Poland Tightens Border for Auschwitz Sign

(AP)  Polish police and border guards stepped up security checks at airports and border crossings Saturday as the search intensified for the infamous sign stolen from the Auschwitz death camp memorial.

The brazen overnight theft of one of the Holocaust's most chilling and notorious symbols early Friday sparked outrage from around the world, and Polish leaders declared recovering the 16-foot sign a top priority. The sign read "Arbeit Macht Frei" - work makes you free - a grim Nazi slogan etched in the minds of millions.

Interior Minister Jerzy Miller ordered police to question all possible witnesses and suspects in a nationwide effort to find the sign.

The director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial museum, who was visibly shaken by the dramatic theft, told The Associated Press he believes it was carried out by professionals and that none of the memorial museum's staff are considered suspects.

"I think it was done by specialists," Piotr Cywinski said. "It was a very well-prepared action."

Security guards patrol the site around the clock, but due to its vast size they only pass by any one site at intervals. He said that gave thieves between 20 to 30 minutes to remove the sign and carry it off.

Museum authorities said they don't know how much the sign weighs exactly but spokesman Pawel Sawicki said it is made of hollow steel pipes and is believed to weigh only around 65 to 90 pounds.

"A single person could lift it," Sawicki said.

Sawicki said the entire Auschwitz staff was deeply shaken by the theft. He defended security at the camp but said no one could have ever imagined thieves seizing on the gate's sign.

"Thieves are also able to robs banks and museums. Clearly this was well planned. It's a blow to our human heritage," Sawicki said.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights group, urged Poland to intensify its investigation and bring the thieves to justice.

"The fact is that the 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign has become the defining symbol of the Holocaust, because everyone knew that this was not a place where work makes you free, but it was the place where millions of men, women, and children were brought for one purpose only - to be murdered," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the center's founder and dean.

More than 1 million people were killed in gas chambers, from forced labor, or starvation and disease at the camp set up by the Nazis in occupied Poland during World War II. Most of the victims were Jews but they also included Gypsies, Poles, homosexuals and political prisoners.

The camp was liberated by the Soviet army on January 27, 1945. Polish officials plan to mark the 65th anniversary of that liberation next month with somber ceremonies at the site.
By Associated Press Writers Vanessa Gera and Monika Scislowska

[semteks]

The "Arbeit macht frei" sign stolen from Auschwitz in southern Poland has been found in the north and five men are being questioned by police.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8423827.stm

[nmrosen]

I hope the reward is for more than the small sum I saw this a.m. I would love an all out effort to get the scum that took that. Whoever they are they are idiots and deserve a FULL COURT press to find them and return it.

[semteks]

A 105,000-zloty ($3,750) reward has been offered for information leading to the capture of the thieves, and they have been already captured. Police have found the metal sign from the main gate - it had been cut into three pieces.

[texas_liberal]

theres already a new money drive for a new sign.

[babooph]

Just wait for it on ebay...

[ajayvee]

I wonder if within a couple of months the sign doesn't mysteriously show up at the Yad Vashem. What an addition to the museum!!! In that case, I suppose, the whole world would be too scared to ask for it back in case such a request might offend the chosen people. I wonder?

[Dgunner]

I personally hope the sob was melted down for scrap and never to be seen again.

[texas_liberal]

one sign mobilises an army?

[johnpatrick1]

Probably end up displayed at some Corporate Headquarters to inspire the Worker bees to be grateful for their cubicle spaces.

[culturechang]

It wasn't about someone wanting it. It was about someone else not having it. The sign is probably on the bottom of the river.

[newsterl]

Sawicki said the entire Auschwitz staff was deeply shaken by the theft. He defended security at the camp but said no one could have ever imagined thieves seizing on the gate's sign."

No doubt it was taken for some wealthy collector, it's probably displayed now in a room in his private estate. Lots and lots of fine art, antiquities and more are stolen every year and wind up on the black market and bought by collectors.

[nor-one]

There was another sign that was predominant at Auschwitz, it read "IG Farben". Possibly this sign went to the same place. Check with Bayer or Hoechst(Aventis now), or Analine they built the production facility at their own cost. The Nazi's only had to supply the people. The record keeping was done by IBM, yes, they were collaborators with the Nazi regime. Watson was even decorated by Hitler. Good old USA, anything for a buck!!

[kbbpll]

I wonder if someone stole the plaque at Wounded Knee if it would make the national news frontpage two days in a row.

[HappyRick]

"I wonder if someone stole the plaque at Wounded Knee if it would make the national news frontpage two days in a row."

****

I hope so.

146 Sioux were murdered at Wounded Knee. 1 to 3 million Jews, Gypsies, politic prisoners, Catholics and gays were murdered at Auschitz.

Is there parity. YES! The Sioux, like the Jews were decimated by those horrendous acts.

Should it make the Frontpage NEWS. Most Definitely, YES!! It is a lesson from History, that the world has a major problem learning! And after reading these posts, I would say: especially those in the USA!

At Wounded Knee, 146 men, women, and children were machine gunned by 365 American Storm Troopers from the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave". As Americans, we are too often steeped in our self importance and drugged with Patriotic Slogans of Freedom and Democracy for ALL.

The reality, howerver, is that We, like the Nazi's have committed the most despicable acts against smaller weaker groups who got in our way. We almost completely annihilated one race (i.e., Native Americans) while simultaneously enslaving another (i.e. African).

We need to keep reminding ourselves of the real truth of our actions and not the "Story Book Made for TV Movie" version of American History that glosses over the dark and evil deeds that were committed by the USA.