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Polish court jails three men for Auschwitz sign theft

A Polish court has convicted three men for stealing the infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign from the former Auschwitz death camp last December.
The trio, two of whom are brothers, were given jail sentences ranging from 18 months to two-and-a-half years.
The court in Krakow said the men had admitted the theft, and so the case did not have to go to trial.
Two other Poles remain in custody over the theft of the 5m (16ft) wrought-iron sign, which was quickly recovered.
It had been half-unscrewed, half-torn from above the memorial site’s gate and cut into three pieces to ease the thieves’ getaway.
The three convicted on Thursday were named as Radoslaw M, Lukasz M and Pawel S.

The authorities in Stockholm said last week that a Swedish former neo-Nazi, who allegedly instigated the theft, will be extradited to Poland to face trial.
The sign - which translates as "Work sets you free" - symbolises for many the atrocities of Nazi Germany.
A replica now sits on top of the entrance, while the original is being repaired.
Its theft caused outrage in Israel, Poland and around the world.
More than a million people - 90% of them Jews - were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz in occupied Poland during World War II.



18/03/2010 14:47:26

British soldiers confirmed among the WWI Fromelles dead

Three British soldiers have been confirmed amongst the remains of 250 soldiers recovered from the First World War mass graves at Fromelles in northern France.
The identities of the three confirmed British soldiers remain unknown. However, of the 203 Australian soldiers also among those found, 75 names have now been confirmed. The nationalities and identities of the remaining 44 soldiers are, for the time being, classified as ’unknown’.
While no British soldiers can be named at this stage, families in the UK who have been helping with the identification process have been notified.
Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said:
"Identification is a challenging task and this has been no exception. We are disappointed that there was insufficient evidence to name British soldiers but I would like to thank the families for the support that they have all given to this project.
"Although no British soldiers could be named, I am pleased that we can confirm three as having served with the British Army. What is most important is that these men have all been laid to rest with the dignity and honour they deserve.
"The identification process will remain open for another four years, and I hope that families will continue to make contact."
The Australian Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, said:
"Of the 250 soldiers found, I am pleased to announce that 203 have been identified as Australians, and that 75 of these have been positively identified by name.

"The number of soldiers that we have been able to identify exceeds even our most optimistic forecasts. We are unlikely to identify every man; however, we will continue to take all reasonable steps to maximise those named in the future.
"Each of the 250 sets of remains that were found have been analysed using all available historical, anthropological, artefact and DNA evidence. For those who have been identified so far, DNA proved to be a key piece of the identification puzzle.
"I am also pleased to say that we have strong reason to believe that more identification could occur in the future."
A Joint Identification Board, with members representing the British and Australian Governments, considered the available evidence, including DNA from the soldiers’ remains and from the families who came forward. Where there was clear and compelling evidence the board was able to confirm the identities of individual soldiers.
The board will reconvene in May to consider additional family samples that have only recently been obtained from Australia. This additional testing and second board will help ensure that as many soldiers as possible are identified before the commemorative event on 19 July 2010 that will mark the official opening of the new cemetery.



18/03/2010 12:27:58

Up to 25,000 died in Dresden’s WWII bombing - report

Up to 25,000 people died in the Allied bombing of Dresden during World War II - fewer than often estimated, an official German report has concluded.
The Dresden Historians’ Commission published its report after five years of research into the 13-15 February 1945 air raid by Britain and the US.
The study was aimed at ending an ongoing debate on the number of casualties in the German city.
Germany’s far-right groups claim that up to 500,000 people died.
They say the bombing - which unleashed a firestorm in the historic city when the Nazi Germany was already close to defeat -

constituted a war crime.

Critics say there was no military reason for it but others argue that Dresden was an important logistical point close behind German lines, as the Soviet Army approached from the east.
’Crux of argument’
The Dresden commission said it had used records from city archives, cemeteries and other official registries and compared them with published reports and witness accounts to reach its conclusion.
It also noted that fewer refugees fleeing the Eastern front were killed in the air raid then was previously thought, rejecting reports that many victims’ bodies were never recovered.
"Remembering the Allied bombings of Dresden... still carries importance for the social-political understanding of how history is seen, how society is shaped, and how identities are formed," the commission said.
"In this debate, the number of people killed in the raids on Dresden has long been a crux of the argument that is key to certain views."

BBC.CO.UK


18/03/2010 11:47:22

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