Birkenau camp buildings sprayed with anti-Semitic texts

Spray-painted anti-Semitic texts were discovered on nine barrack buildings at the former German Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp, the Auschwitz Museum announced on Tuesday.

"Two references to the Old Testament, often used by anti-Semites, and also slogans indicating negationism. The inscriptions will be subjected to graphological analysis," the museum said and added that the case is being investigated by the police.

The facility announced that the spray-painted texts would be removed immediately after investigators had collected all the evidence.

The museum said that "such an event, which is an insult to the Memorial Site, is above all an outrageous attack on the symbol of one of the greatest tragedies in human history and an extremely painful blow to the memory of all victims of the Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau camp."

 The museum appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the act to come forward, as they may be able to provide information that could lead to identifying the perpetrators. In particular, it concerns people who took photos in the vicinity of the so-called 'Gates of Death' in the former Birkenau camp and the wooden barracks of the BIIa men's quarantine section. Information should be sent to the following e-mail address: security@auschwitz.org.