(no subject)

[theweaselking]

An Italian politician has used the "work makes you free" slogan that topped the gates at Auschwitz in a brochure to promote local job centres, saying he could not remember the source but was impressed by the quote.

"Work makes you free. I don't remember where I read this phrase but it was one of those quotes that have an instant impact on you because they tell an immense truth," Tommaso Coletti, president of Italy's southern Chieti province, wrote in the pamphlet, Ansa reported.

Coletti could not be reached for comment.

Comments

[flemco.livejournal.com]

Arbeit macht frei? Are you fucking serious?

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

He used the italian translation.

I believe that would be "il lavoro li renderà liberi"

[anivair.livejournal.com]

As amusing as it is, it's actually not a bad turn of phrase, depending on the situation. I think we should teach that to every teenager in America, for starters.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, it is one of those turns of phrase which is no longer functioning by virtue of a situation.

I think it should be taught to every teenager in America, too, but I think it should be taught in context--including where it was.

[anivair.livejournal.com]

true. Maybe we can change the wording.

Side note. tonight at Dinner one of my friends put out his arm to note how tall somehting was. You guessed it, that somehting was just above shoulder height so the head of our table did the nazi salute. it was freaking funny, esspecially since it was accidental.

[toku666.livejournal.com]

May I suggest:

"Colettus" -- n.

Affliction causing it to sound as if one is speaking with one's head up one's ass. Brutal in combination with its homonym.

[pope-guilty.livejournal.com]

I once saw a photoshop which had altered the gates to read "Arby's Macht Fries".

I earned my place in hell with my laughter...

[leighdb.livejournal.com]

Okay, this is one of those really weird life convergence things, where you never hear a word about something in your whole life and then all of a sudden two or three completely unrelated sources bring it up within a day, and it's spooky.

Because I'm pretty sure I had never heard/read/remembered that Auschwitz had that slogan above its gates - until just last night, when it was a plot point in a CSI rerun I happened to catch.

And then you, today. WEIRD.

...possibly not weird enough for me to have just written three paragraphs about it, but still.

[rgovrebo.livejournal.com]

That sign was over the gate to every concentration camp - including the concentration camp at Auschwitz. The death camps didn't have it, AFAIK.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

The original was at Dachau. It was duplicated at Auschwitz. I don't think it was used at any of the others.

[rgovrebo.livejournal.com]

I've gone through the one at Sachsenhousen, but okay, it looks like only some camps used the slogan.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Hey, maybe it was. The guide at Dachau only mentioned it and Auschwitz, to my memory, but I naturally could be wrong.

[corruptedjasper.livejournal.com]

According to wikipedia, it was at most but not all of them. It specifically mentions Buchenwald as having 'Jedem das Seine' instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbeit_macht_frei

[mcfnord.livejournal.com]

holy crap

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Has to be one of the greatest "d'oh!" moments of anyone's life.