Hatboro PA – The Simon Wiesenthal Center is urging eBay to cancel the auction of an “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign, touted as “similar to the one in Auschwitz” being offered for sale on the Web site.
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The representation, which is being sold by a Pennsylvania man using the name “ss panzergrenadier,” is being marketed a few days after the real sign was stolen from Auschwitz and found two days later in northern Poland in a forest buried under snow.
The sales description on eBay reads: “For sale is a sign in German meaning ‘Work for Freedom’ that dates back to the 1700s and was used in many Nazi Concentration camps.
“It was designed specifically from the sign over the main gate at Auschwitz. It measures about 7 feet long and is made from 1/4 round bar steel with 1/8 x 3/4 steel lettering…Gate is not included, just the actual lettering and boarder pictured.”
The sign was intended to mislead arriving victims into thinking that if they worked hard they would do well at the death camp.
As of Wednesday afternoon there was one bid for the item at $75, with bidding set to end on Friday at 7 p.m.
Does anyone think it makes sense to buy it and then destroy it?
eBay Anti-Semites abound. Looks like the man welded that piece of junk together in his own filthy garage.
If you click on the above link to the listing, you can report it. Maybe if eBay gets a lot of reports they will remove the listing. eBay doesn’t give you much leeway in reporting the item, so I reported it as “Items produced by or linked to disastrous or tragic events.”
Who cares??? Whom those it bother?? Because that’s what the sign said at the gates of aushvitz is he not allowed to copy it and sell it if it works for him?? Why??
I can see the weisenthal center is not too busy lately
foy!!!
I can’t see why he can’t make a living. We have much better things to worry about, and selling the sign is in no way anti-semitic. Some Jews just love noise and if they can’t find it, they’ll make it
#3 Thanks for the info.
I also just reported this bid and i urge others to report this bid as well.
Can we start a email writing campaign, to ebay . Me and my freinds will boycott ebay if they don’t take off this from their site . The world is shameless place , if it can make anyone richer by a buck….
the guy is probably an anti-semite by virtue of his handle-SS …
I don’t see how anyone can find this acceptable.This is a sign that symbolizes the torture of millions of Jews.
Can’t you guys give someone the benefit of the doubt?
Maybe he made it to replace the original when he heard it was stolen? Maybe he already had an extra one from a different camp? When he heard about the theft he took it out of his attic to sell? Maybe he was hoping to open his own camp? Just because the guys nickname is “SS Panzer grenadier” doesn’t mean he’s a Nazi or a sympathizer. This is America, he has a right to freedom of expression. All those that complain should know that you are misgaros bi’oomos and are making a chillul Hashem.
See ya in camp!
Its his right to make and sell any junk he wants under the First Amendment no matter how much it may upset some yidden.
I have long wondered why there is no museum of the war within the heimishe community so our kids will know and remember what happened to our grandparents and understand our background and the rich Jewish history of Europe. It doesn’t have to be a graphical display but just informativ of the past.
who cares . I think maybe ill make some of those and make some money and sell em to holocaust museums as a memorial, its a free country
the bid is over 10,000 dollars by now.
At over $20,000 with one day left to go, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of these signs on ebay if it’s not stopped. That’s some real $$
his “note” says there might be fake bids and that it will go to second place bidder. I have a feeling all the bidding except for the 220$ bid is fake.
The auction has been removed.