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EST 1917

Restored Auschwitz sign to be displayed indoors

The iconic sign over Auschwitz’s gate that was recovered and restored after a 2009 theft will be moved indoors.

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(JTA) — The iconic sign over Auschwitz’s gate that was recovered and restored after a 2009 theft will be moved indoors.

The sign, which says “Arbeit macht frei” — German for “Work sets you free” — had been broken into three pieces by thieves working at the behest of a Swedish neo-Nazi. The sign was quickly recovered and recently restored. After it was stolen, a replica of the sign was put over the camp’s gate in its place.

The replica will remain in place of the original sign while the original will be displayed in a planned exhibition hall indoors, where it will be protected from the elements, a museum spokesman said. The decision was made by the international council governing the site on Thursday.

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