"Work Sets You Free" Sign Stolen From Former Auschwitz Death Camp!
This is terrible!
The sign above the entrance to the former Auschwitz death camp in Poland reading "Arbeit Macht Frei [Work Sets You Free]" was stolen on Friday!
The 16-ft sign, displaying a cynical Nazi slogan, sat atop the entrance of the Auschwitz death camp while over 1 million people were killed from behind its gates during the Holocaust.
"The theft of such a symbolic object is an attack on the memory of the Holocaust, and an escalation from those elements that would like to return us to darker days," said Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, directorate of the The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority.
"I call on all enlightened forces in the world who fight against anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and the hatred of the other, to join together to combat these trends," Shalev concluded in his statement from Jerusalem.
Although many fear the sign was stolen by "pranksters," British author and historian Andrew Roberts believes the sign may have been taken by collectors of Nazi paraphernalia.
"This is the biggest thing to happen in that sinister black market in a long time," said Roberts. "I fear that this being the ultimate image of the Holocaust that it's been stolen to order by a collector of Nazi paraphernalia."
Polish authorities are offering a $34,000 reward to anyone who can offer information on the disappearance of the sign.
We hope the conscience of whoever stole the sign gets the best of them and they return it ASAP!
[Image via AP Images.]
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Hitler's gonna be pissed.
You're getting slower and slower Perez, half the shit on your site I read about days ago…..
Sick bastards..
These people have no conscience. They are nazi's who think they are acting in God's will.
I pray for their hearts to open and see the error of their ways.
owww shit! How can we steal that? Even if it was a cruel sign, it's a memory.
This absolutely atrocious.
oh PEEREZ think's it's terrible but has no problem working for the same Nazi groups that built Aushwitz. You piece of shit.
If the sign displays a cynical slogan why are they so worried about it?
soooooo yesterday!
Wow…
heartless crime…
wow Perez, thats some good copy and pasting you did of BBC news.
That makes me sick. My grandfather saw that sign when he liberated that camp. Return it you sick Nazi fucks.
That is really a sick act.
wow, who would want to steal that symbol of hate and murder? That sign was the last thing people saw as they were yanked from their families and homes to be sent to live in hell, and die there as well. Who ever took that sign will be facing some bad mother fucking karam. Its is like stealing a body from a grave, just disgusting.
I hope the Zohan kicks their asses!
Re: SWEETPIECE! – Actually, nazis weren't religious. The bible for example wouldn't have supported the morality and a lot of bishops tried to fight them.
I hope the sign gets returned. Nazis don't have a reputation of being smart…
I'm sure they'll make a replica that will look identical and not a person will know the difference except for those with foreknowledge of it being stolen.
OMG cut the drama! Did anybody intent to use that damn sign again? Can we just move on?? I'm soooo sick of hearing people cry about the holocoust, like it happened last year. It was aweful, we get it!! Damn crybabies….
The other question is: how did they manage to steal a metal sign of that size from a former concentration camp??? Inside job? I mean, really… how?
Yeah, I read about it yesterday but it's still awful.
Re: Kathagr – Wrong! Read Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and you'll see that he loves to use the bible to justify his actions. He also imposed a "church tax" on the german people in order to appease the church and make them look the other way. They still pay this tax today by the way. He had loads of priests backing him up. Know your history before you make a statement, please.
How do you steal a huge sign?!
This is disgusting.
only in Poland…. it's probably already sold as scrap metal
maybe the person who stole it was sick of its sarcastic, anti-semitic message. i see that sign as an abomination to the memory of the holocaust, not the other way around. good riddance.
Thank You for takeing my tip perez. Things like this should not be forgotten.
Thank you for takeing my tip Perez. This kind of thing should not be forgotten.
this is old.
Avner Shalev calls for the world to fight racism and hatred. This is pretty rich comming from a race that brings up the camps as a reminder of what happened at every chabce they get. But is essentially built a camp enslaving millions of palestinians. They control their movements control the amount of food and medicine comming into the territories. Lets not forget building illegal settlements, Lets remember how many times the United Nations has called them out only to be ignored. Until Israel frees the palestinians and tears down the wall, They should tread lightly with all their rehtoric
Maybe whoever stole it will burn it. It belongs in the trash as well as all Nazi memorabilia…and, of course, the Nazis too.
Re: Ze German – We *must* remember it so it is never repeated. Think!
Horrendous sickos! I had a cousin who worked for the underground Resistance during WWII. She passed away last year–glad she didn't have to read about this.
The people who stole this sign have no conscience, but maybe somebody connected to these scumbags will turn them in.
ANYBODY CHECK MEL GIBSON'S HOUSE?
i wish i was the one who got my hands on it. grar.
