Thieves steal Auschwitz 'Work Sets You Free' sign

[babylonsister]

Thieves steal Auschwitz 'Work Sets You Free' sign

By VANESSA GERA and RYAN LUCAS (AP) – 1 hour ago



OSWIECIM, Poland — Thieves stole the notorious sign bearing the cynical Nazi slogan "Work Sets You Free" from the entrance to the former Auschwitz death camp on Friday, cutting through rows of barbed wire and metal bars before making their escape through the snow.

The brazen seizure of one of the Holocaust's most chilling symbols brought worldwide condemnation.

"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," Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev said in a statement from Jerusalem.

"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."

The 16-foot sign bearing the German words "Arbeit Macht Frei" — "Work Sets You Free" — spanned the main entrance to the Auschwitz death camp, where more than 1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed during World War II.

more...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jhpYReZvj_AXA9lKGG59sF78nWGAD9CLVNB80

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. I'm not sure if I'm upset or not.

[emilyg]

15. I'm upset. Many of my

family perished there.

[virgogal]

2. Tell me this is a joke----please.

[BlueIdaho]

3. Wow - talk about your bad karma...

[Bolo Boffin]

4. Couldn't they have made their own? n/t

[dysfunctional press]

6. too much work. and this one was free.

[KittyWampus]

12. Damn, I feel guilty for laughing.

[Dennis Donovan]

5. Work sets you free...

...but stealing will get you jailed.

Ironic, no?:hi::rofl:

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. That's a shame.

I hope it's recovered intact.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. me too

[Bozita]

8. US Chamber of Commerce on the road?

[AllentownJake]

9. That is horrible

It is a piece of history that needs to be preserved, always as a reminder of the dangers of Right Wing extremism and racism.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. ARBEIT MACHT

MÜDE.

[upi402]

13. What KKK basement is THAT headed to? n/t

[Canuckistanian]

14. Sounds like the RNC needed a new sign for their headquarters

Because they too are fighting for anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and the hatred of the other.

Oh, sorry, did I say "for"? I meant "against".

My bad.

[LeftyMom]

16. I'm almost more appalled that the AP felt the need to translate the phrase in the headline.

What a sign of the historical illiteracy of the American public. If they don't know any other phrases in German, any school child with even the most sketchy history knowledge should know that one and "Ich bin ein Berliner" (aka "I am a donut.")

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Talk about irony.

:rofl:

[applegrove]

18. What group of people would do this thing? I don't understand the world some times. Sometimes I

understand it all too well.

[-..__...]

19. Even in Poland...

meth heads will steal anything.

[kenny blankenship]

20. But theft maximizes your return on investment!

[MilesColtrane]

21. I'm afraid that sign is now part of some skinhead jerkoff ritual.

God, I hate nazis.