the nearby road, where police presume the sign was loaded on to a vehicle.

Another police official said earlier that while all leads were being considered, police were focusing on a theft ordered by a private collector or a group of individuals.

It is the first time the sign, made by Polish prisoners, has been stolen since it was erected in 1940.

A 5,000-zloty ($1,700; £1,050) reward has been offered for information leading to the capture of the thieves.

BBC News - Hunt for Auschwitz Arbeit Macht Frei sign thieves

 

Most likely-or, keep a careful watch out on Ebay for it (just joking about the ebay part). One might begin to wonder if pawel nowak had it's fingers involved in this deal? I would almost bet that stupid individual or group of individuals-might try something like that.

Look at what happened to Erich Topps Honor Dagger he was prsented with by GADM Karl Donitz.

 

Isn't there a memorial coming up at Auschwitz either later this month or next month? I bet the theft had something to do with that...what better a time for a bunch of moron's to do their heist. Like been said here, it's not like they can sell the damn thing.

 

they will be caught eventually, i mean who walks around with a huge medal sign written in german. there had to have been some witnesses. How could they have transported it? It's not like they can lug that in their smart car.. I'm not saying criminals drive smart cars.. lol .. i'm just saying european cars are small cars.


But hopefully it will be found. safe and in one piece.


suzie

 

I wouldn´t be surprised if it is by now a garden gate for a big money man.... Just because it´s so famous, not what it reprerents in real life.