I'm beginning to think that English is a second language for your writers. what is "cynical" about this nazi slogan?
Hello? This was a big news story FOUR DAYS AGO.
Re: evancalo –
"If the sign displays a cynical slogan why are they so worried about it?"
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Because it is historical and important for the world to remember the depravity and evil behind its intent.
Re: sparkys nemesis – Nobody will ever forget about it because people won't let that happen. All the crying is only going to make people sick of hearing about it instead of keeping it as a memory that needs to be respected. People just need to move on, that does NOT mean forget about it. Just quit crying over every single fart! YOU think!
Re: B.4.I.Jump – You idiot, B4I Jump. What is cynical about it, is that they tricked the Jewish people into believing that they were being transported in these cattle cars, to work camps. And that the more they worked, the sooner they would be released. When the truth really was, that no matter how hard they worked, they would all be burned and gassed alive.
it is you who needs to do their research. and nothing about the so called "writers".
Re: sparkys nemesis – It also should not be used as an excuse to enslave a whole people. Walls and checkpoints and forceable removale all reeks of what the nazi's did to the jewss. Now they do it to the palestinians. Do you have any idea how many palestinians die waiting for ambulances> in 2001 the wait ime was 10 mins last year it was over 2 hours. I agree we should remember so it does not happen again. Somebody should remind the Israeli government
How does one steal a sign that huge??!
Dahling, do you even know what a conscience is? I highly doubt that.
Re: Ze German – Arent you late for a KKK meeting, you nazi fuck? The holocaust didnt happen yesterday but it still wasnt that long ago and its still something that cuts just deep to the people whom it affected…. ugh, ignorant people like you should not be allowed to speak.
This is so sick. People would kill their own mothers for money, Polish thieves clearly have no conscience….
That's a huge piece of history right there!
What did they figure they would do with it?!
I really hope they get it back.
Re: Ze German – Maybe if you or any of your family were directly affected by the holocaust you would have a little more compassion.
Who on earth would want to own such a hateful piece of history?? The same sign is over the old entrance to the Dachau camp near Munich - is that going to get stolen too?
Re: jewel64 – Whoever took this have no soul!
I hope it wasn't pranksters OR Nazi memorabilia collectors. I hope it was someone giving a big Eff You! to Hitler and all his regime. While it does seem offensive to the people who suffered in those camps, I hope it was done on their behalf in a way.
Re: evancalo – Are you retarded? Why are you even allowed near the computer for play time you stupid idiot.
Re: Ze German – Ze German, I wish they would open up the showers again just for you
Re: Ze German – You are such a stupid fuck…if I were in a room with you, I would kick you as hard as I could in your balls and watch you scream and cry like a little baby on the floor. Perhaps if your tribe were almost completely extinct, you would be singing an entirely different tune. It's ignorant pieces of shit like yourself who keep perpetuating atrocities of genocide world wide.
Re: SpencerM – Re: vanessa.julia.lutz – Alright, you ignorant fuckers: unless you grew up in Germany having to listen to the holocoust stuff all your damn life although it happened way before your time, being bombarded with insults and told to feel guilty about something you or your parents had no doing in, you better shut the fuck up! You dumb Americans have more Nazis in your own country than the rest of world combined. You let them do the Hitler Salute and march down in Washington, so you better keep your ignorant mouths shut. You're outside observers and don't know nearly as much as you'd like to think. It's horrible what happened, I'm sad that it was Germans who did it but hang on, what did you people over here do with the Native Americans??? Yeah, better look in the mirror before you talk shit to other people! Fucking hypocrites, calling me a Nazi just because I want to move on, and so do my people.
Only losers linger in the past, smart people learn from their mistakes and move on.
Perez, I'm glad you put this story up. I hope the sign gets returned.
HORRIBLE
Re: Ze German – gut gesagt!
Re: Ze German – It's not OUR generation to be worried about, but future generations. Google 'Titanic' and 'clip art' and you'll find off-color ship-sinking stuff- stuff that would be not-so-funny so close to the actual event. Historic events and the severity thereof, get watered-down after a while.
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Thanks, Perez, for putting this article up. I hope the sign gets returned. It's an iconic piece to an historic puzzle.
LOL
Re: seattleLarry – The same day the symbolic sign (made in 1940 by Polish POWs) was stolen (in Poland, not per se by Polish), an exact replica was already put in place. This replica was made a couple of years ago when the original sign needed renovation work.
The sign is 5m long and weighs 40kg88lbs (not THAT heavy if you think of it), it was screwed loose at one end and yanked off at the other end. Because it is such a well known sign and it isn't hard to test and prove if it's the real one or not, it could very well be taken to use in some underground Neonazi-House.
