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Auschwitz Concentration Camp's 'Arbeit Macht Frei' Gate Is Stolen

Although a trip to the outskirts of Krakow, Poland to visit the most notorious of all Nazi concentration camps in winter is not the most ideal holiday vacation, many tourists visiting the site this week will notice something distinctly missing: the much-photographed "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate, through which you enter the compound. This is the Auschwitz I camp, and prisoners here during World War II were made to walk through the gates to the music of an orchestra; the German sign translates to "Work makes (one) free."

The sign was stolen last night from the ground of Auschwitz by a group of three thieves, believed to be neo-Nazis who might be part of the group that believes the Holocaust was exaggerated. The Times UK reports:

'It seems that a gang of perhaps three people unscrewed the sign between three o’clock and five o’clock on Friday morning,' said the spokesman for the police in southern Poland, Dariusz Nowak, 'they must have used a ladder and had a car waiting for them.' 'The camp museum directors have already stated that a replica has been made of 'Arbeit macht Frei.' The neo-Nazis could try to establish that the sign is fake – and thus, by extension, claim that much of the camp is as well.'

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Wars / World War II Travel / Japan Travel / Peace Travel / Hiroshima Travel / → All Tags

Today The World Remembers The Bombing Of Hiroshima

Sixty-four years ago today was the date that a little Japanese city by the name of Hiroshima entered the world's consciousness forever. It was on August 6, 1945 that the plane Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb, resulting in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare and over 140,000 deaths almost immediate deaths.

It also happens to be the 119th anniversary of the first death penalty executed by electric chair, so today isn't exactly the brightest of days.

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Historical-Battles-Map / Wars / Historical Travel / England Travel / World War II Travel / → All Tags

Re-Enacting History: Tanks, Rocket Launchers and 300 Jeeps...Oh My!

Along with the tasty barbeques and popping fireworks of the middle of summer come the re-enactments of historical battles. To help you plan fun excursions to watch guns go off, we're listing our favorite battle re-enactment sites all this week. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

Let's be real here for a moment: as we've rounded up all of our favorite military re-enactments this week, we've just been holding out for the one featuring as many tanks as possible, and we think we've found it: The War & Peace Show in Kent, England.

Billed as "The Largest Military Vehicle Spectacular In the World," the War & Peace show gathers all of the green and drab-painted, rocket-launching, all-terrain-running machines out there for four days—July 22-26— of trading wartime tidbits on a farm outside of London. The action doesn't end there however, as parades of both axis and allied re-enactors march by, 1940s fashions walk a runway, 4x4 owners drive an offroad course, and helicopter rides take fair attendees for 10-minute rides over the English countryside.

Really though, all they had to do was say "we've got tanks," and we'd be there.

Related Stories:
· War and Peace Show 2009 [Official Site]
· Historical Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: War and Peace Show]

Historical-Battles-Map / Wars / Historical Travel / England Travel / World War II Travel / → All Tags

Re-Enacting History: Battle Of Britain Rages Again This Weekend

Along with the tasty barbeques and popping fireworks of the middle of summer come the re-enactments of historical battles. To help you plan fun excursions to watch guns go off, we're listing our favorite battle re-enactment sites all this week. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

You don't much more hardcore than driving amphibious DUKW vehicles, setting off pyrotechnics, calling in the British Legion and enlisting more than twenty re-enactment societies to carry out a weekend of World War II encampment outside of Birmingham, UK. Don't worry, there will also be a beer tent at this weekend's "Wartime In the Vale" at Ashdown World War 2 Camp spectacle.

Beginning with a salute flight on Saturday as a memorial to the Battle of Britain, the re-enactments and 1940s festivities hit high gear on Saturday night with live entertainment by "The Forces Sweethearts," a war song singalong, and a burlesque performance by Kitten Von Mew.

If you happen to fly into Birmingham on a European LCC this weekend and have some time to kill, or can make the trip over from London, tickets for the weekend are £6 per adult, or £12 for a whole family. We say drop the kiddies off in the children's area with mini Land Rover rides and make a bee-line for the bomb displays and aforementioned beer tent.

Related Stories:
· Wartime In the Vale: Ashdown WW2 Camp [Official Site]
· Historical Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: BrianTaylor42]

Holocaust Travel / Memorials / World War II Travel / History / → All Tags

Somber Travel: Dachau's 75th Anniversary

On March 22, 1933, the first Nazi concentration camp opened in the German town of Dachau, just north of Munich. Today, 75 years later, the grounds of the camp are a memorial to the hundreds of thousands of people imprisoned there until its liberation in 1945.

Among the many people who have gone to see the historic site was James Shiels, who was a 19-year-old Army private when his division rolled into Dachau. He recently spoke with NPR about the decision to go back:

My son is really... He was the one that got me going... He asked me one day if I'd like to go back there, and the more I thought of it... I thought it was the greatest idea and we found a tour.

Other places in Europe also have Holocaust memorials, including Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buchenwald, Mittelbau-Dora and Berlin.

Related Stories:
· Remembering the Horrors of Dachau [NPR]
· Amazing Race at Auschwitz-Birkenau [Jaunted]
· Visiting the Anne Frank House [Jaunted]

[Photo: domake.saythink]

Survivor: Micronesia / Television Travel / TV Travel / Diving / World War II Travel / South Pacific / → All Tags

Survivor Returning to Palau

After running all those seasons of The Amazing Race and Survivor, seems like CBS has finally run out of places to film. The upcoming Fans vs. Favorites season of Survivor will return to Palau, where season 10 was shot a few years back. The producers are hoping that we don't catch on by calling it Survivor: Micronesia.

While you know what to expect from the competitors on the show--now in its 16th iteration--you probably don't know as much about the South Pacific archipelago. First and foremost, it's a long way from, well, everywhere, and that keeps tourist traffic relatively light. That said, you can get there from New York in about 26 hours, from Houston in about 20 hours and from Sydney in about 19 hours.

Once you're in the islands, the thing to do--if you're not on a hit reality show--is go scuba diving. The Palau Visitors Authority has a big list of all the local outfitters. You can also check out WWII history: The islands of Peleliu and Angaur are littered with materiel from fierce battles that killed thousands in 1944.

Related Stories:
· Palau Visitors Authority [Official Site]
· Survivor: Micronesia [Official Site]
· South Pacific Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikipedia]