Poland declares state of emergency after 'Arbeit Macht Frei' stolen from Auschwitz
 

Source

Now, the question to be had here is WHY they would steal the sign. Do they think they could sell it? Did they have family that died in there and did it out of a misguided sense of justice?

I'm thinking it could even be a group of Holocaust deniers. I can't think of anyone else who would do something like that. See, selling it is no good. You can't find a buyer for that kind of thing any more than you could for the Mona Lisa. If you have a famous piece of history, you end up with it sitting around, because everyone knows about it, and if they don't, you generally would have to tell them to make the sale. Doing that exposes you to legal retribution.

On the other hand, if you steal it and hide or destroy it, you remove a piece of history, either potentially for a long time or quite simply forever. With a pretty vocal number of people trying to bury the Holocaust as the last of its survivors begin to age and die, I can see some of them go to this length to try to damage what's left of the proof of it.

Stupid vandals?

Same thing?

I think it goes beyond stupid vandals, given that the authorities seem to think it was an organized effort. Vandals generally don't plan stuff well in advance. They just break shit. Also, I think someone would have to be REALLY effing stupid to vandalize a frickin' concentration camp on a whim. I mean, maybe if they were blind drunk, but then the best idea would probably be to leave it somewhere and leave an anonymous tip where it is. Or even own up to it and turn it in in hopes of a lighter sentence. Granted, this is probably the point where that kind of person would still be shitting their pants and sitting on the thing, but still.

Were your childhoods all spent locked up in windowless attics?
I'm sure it was a bunch of teenagers who stole it b ecause they could and thought it would be funny. That's what teenagers do. I've stolen famous things in my youth as has pretty much everyone. And the authorities show the typical lack of clue by saying "Oh yeah it had to be a gang. And it had to be organised. That thing was welded steel."
That's just a challenge. People I know have stolen entire statues during the night- a steel sign is no big problem.

Pretty much my thoughts. I mean, it could have been an organised effort, but really, it's just a sign. It's not like they had to sneak into a doom fortress to get it or anything.

You can't discount the likely possibility that it was just some douchebags just because it would have been a little hard.

Man, I remember when I stole the Statue of Liberty. That was so awesome.

The real trick was hiding it in a barn.

Well then it's just a matter of time before their parents rat them out, now isn't it? "A little time in federal prison will do the shits good!" Actually, I'm only half joking with that. If someone is really that stupid to steal from a piece of not only national, but world history of a caliber pretty much without rival, they deserve to rot in the tank and reconsider their ideas of "funny."

Edit: It would also discourage others from trying similar. I mean, some things are just sacred. Even though some teenagers have no respect for the sacred, it would be a good reminder that they need to be halfway decent anyway. "Yeah, let's go steal a piece of world history!" "Dude! Didn't you ever hear about Jimmy McSignthief? He stole a little sign once. The thing was like the size of a street sign. You know where he ended up? Tossing the salad with Vladimir McPresidentialassassin! Do YOU want to end up with your salad tossed by Vladimir McPresidentialassassin?" "Uh, dude, no, let's go play video games."

Anyone else consider a state of emergency overreacting?

Do you actually believe that?
 

No offense intended, but holy fuck you are naive if you actually believe that. Even if their parents found out, which there is almost no reason to think that they would, if something is a big enough deal to cause a "State of Emergency" they aren't turning their kids in unless they really don't like their kids or are stupid.