Concentration Camp Hit by Scrap Metal Thieves

Some people have no shame at all.

Concentration Camp Hit by Scrap Metal Thieves

Scrap metal thieves are becoming increasingly audacious, with some even stealing from cemeteries and memorials. Now some 1,000 bronze plaques have gone missing from the former concentration camp at Theresienstadt.

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Jan Munk, director of the Theresienstadt memorial site, with one of the damaged monuments.


Semi-precious metal, as it happens, is everywhere. It can be found on church roofs; copper pipes run through many a house wall; and wiring is almost ubiquitous. Scrap metal thieves, though, have recently discovered a valuable new source of copper: Cemeteries and memorials.
This week, a particularly audacious bandit apparently made off with over 1,000 bronze plaques from the Holocaust memorial Theresienstadt just outside of Prague. The plaques were emblazoned with the names of prisoners who died at the Nazi concentration camp there -- and Czech police said this week that many of them had been discovered at a scrap yard in northern Czech Republic.
The theft, said Czech Culture Minister Vaclav Jehlicka, "has disgraced the memory of World War II victims irrespective of whether it was committed on the basis of a pervert ideology or purely for gain of money." Damage is estimated to be about 1 million koruna, or about €40,000 ($63,600).
Jehlicka said that the plaques would be replaced, but that the new tablets would be made of resin instead of bronze, a copper alloy. The remaining bronze plates, he said, would likewise be replaced at a cost of several million koruna.
The theft comes at a time when rising scrap metal prices have resulted in a spate of scrap metal thefts, with copper being high on the list. One hundred kilograms of copper brings in €430 on the scrap market, leading to a number of churches in Germany and Europe having their roofs and gutters stolen. A number of bronze vases and candelabras went missing from a Berlin graveyard recently and a Cologne cemetery lost 16 Madonna statues made of metal.


Indeed, Canada is considering doing away with its penny, partially as a result of the high scrap metal prices. The coins are worth more as scrap than their face value. And in Cleveland, according to the New York Times, a number of homes have been gutted of copper fittings recently, leading to homebuilders and remodelers to put signs in front of building sites indicating that only PVC plastic piping is being used instead of copper.
Theresienstadt, known as Terezin in Czech, has indicated that the plaques are not likely to be replaced before the May 18 annual commemoration of Nazi victims there. During World War II, the camp at Theresienstadt served as a collection point for Jews from where they were deported to death camps further east. A fortress nearby served as a Gestapo prison.
cgh/ap

Theresienstadt Robbery: Concentration Camp Hit by Scrap Metal Thieves - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

 

The same disgusting thing has been happening here over the past few years. Most of the thefts in my area are due to homeless folks going around and taking complete Airconditioning systems from businesses, Churches, and homes. Not too olong ago, a homeless man died while trying to steal copper wiring from an AC unit at a business on Corn Products Road. Apparently, he forgot to shut off the electricity, and paid for it; with his life. This guy would still be living, had he not tried to swipe someones property-no sympathy from me on this one.

What bothers me the most is when they (the stinkin' thieves) target Churches. >:-((

 

The only solace we can have, is in knowing that there is a VERY special place in Hell for these people.

 

I am on record as being someone who has a particular hate and disgust for anyone who defiles gravestones or memorial sites:
Sittingbourne War Graves vandalised - World War 2 Talk
My feelings are based on the fact that the dead are no longer able to defend themselves. Any attack therefore, on those who are unable to defend themselves, is beyond the pale and I maintain that society in general should show its abhorrence of this type of crime by punishing the perpetrators with exemplary lengths of prison service.

Ron

 

One thing is stealing some drums of copper wire from a yard, now defiling a Holocaust memorial requires a special form of callousness.

 

This is disgusting. I hope the thieves burn in hell in a semi precious caldron. The same thing happens everywhere. Fortunately the graves here are mostly concrete stones, but old wrought iron crosses are disapearing from civilian cemeteries.

 

There's a lot of it about.

Quick Google turns up these, some familiar, others less so:
New site planned for Boer_war memorial - Coventry Telegraph
Thieves steal crosses from British graves to melt down for scrap - Telegraph
BBC NEWS | England | Tees | Stolen church war memorial found
icBirmingham - Brothers accused of damaging war memorial
Scrap-Metal Thieves Destroy War Memorial - Connecticut News Story - WFSB Hartford
Metal thieves make off with hundreds of veterans' grave markers - On Deadline - USATODAY.com
Thieves steal brass panels from walls of World War II memorial - On Deadline - USATODAY.com
Despicable - News - Tameside Advertiser
YouTube - Bronze Eagle Stolen From War Memorial Found

And a pretty appalling long list of memorial thefts from the UKNIWM :
Theft « UKNIWM

Cheers,
Adam.

 

Lol @ stealing from churches, that doesn´t bother me. I hate almost every religion that is still alive in our modern society.

But stealing from cemetaries and memorials?! it makes me wanna go holocaust on the thieves.

 

Wow, that pretty sad and disappointing. I wonder, do the thieves even realize what they're doing? What I mean is, do they even CARE that they are vandalizing a Concentration Camp monument? It seems ignorance runs amok more and more each day.

 

Mibo

Well, no one could ever complain that they didn't know where you are coming from !

"Stealing from churches, LOL"..........LOL ? do you really think that's funny ?

"I hate almost every religion"......... so relieved to see that you are at least inter-denominational !

"Wanna go Holocaust".................. Have you ever given serious thought on what the word truly represents ?

I started by saying "no one could ever complain that they didn't know where you are coming from".

If you take the trouble to go back to my own comments you will see exactly where I am coming from and my position is clear and unequivocal.

Theft or desecration from any holy place of any religion is abhorrent and will always arouse my anger.

 

Mibo I will ask you not to use these kind of offensive ideas again on this forum. You may have your own opinion that is your business, but please respect others who think stealing from a church is a sacrilege. Even if you don't believe in God it is robbing art objects. .

 

I would second Skipper's advice mibo. You may not believe but should respect.

 

Sorry everyone i might´ve insulted, bad thinking on my behalf.
Feeling like the biggest ass now.

 

Right on, Bro! ;-)) could not agree with you enough.

 

Hi Sir, VERY well said.

Cheers-Carl.

 

[[[Stealing from cemetaries, war memorials and civilian cemetaries is as bad as stealing from Churches. Im sorry if you might not believe in Religion but, I do believe, and also believe in the Lord almighty.]]]

 

I have no belief in heaven or hell. Therefore, I cannot wish him there.

However, I hope whoever did this dies a horrible, excruciating death if the theft was not absolutely necessary. If the guy was homeless or had people to support, I have a bit of sympathy for this guy, though he should get caught and sentenced. But if this guy was a druggie trying to feed his addiction...

...Well, most of you get the point. As for stealing from churches and other religious places (in fact, any place, religious or not), it truly depends case-by-case for me.

 

Well I feel that when they steal from a institution like a church, which is supposed to be the symbol of hope and good and kindness, I hope it is perhaps out of desperation. But from a cemetary or memorial it is an insult to the dead.They have no voices or way to fight back.

 

steeling in gereral no matter what it be a 1 cent lollie thus is steeling
a low scumy act
thats my thorts .. krieg