Polish TV station criticised for parodying infamous Auschwitz sign
Museum at former Nazi death camp lashes out at right-wing channel for adapting 'Arbeit macht frei' in a story about repatriation
The museum at Auschwitz criticised a right-wing television station in Warsaw that adapted the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” sign above the gates of the Nazi death camp into an illustration for a story about German reparations.
The illustration for the story on Republika TV about the call by some Polish lawmakers for Germany to compensate Poland for its losses in World War II changed the words of the Auschwitz sign from “Work sets you free” to “Reparations set you free.”
Following complaints, Republika removed the graphic from its Twitter account but not from its website.
“The primitive manipulation of painful symbols shows the moral level and understanding of history by its authors,” the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum said Monday on its Twitter account.
Prymitywne manipulacje bolesnymi symbolami świadczą jedynie o poziomie moralnym oraz zrozumieniu historii u ich autorów. https://t.co/wLJ1kIH4bN
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) August 14, 2017
Social media users also criticised the graphic.
Krystyna Pawlowicz, a member of parliament representing the Law and Justice Party, wrote last week on Facebook that perhaps President Donald Trump would support Poland’s claim for compensation from Germany. She also suggested that the government should ask for help of “the best American Jewish law firms” who fought for “compensation from Germany for the holocaust [sic].”
Nie ma co marnować czasu,skoro temat odszkodowań dla Polski od Niemiec za zniszczenia wojenne został otwarty.Być może…
Posted by Krystyna Pawłowicz on Tuesday, 8 August 2017
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.
