Swede jailed for Auschwitz sign theft

A Polish court has sentenced a Swedish man to nearly three years in prison for organising the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" sign from the entry gate of the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. The sign was stolen last December but was soon recovered. The court in Krakow jailed Anders Högström, 34, for two years and eight months. When the court announced its decision, Högström said calmly: "Yes, I accept the verdict." Högström, caught in Sweden in February, will shortly be extradited back home to serve out the remainder of his sentence. Two Poles who stole the metal sign and cut it into three pieces to fit into their car were jailed for two and a half years. The sign has been repaired and is on display in the Auschwitz museum, while a replica hangs over the entrance to the camp.Some 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, perished at Auschwitz, located near the village of Oswiecim, close to Krakow. Prisoners arriving at the camp used to enter through the iron gate topped by the sign. More than 200 hectares (500 acres) of the former camp became a museum after the war ended in 1945.