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Polish police find stolen Auschwitz gate sign cut into 3 pieces

World Dec. 21, 2009 - 09:38AM JST ( 18 )

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18 Comments

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chottoDec. 21, 2009 - 10:34AM JST

police also detained five men aged between 25 and 39 who are being transported to Krakow for questioning.

Next thing you know...
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presto345Dec. 21, 2009 - 12:35PM JST

I am glad the scum who did this were apprehended. They should get a taste of a Polish prison for a long time.
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sabiwabiDec. 21, 2009 - 02:52PM JST

Another publicity stunt, perhaps?
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nandakandamandaDec. 21, 2009 - 03:31PM JST

Oh boy, I wonder if the Police will be able to figure out how to fit all the pieces back together again? Macht arbeit frei... er....
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JunnamaDec. 21, 2009 - 03:38PM JST

Strange crime. I wonder if they were Neo-Nazi's or treasure hunters. Somebody might be willing to pay alot for such a historic (and infamous) artifact...
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seijichuudo9shaDec. 21, 2009 - 05:37PM JST

Another publicity stunt, perhaps?

You can count on it. Europeans like gallows humor.
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sabiwabiDec. 21, 2009 - 05:59PM JST

The police refused to divulge any details of the circumstances in which the sign was found or to speculate on the motive of the perpetrators.

.

I wonder if they were Neo-Nazi's or treasure hunters.

If they were Neo-Nazi's, I'm sure we would have been told by now. That's why I think it might be a publicity stunt, for gather support and maybe donations. Don't they have a donations drive on now, to help fund renovations?
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graftonDec. 21, 2009 - 09:24PM JST

Stolen by a team of low life criminals doubtless to be sold to a even lower life NeoNazi who would claim the Auschwitz camp was nothing more than a work and relocation camp, but still wants the sign all for himself. Well these were not drunken students as I at first put forward but they come a close second. Don’t they seijichuudo9sha ?
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bobbafettDec. 21, 2009 - 10:32PM JST

The place should have been bulldozed to the ground a long time ago.
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smithinjapanDec. 21, 2009 - 10:49PM JST

Why on earth would you steal and deface such a thing? I think this is just a case of your usual morons seeking infamy -- be it amongst acquaintances or the police and media. They shouldn't get anymore jail time than they would for doing the same to other national monuments, but they need a serious smack and a lesson in morals.
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LIBERTASDec. 22, 2009 - 02:09AM JST

Let me offer the writings on this topic by Jewish writer Gilad Atzmon:

"For the last three decades Auschwitz has been operating as a tourist resort. It has its Holiday Tourist Guide, ‘near by’ hotels, Hot Dog stand, recommended restaurants and so on. Considering Auschwitz has achieved the status of a successful tourist attraction, I would regard the theft of the entrance monument as a major opportunity. I suggest the current staff at Auschwitz prepare for a mass of tourists to come. I propose creating many more gate facilities decorated with entrance monuments. In the spirit of multiculturalism and global markets, each entrance can be accompanied by a real McDonalds for the American crowd, a genuine pub for the Brits, an authentic Nandos for chicken lovers and Maoz Falafel for the Israeli youngsters who are sent year after year to brew in Jewish suffering just before they join the IDF. It is in Auschwitz where young Israelis fuel themselves with enough hatred so they can punish the Palestinians for crimes committed by Europeans."

Hardly the voice of an anti-semitic, is it? After all, the original Semites are the Palestinians! It begs the obvious question.
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tsurubushiDec. 22, 2009 - 03:23AM JST

the sign is made of wrought iron, if I remeber right. depending on the thickness, they may have noted the price for iron and decided that the sign was worth more in their pockets than it was on the gate. Might just be a common theft of a valuable material, who knows?
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sabiwabiDec. 22, 2009 - 12:17PM JST

Why on earth would you steal and deface such a thing?

Maybe they were paid by someone who wants to gain more sympathy for the theme park to get more donations.
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bobbafettDec. 23, 2009 - 01:38AM JST

Sabiwabi,

No, they just wanted to get money for scrap metal. Like I said, the place should have been bulldozed even if by the Russians 60 odd years ago.

What kind of ghoul would go there to reflect anyway? Only a sick voyeur would go there to reflect under the guise of "lets not forget".

The same type of people who dream up whaling under the guise of scientific research.

Clearly Auschwitz is a place not to want to go.
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sabiwabiDec. 23, 2009 - 01:44PM JST

No, they just wanted to get money for scrap metal.

Funny how they stole the sign right when the theme park is "preparing for solemn observations of the 65th anniversary of liberation".

I still think this was probably some sort of publicity stunt.
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sabiwabiDec. 23, 2009 - 02:25PM JST

And from BBC:

A Polish prosecutor says the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" sign from Auschwitz was commissioned from abroad.

Me thinks its more than "scrap metal".
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sabiwabiDec. 24, 2009 - 11:33AM JST

What is also quite interesting is that as the theft of the sign ("work shall set you free") was reported several times daily throughout the west, it is announced that the Israeli Finance Minister will demand between 450 million to 1 billion euros in reparations from Germany on behalf of Jews forced into slave labor during the Holocaust.

Wow, now its hard to believe that it could be anything other than a publicity stunt!