Over a million people died in this camp alone..and the slogan refers to the so called laziness of the Jews (according to the Nazis) and was also meant to give the impression this was a 'working camp', not a destruction camp.
Re: Boryana – Danke! Ich kann's echt nicht mehr hören…
Re: Ze German – Re: Boryana – kurzsichtig
This is truly a citation of karma. God help those who took that sign that must actually psyhchiacrically vibrate. Give the sign back.
It says Work is Liberty.
What a bunch of assholes. And where was security? When I visited the place, there were guards all over the place.
Re: Ze German – You sound ignorant. This was part of their lives. They can talk about it if they want. THEY WENT THROUGH IT. It is horrible and it was horrendous.
Re: Ze German – If you hate us so much, why are you on an American website?? We dont want you.
Re: Auntee Flow – lol i was gonna say the same exact thing to him.
Just to clarify, Perez, the sign was over the gate to KL1 which was a Polish Military installation turned into a prison. The camp where the vast majority of people were killed (KL2) was several miles away.
Are you people stupid!!?? I'm fuckin' GLAD someone took down that sign. It's about 60 past due, don't you think? The Allied forces should have torn that iron sign down the DAY they liberated the camp. For anyone to say it's a "travesty" to have that stolen needs to pull their head our of their arse.
it tool several people to do this. too bad the son of bitches didnt fall while taking it down. what the hell is wrong with people?
Re: Ze German – you miserable asshole.
Translated, the sign actually read, "Over one million served!"
Is any part of the Sudan so neatly kept and guarded?
What is the purpose of this sicko tourist attraction anyway, because it sure as hell isn't preventing any genocides/atrocities of the present day.
Re: Kathagr – Actually Nazis WERE religious….just not christianity religious. They created their own religious ..well..cult for lack of any better description…They created a mix of pagan, ancient roman and norse rituals that they of course also mixed with their own twisted and sinister wannabe belief system. Hitler placed himself as a savior for his people….in every religious sense of the word. It wasnt all battle strategies and fear mongering. He literally indoctrinated every person under his power. Which we all know, near the end, was Huge. As soon as children were school age they were taught about their great savior…hitler. And as soon as they were hitler youth age (boy scout/girl guides age) they were made apart of the rituals. Its very sad, and extremely disturbing, but it is also a very interesting thing to study, and it makes a hell of alot more sense, because personally I could NEVER understand how he got sooooo many people to feel such hate and superiority over other human beings to the extent he did. Religious mind control is an extremely powerful thing. ..and I am not saying anyone who is religious is being controlled..I myself am religious. But there is a massive difference (as demonstrated by nazis) between teaching ones followers to BE better people… and teaching them they ARE better people.
Re: Ze German – Im guessing your sole intent on this subject is to cause controversy. Because for someone to actually FEEL this way about such depravity in this mordern age is a smear on the face of the world others are trying to make better by using this as an EXAMPLE of the violence and sheep-like following that we as nations, and as human beings, are capable of. You are an idiot.
According to Elie Weisel, author of the book Night, in which he writes about his experiences as a prisoner of Auschwitz when he was a teenager, the translation of the sign in "Work is Liberty."
They should put up a new, more accure sign that says, "Into the Oven You Go!".
Re: perezhasanalleakage – yea…building settlement, which is a non-violent act can be equated with the systematic murder of 6 million Jews. Please…spare us your anti Israel propaganda…read a newspaper and get educated!!! Propaganda is what started the holocaust in the first place jackass!!
Their work set the sign free.
What.
it was janca
Re: Ze German – You're an ignorant piece of shit.
I really hope this sign is found.
We do NOT need this being used as rally point for Hatred & Exclusion!
When will we learn??
Re: Ze German – Für die meisten von ihnen - amerikanische Idioten - fängt Geschichte an und Schlüsse mit Namen von amerikanischen Präsidenten. Ich kann nur sagen, dass ich für meine europäische Ausbildung froh bin. Sie sind immer erst, um an Ander-Nationsfehlern zu meckern, während sie ihr eigenes unter dem Teppich der Unerfahrenheit schlagen.
Re: Ze German – #55 on the point!! aber gib dir keine mühe, diese diskussion ist sinnlos…
Re: Ze German – wenn du hier nicht unter "ze german" kommentieren würdest, wäre alles nur halb so schlimm. ignorante idioten, du könntetst beispielsweise genauso gut halber jude sein, der einfach nichts mehr von dem ganzen mist hören kann, aber alles was sie sehen ist dass du deutscher bist, also ein NAZI-egal ob du oder deine eltern jemals damit zu tun hatten und wie lange es schon her ist. hmm but let me think, who voted pr, bush?who is responsible for guantanamo bay?
