Auschwitz Gate (Arbeit macht frei)

Overview

The gate of Auschwitz with the inscription "Arbeit macht frei" was a cruel symbol of Nazi exploitation and the extermination of millions of people. This deceitful slogan was meant to deceive and manipulate prisoners and the outside world as to the true intentions of the Nazis. It serves as a reminder of the tragedy and horror that Nazi ideology and practices inflicted on humanity throughout history.

The main gate at the Auschwitz I main camp leads to one of the most shocking places in the history of modern Europe. It was this way where the commandos of prisoners marched to work every day. This is also where people returning from forced labor carried exhausted, sick and dead from effort or murdered colleagues. And above their heads, every day they looked at the inscription "Arbeit macht frei" attached to the gate – which means „Work makes you free”, suggesting the possibility of getting out of the camp thanks to diligent and dedicated work.

A symbol of hell, hypocrisy and cruelty.
The Auschwitz Gate was constructed on the orders of the Nazi Germans by Polish political prisoners, deported in one of the first transports arriving from Wiśnicz at the turn of 1940-1941. The inscription, on the other hand, was made in the camp locksmith's shop. It was made by prisoners from the locksmith's commando under the leadership of Jan Liwacz, a master of artistic blacksmithing (camp number 1010). Apparently, they consciously reverse the letter B, which was a manifestation of disobedience and an act of resistance to the slogan proclaimed on the gate. For the tormented prisoners of Auschwitz, the gate and the inscription placed on it were a symbol of hell, hypocrisy and cruelty committed by Nazi criminals. The shocking irony of this slogan, even after many years, caused terror among the survivors of the concentration camps in Oświęcim.
The inscription „Arbeit Macht Frei” was used not only in Auschwitz. On the orders of SS General Theodor Eicke, it was also placed at the entrance gates to several other German camps - Dachau, Gross-Rosen, Sachsenhausen, Theresienstadt, Flossenbürg.

Theft of the inscription
In December 2009, a board with the words „Arbeit Macht Frei” was stolen from Auschwitz. After several dozen hours, law authorities managed to recover it, and the thefts were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment. The original inscription, found in three parts, was replaced with a copy during the time of renovation.

Contact

Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau
ul. Więźniów Oświęcimia 20
32-603 Oświęcim
33 844 8000
www.auschwitz.org

Location

FAQ

It is a German phrase meaning "Work sets you free". It was a deceitful slogan used by the Nazis to manipulate prisoners and the outside world.

This gate was the main entrance to the Auschwitz I concentration camp and became a symbol of Nazi cruelty and the extermination of millions of people.
 

The gate was designed by a prisoner of the camp, Franciszek Gębura, who was an engineer and artist.
 

Yes, the gate is original and is located in its original place.
 

Yes, the Auschwitz I camp is now a museum and you can visit its site, including the "Arbeit macht frei" gate. However, for conservation and safety reasons, entrance to the museum site is only possible with a guide.
 

The gate was stolen on the night of December 17-18, 2009.
 

The gate was stolen by three men, including a former neo-Nazi from Sweden.
 

The stolen gate was an original symbol of Nazi cruelty and the extermination of people at Auschwitz I. Its theft caused a huge stir in Poland and around the world.
 

Yes, the gate was recovered three days after the theft by Polish police near the border with Sweden.
 

The thieves were apprehended, tried and sentenced to prison.


 

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