Posted on 12/20/2009 5:15:18 PM PST by Steelfish
Police in Poland Find Sign Stolen From Auschwitz Gate
Hundreds of thousands of people passed under the sign to their deaths
The infamous "Arbeit mach frei" sign stolen from Auschwitz has been found in northern Poland and five men have been arrested, police say. They said the metal sign from the main gate, which symbolises for many the atrocities of Nazi Germany, had been cut into three pieces.
A major search was launched after the sign was stolen before dawn on Friday. Its theft, the motive for which was not being reported, caused outrage in Israel and among Polish politicians. Five men in their 20s or 30s were detained and were being taken to Krakow for questioning, a police spokeswoman said. More than a million people - 90% of them Jews - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz during World War II.
Scrap metal yards searched Police had stepped up security checks at airports and border crossings and searched scrap metal yards over the weekend in their hunt for the 5-m (16-ft) sign, which translates as "Work sets you free". The wrought-iron sign was half-unscrewed, half-torn off from above the death camp's gate between 0330 and 0500 on Friday. Investigators say at least two people would have been needed to steal the 5-m (16-ft), 40-kg (90-lb) sign.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Why would you want that?
Maybe “work will make them free.”
I’m surprised they recovered it.
What I don’t get is why hate the Jews. Unless you send suicide bombers or rockets their way the worst they’ve ever done is sell you an overpriced diamond.
Polish frat house?
Ah yes, the jewish diamond merchants.
As the article said, the police searched scrap metal yards... I’ve heard of copper being stolen and other metals and thieves getting paid for the “scap metal”...
But, who knows what the motive was until we hear more from the police now that they’ve got the perpetrators of the crime.
We’ll probably find out that these men had histories that should have had them in prison. Instead they were free to steal and seriously damage a historic artifact.
They probably originally figured they sell it to some neo-Nazi collector for a high price. But the fact that it was in 3 pieces when it was found suggests that they may have panicked over the difficulty of concealing it while the country was in state of emergency over it, and realized that selling it as a historic artifact was a pipe dream. I’m just glad police found it before they melted it down to avoid getting caught with it.
Thank you Polish Police!
Why?
I thought yesterday some “recycling” theft might be one answer.
And here:
“Scrap metal yards searched Police had stepped up security checks at airports and border crossings and searched scrap metal yards over the weekend in their hunt for the 5-m (16-ft) sign, which translates as “Work sets you free”.”
LEOs knew where to look.
I bet it will be not political but 5 losers, probably drug addicts or similar. Same happens in America.
Wouldn’t it be wild if they were so stupid they tried to take it to a recycling facility for cash?
I say, drop these turkeys in the middle of Yad Vashem on its busiest day and let everyone there have at’em.
I SO want the popcorn concession for that.
Earlier story said it was wrought iron.
It could be political. But also, it could be stupid metal thieves.
Either because they worship Hitler's ideology of hate... and wanted a souvenir.
Or because they wanted to remove some of the most famous traces of the Holocaust, which in their minds... did not exist.
Ping.
there are few muslims in Poland relative to Western Europe...fortunately
Doesn't mean 3 or more of the "few" were not involved.
Just have to wait and see when their names are released.
Also, since Poland is part of the EU, someone from France or the Netherlands could easily drive over to do this.
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