Re: Boryana – Mangel an der Erfahrung? Wir mussten die Verwirrung aufräumen, die SIE machten.
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My father was of the WWII era, and taught me at every turn, what happened during the holocaust. And while what happened to the Jews was the worst [thing he'd done], hitler had problems with any "other" that wasn't hard-core aryan, or if he just plain, didn't like you.
Re: tl5173 – Re: tl5173 – its a pretty violent act for the people removed from their homes and have to watch it be bulldozed, would you not say. And yes i read many newspapers and maybe you should read the odd one also> Just because one is critical of the atocities israel has committed, does not neccessarily make them anti semetic. The world is slowly getting more wary of the plight of the palestinian people. even the american government is threating to hold back some of the billions they send to israel. And that is a fact. jackass
Re: slapThat – ZeGerman=if it quacks like a duck…
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Also, I didn't VOTE for Bush (Sr. or W.)
Time it was demolished anyway. People will never forget, it's time to tear down the reminders.
Supreme irony: Human Rights Watch recently reported that one of its senior military analysts, Marc Garlasco, a HuffPo writer (of all things!) was recently suspended following revelations that he collected Nazi German paraphernalia!! Maybe this bufoon stole the sign!!
Shouldn't Human Rights Watch people be collecting data on say, innocent Palestinian deaths, or lives lost in Darfur??!!
Re: didntneedtoseethat – well , and "ze german" didnt vote for hitler….
i stole it lol,no just kidding
Re: Boryana – Yep, das denke ich mir auch immer wieder. Wenigstens bringt man uns noch gesunden Menschenverstand bei. Die meisten von denen haben wahrscheinlich noch nie ihr Land verlassen und haben echt null Ahnung wovon sie reden. Und sie vergessen immer unheimlich gerne solche Kleinigkeiten wie Bush oder die Ausrottung der Indianer. Ja ja, das ist natürlich was gaaaanz anderes… Gott sei Dank hab ich solche ignoranten Idioten hier im richtigen Leben noch nicht getroffen aber auf das Thema Holocoust ansprechen tun sie fast alle… was auch unglaublich nervt. Aber was will man machen, ignorance is bliss…
Re: Boryana – Ja, das denke ich mir auch jedes mal, wenn ich so nen Unsinn höre. Wenigstens bringt man uns noch gesunden Menschenverstand bei, der ist hier in den USA schon lange tot. Ich versuche ja, ihn wieder in Mode zu bringen aber… Die meisten Amis haben ihr Land nie verlassen und haben null Ahnung wovon sie reden, tun es aber trotzdem. Und solche Kleinigkeiten wie, ach ich weiß nicht, die Ausrottung der Indianer oder die Wahl eines Affen als Präsidenten (wer kann das wohl sein??) wird immer gerne ignoriert oder runtergespielt. Aber ich hab mich schon dran gewöhnt. Im richtigen Leben sind die meisten Amis nicht so wie die hier, ich werde aber immer wieder auf den Holocoust angesprochen "So what do you think of what happened?" Ja was wohl…
Re: slapThat – Ja, diese Art von Reaktionen hab ich von Anfang an erwartet. Aber das prallt ab
Amis könne echt super kritisieren, aber sich an die eigene Nase fassen? Die wissen nicht, wovon sie reden aber das ist schon ok. Ich weiß gar nicht, wie oft ich wiederholt hab, wie schrecklich das alles war aber die lesen nur, was sie lesen wollen. Wie schon gesagt, ignorance is bliss. Was will man auch erwarten von ner Horde von Idioten, die an Adam und Eva glauben? Es ist trotzdem lustig, die alle schimpfen und fluchen zu sehen hihi.
Re: vanessa.julia.lutz – I don't care what you want. You're obviously an ignorant person with agression issues. And I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that I'm not only on an American website but that I'm also living in your country woohoo What do you gotta say to that? I love Americans but I hate ignorant, prejudiced people who open their mouths too widely without knowing what the fuck they're talking about, regardless of their nationality. The U.S. just seems to have an abundance of those type of peeps.
Re: annoyedbyignorantfools – Nope, my sole intent here is to state my honest opinion. You read only half my posts, ignore the parts where I express my regrets for what happened and only take what I say out of context so that you can call me a Nazi. You people have no clue what you're talking about, young German generations are fed up and would share my opinion. How would you like to be bombarded with history about how Americans killed off almost all the Native Americans? Would you appreciate that? Yeah, don't think so. Don't be so damn closed-minded!
It has been found.