Are you planning to visit Auschwitz concentration camp and have some historical curiosities? You are in the right place to get all the information you need!
In this article we will specifically discuss the famous inscription on the gate of Auschwitz, “Arbeit macht frei,” which translated means “work makes you free.”
It has become almost a symbol of the concentration camp, in fact everyone immediately associates this inscription with Auschwitz; however, it was not only featured in this concentration camp and actually conceals a very interesting history.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Auschwitz Gate.
But before you go any further, pay attention! I want to give you a great tip: reserving priority entrance is the only way you can avoid long lines at the gate. Also, if you add the accompaniment of an experienced guide to your package, you are sure to give yourself a unique opportunity for growth and reflection in the cold streets of the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp!
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Table of Contents
Origin of the inscription “Arbeit macht frei”
As you may have read, the inscription means “work makes free” and comes from the 1872 novel by Lorenz Diefenbach.
Several characters in the novel, in fact, found their dimension or some kind of redemption through the work they did, thus, work had an almost pedagogical function necessary for the positive transformation of the characters.
The introduction of this motto in a concentration camp occurred in Dachau in 1933, but it was soon taken as an example by other camps including Auschwitz since its construction in 1940.
Dachau, Germany: entrance gate of the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Nazi Germany. Photo ID 194595270 | Arbeit Macht Frei © Micha Klootwijk | Dreamstime.com
Actually, the phrase was not meant to be a deception: originally, the first Nazi camps were considered corrective, either for Germans who did not follow the regime or for populations considered “educable.”
However, with the transformation into extermination camps and with the thought of eliminating people from ethnic groups considered “inferior,” the writing took on a macabre aspect.
For example, at Auschwitz it seems that Warden Hoß often reminded his prisoners of the fate that awaited them, so the illusion was rather vain.
However, in uncertainty and fear, the writing could sound like a hope of salvation in case of dedication to work or, for those who were more disillusioned, a cruel and sadistic lie.
One thinks of Primo Levi who, in his book “The Truce,” called the words that make up the inscription thus, “The three words of mockery on the door of slavery.”
The gate of Auschwitz: construction and details
ID 143002358 | Auschwitz © Thiago Lopes | Dreamstime.com
The inscription, as mentioned, was desired by the camp commandant but designed by German officer Kurt Muller.
The forging, however, was entrusted to a Polish prisoner named Jan Liwacz. If you look closely at the letter “B” in “Arbeit” you will notice a peculiarity: it is upside down.
This oddity would appear to be a small act of revolt by the prisoner-forger who, to show his disagreement with what the camp stood for, decided to risk his life in order to overturn that letter.
After the liberation of the camp, the ex-prisoner demanded to have the inscription, which, however, was already traveling eastward after a Soviet soldier detached it.
Only later did he manage to obtain it by trading it for a bottle of vodka and kept it, aware of its value, and then donated it to the Auschwitz Museum years later.
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose the time of your choice. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.
The gate of Auschwitz today: preservation and memory
ID 41362760 | Auschwitz © Danilo Mongiello | Dreamstime.com
The inscription was stolen in 2009 by three thieves who broke it into as many parts. After a few days, however, the thieves were arrested, the inscription restored and placed safely inside the Auschwitz Museum.
An identical copy, however, has been placed in the original location: this is crucial because it is a very important historical testimony and the sight of it, just as one is passing through the gates of Auschwitz, has a very strong emotional impact.
The gate and the inscription, in fact, are a key part of the visit on which we pause for a moment of reflection: if you choose to be accompanied by a guide, you can receive great insights during your visit!
Arbeit macht frei Auschwitz: Frequently Asked Questions
ID 96269028 | Auschwitz © Szymon Kaczmarczyk | Dreamstime.com
The inscription was a motto intended by the Nazis because the camps originally served to re-educate German citizens who were not aligned with the regime. The inscription was taken from an 1872 novel by Lorenz Diefenbach. However, it lost its original meaning as the camps became extermination camps and the concept of “freedom” was no longer, in any way, associated with the camp.
The blacksmith who forged the inscription was a Polish prisoner, kept alive by the Nazis precisely because of his technical skills. Charged with forging the inscription, he decided to apply the upside-down letter “B” to it precisely to represent his dissent from what the camp was about, from that trampling of human rights and the true meaning of work as a means of ennobling and growing the individual.
The gate is still there, testifying to what the prisoners saw as soon as they arrived at the camp. However, the inscription “Arbeit macht frei” is a reproduction. In 2009, in fact, three thieves stole the original, breaking it, so once it was recovered and restored, it was decided to keep it safely inside the Auschwitz museum.
Yes, it is possible to see the gate. It is passed through during visits to the museum-camp. Only when accompanied by an experienced guide, however, will you have the opportunity to access a lot of historical information and insights.
Conclusions
We have come to the concluding part of this article. We have looked together at the meaning and history of the Auschwitz gate with a special focus on its famous inscription “Arbeit macht frei.”
We learned the peculiarity of its upside-down letter “B” and where this Nazi motto applied inside the concentration camps comes from.
Finally, I have answered the most frequently asked questions related to this topic, however, should you still have any doubts, please do not hesitate to contact us by leaving a comment below.
To conclude let me remind you of the importance of reserving a skip-the-line ticket to avoid unnecessary queues at the entrance.
Moreover, if you really do not want to miss anything from this experience and wish to understand in depth what Auschwitz meant, you will necessarily have to secure the accompaniment of an experienced guide: only with her can you really grasp every historical and human information, contextualizing it during your visit.
That tragic and mocking Nazi motto is a warning that still weighs heavily on our consciences, and seeing it with your own eyes, I am sure, will allow you to have a truly moving experience.
Ticket to Auschwitz-Birkenau (skip the line)
Purchase online. Choose the time of your choice. Visit the prisoner barracks, infamous gas chambers and crematoria on your own.
You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.
