AUSCHWITZ 'ARBEIT MACHT FREI' SIGN STOLEN

THE INFAMOUS IRON SIGN BEARING THE NAZIS' CYNICAL SLOGAN 'ARBEIT MACHT FREI' THAT SPANNED THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE FORMER AUSCHWITZ DEATH CAMP, IN SOUTHERN POLAND WHERE MORE THAN 1 MILLION PEOPLE DIED, WAS STOLEN BEFORE DAWN FRIDAY, POLISH POLICE SAID. THE HEAVY 16 FOOT LONG, 90 POUND SIGN WAS UNSCREWED ON ONE SIDE AND TORN OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE, POLICE SPOKESPERSON KATARZYNA PADLO SAID. THE THEFT OF THE SIGN BEARING THE GERMAN WORDS FOR 'WORK SETS YOU FREE' BROUGHT IMMEDIATE CONDEMNATION FROM JEWISH LEADERS IN POLAND AND INTERNATIONALLY. THE SIGN DISAPPEARED FROM THE AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL BETWEEN 3:30am AND 5am, PADLO SAID. THE THIEVES APPEAR TO HAVE KNOWN THE AREA WELL, SHE ADDED. POLICE HAVE LAUNCHED AN INTENSIVE HUNT, WITH SOME TWO DOZEN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS AND A SEARCH DOG SENT TO THE GROUNDS OF THE VAST COMPLEX, WHOSE BARRACKS, WATCHTOWERS AND RUINS OF GAS CHAMBERS STILL STAND AS TESTAMENT TO THE ATROCITIES INFLICTED BY NAZI GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR II. AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE SIGN, MADE BY THE MUSEUM AFTER WORLD WAR II, WAS IMMEDIATELY HUNG IN PLACE OF THE MISSING ORIGINAL TO FILL THE EMPTY SPACE, BUT ALL VISITORS WERE BEING INFORMED ABOUT THE THEFT, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MUSEUM SAID IN A STATEMENT. THE MUSEUM HAD THE REPLICA MADE TO HANG WHEN RESTORATION WORK HAS BEEN REQUIRED ON THE ORIGINAL. THE SLOGAN 'ARBEIT MACHT FREI' WAS ALSO USED AT THE ENTRANCES TO OTHER CAMPS, INCLUDING DACHAU AND SACHSENHAUSEN. THE LONG CURVING SIGN AT AUSCHWITZ, IS, HOWEVER, IS THE BEST KNOWN. BETWEEN 1940 AND 1945, MORE THAN 1 MILLION PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR DIED OF STARVATION AND DISEASE WHILE CARRYING OUT FORCES LABOR AT THE CAMP, WHICH THE NAZIS BUILT IN OCCUPIED POLAND. TODAY THE SITE IS ONE OF THE MAIN DRAWS IN THE REGION FOR VISITORS FROM ABROAD AND POLISH STUDENTS, WITH MORE THAN 1 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR.