Stolen Dachau sign recovered after two years
The iron gate at the former Nazi camp reads 'Work Makes You Free' and was located in Norway
The iron gate greeting Dachau prisoners with a sign saying “Work Makes You Free” in German was found in Norway two years after it was stolen from the former Nazi camp in Germany.
The stolen section of the gate from the prisoners’ entrance reading “Arbeit macht frei” measures about 6 feet by 3 feet.
Dachau, which is about 10 miles from Munich, was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany.
The theft in 2014 came five years after the 16-foot metal sign from the front gate of the former Auschwitz concentration camp was stolen and recovered across the country 72 hours later cut in three pieces. Repairing the sign took several months.
Five Polish men were convicted of carrying out the theft on behalf of a Swedish citizen, Anders Hogstrom, who acted as a middleman for a neo-Nazi buyer. Hogstrom founded the far-right National Socialist Front party in Sweden in 1994.
It was found in southwestern Norway following an anonymous tip, according to police in the Norwegian city of Bergen, the French news agency AFP reported. Though the recovery was reported in the country’s media on Friday, it is not known when the gate actually was recovered.
The gate reportedly is being studied to make sure it is authentic. It reportedly is in good condition and will be returned to Germany officials as soon as possible, according to AFP.
There have been no reports of any arrests made in connection with the theft.
A replica was placed at the entrance to Dachau, now a memorial site, since the theft.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
