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Auschwitz death camp sign stolen Auschwitz death camp sign stolen
(about 3 hours later)
The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has been stolen.The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign at the entrance to the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Poland has been stolen.
The wide metal sign was unscrewed and pulled down from its position above the gate overnight. Police are searching for the culprits. The wrought iron sign, whose words mean "Work Sets You Free", was unscrewed and pulled down from its position above the gate in the early hours of Friday.
It is the first time the sign, made by Polish prisoners, has been stolen since it was erected in 1940. Polish authorities denounced the theft, while Israel's Holocaust museum branded it an "act of war".
More than a million people - 90% of them Jews - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz during World War II.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. Investigators say at least two people would have been needed to steal the five-metre-long (16ft), 40kg (90lb) sign.
"The sign means everything - it's a symbol of what Auschwitz stands for. But a place where hundreds of thousands of people died obviously doesn't mean anything to the thieves," he said. The theft occurred between 0330 and 0500 local time on Friday, police spokeswoman Katarzyna Padlo told AP news agency.
Mr Sawicki said the theft was probably planned. If they are pranksters, they'd have to be sick Michael SchudrichPoland's chief rabbi class="" href="/2/hi/in_depth/7828486.stm">Auschwitz: Past and present class="" href="/2/hi/europe/7842671.stm">Audio-slideshow: Auschwitz decay
The missing sign, which is occasionally removed by officials for conservation work, has been replaced by a replica. Jarek Mensfelt, from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, told the BBC: "It is more than just stealing something. It is a desecration.
During the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of prisoners passed under the sign, whose words mean "Work Sets You Free", but the vast majority were murdered or worked to death. "Somebody who did this must have been a person who had a knowledge of our security system because all the area is closed at night and patrolled and there is a system of cameras," he added.
"This was not an incident - this was a deliberate and organised action."
Avner Shalev, director of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, said the theft "constitutes a true declaration of war".
He added: "We don't know the identity of the perpetrators but I assume they are neo-Nazis."
'Abominable'
Polish ex-President Lech Walesa described the theft as "unthinkable", while Poland's chief rabbi said he could not imagine who would do such a thing.
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"If they are pranksters, they'd have to be sick," said Michael Schudrich.
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom labelled the theft "abominable".
"This act demonstrates once again hatred and violence against Jews," he is quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw says police are interviewing security guards and viewing closed circuit television footage.
It is not clear why it was stolen but museum officials say the widely recognised sign would be difficult to sell.
It is the first time the sign, made by Polish prisoners, has been stolen since it was erected in 1940.
Reward offer
Occasionally removed by officials for conservation work, it has been replaced by a replica.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit the museum every year
A 5,000-zloty ($1,700; £1,050) reward has been offered for information leading to the capture of the thieves, reports AP.
The cynical slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" was also used at the entrances to other Nazi camps, including Dachau and Sachsenhausen, although the one at Auschwitz is perhaps the best known.
Hundreds of thousands of prisoners passed under the sign into the camp during the Holocaust, but the majority were murdered or worked to death.
The theft comes just days after the German government pledged 60m euros ($86m) to an endowment fund to help preserve the camp.The theft comes just days after the German government pledged 60m euros ($86m) to an endowment fund to help preserve the camp.
Auschwitz, which receives more than a million visitors a year, has been run as a state museum since 1947.Auschwitz, which receives more than a million visitors a year, has been run as a state museum since 1947.
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