- Title: NETHERLANDS: HOLOCAUST SOUVENIR SHOP CAUSES CONTROVERSY IN THE NETHERLANDS.
- Date: 23rd August 2003
- Summary: (U7) DEN BOSCH, THE NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 20, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. DOOR WITH SOUVENIRS DEVOTIONALIA WRITTEN ON IT BEING OPENED BY POLISH ARTIST AGATA SIWEK 2. AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU PRINTED ON T-SHIRT 3. T-SHIRTS PRINTED WITH AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU AND SKULL SYMBOL FOR SALE 4. SIWEK SORTING BASEBALL HATS WITH AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU PRINTED ON IT 5. BASEBALL HAT PRINTED WITH AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU FOR SALE 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLISH ARTIST AGATA SIWEK SAYING: "When people go to Auschwitz, they go and then they come back to their daily life and then they forget about it. And then I thought maybe it would be nice to have a souvenir from it. A nice thing which you want to have and then it will keep reminding you of what has happened and what still is happening all over the world in front of our very eyes." (U7) VEGHEL, THE NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 22, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SALOMOM ZANTEN (81 YEARS OLD) WALKING TOWARDS HIS TABLE, TAKING SEAT 8. PAPER WITH ARTICLE ABOUT AUSCHWITZ SOUVENIRS ON TABLE 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SOLOMAN ZANTEN SAYING: "I heard about it and I think it is terrible that this is happening. It should not be allowed. Who forgets it? The people who have been there? Or the other people, well, I think that especially for all the survivors and Jewish people who lost relatives there it is just appalling." 10. ARM OF SOLOMAN WITH TATOO FROM AUSCHWITZ, VOICE SAYING (Dutch): "I was there myself and look, here is my souvenir from Auschwitz." (U7) DEN BOSCH, THE NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 22, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) CITY COUNCILLOR ANNEKE SCHULTS SAYING: "I find it appalling if there will be people walking down the street wearing Auschwitz hats, t-shirts or using key chains, and unnecessary hurt other people and inflict sorrow on them. Besides, I think it is damaging for the image of our city, it looks as if we support this, but that is absolutely not true." 12. PICTURE OF WATCHTOWER AND BARBED WIRE FENCE AT AUSCHWITZ 13. MEMORY BOX ABOUT AUSCHWITZ FOR SALE 14. FRIDGE MAGNET OF CAMP GATE WITH INFAMOUS GERMAN INSCRIPTION ARBEIT MACHT FREI (WORK SETS YOU FREE) 15. VARIOUS FRIDGE MAGNETS, CAMP BUILDINGS AND GATES 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLISH ARTIST AGATA SIWEK SAYING: "I think it is important that people can buy my piece and take it to their houses and then think what they are still capable of doing, and what happened in the past and what is still inside of us, this evil." 17. KEY CHAINS WITH AUSCHWITZ AND ARBEIT MACHT FREI ON IT 18. SHOULDER BAG WITH AUSCHWITZ - BIRKENAU PRINTED ON IT FOR SALE 19. WOMAN BUYING BAG 20. SIWEK FOLDING BAG 21. WOMAN TAKING BAG 22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIEKE VAN DER VOORT, VISITING EXPOSITION AND BUYING AUSCHWITZ BAG, SAYING: "I bought this bag because I think it is very original and I don't have any meanings with it and it is not like I am going to walk on the street with it. I just think it is good that she made it. And it is original, it is art and Auschwitz is just a city, so why not?" 23. DOLL IN PRISON CAMP UNIFORM 24. (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) MS GULIK VISITING EXPOSITION SAYING: "I can imagine that people who have experienced Auschwitz in the past will feel talked about and maybe it will evoke emotions. But I am of a later generation and did not go through that. I think it is very special." 25. VARIOUS POSTCARDS WITH ARBEIT MACHT FREI AND HALT STOP FOR SALE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th September 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DEN BOSCH AND VEGHEL, THE NETHERLANDS
- Country: Netherlands
- Reuters ID: LVAS2D0ITKR3UTGM3A6C2SXABH7
- Story Text: A Polish artist has sparked controversy in the
Netherlands by selling Auschwitz souvenirs that hark back
to the Nazi death camp
T-shirts with the skull symbol from the camps,
electric fences and Auschwitz baseball caps have been on
sale at a Dutch art show since late July. Agata Siwek, a
30-year-old fine arts graduate who grew up near Auschwitz,
said on Friday (August 22) the items she sells in the
southern city of Den Bosch were intended to remind people
of the Holocaust and the need to combat discrimination and
war.
"When people go to Auschwitz, they go and they come
back to their daily life and then they forget about it. And
then I thought maybe it would be nice to have a souvenir
from it. A nice thing which you want to have and then it
will keep reminding you of it. A nice thing which you want
to have and then it will keep reminding you of what has
happened," Siwek said.
Six million Jews died in the Holocaust after Adolf
Hitler's army swept across Europe during World War Two.
More than a million people, mostly Jews, died in the gas
chambers or from disease and starvation in the camp.
One Auschwitz survivor is shocked by the idea of people
sporting Auschwitz T-shirts or key rings.
"I heard about it and I think it is terrible that this
is happening. It should not be allowed. Who forgets it? The
people who have been
there? Or the other people, well, I think that especially
for all the survivors and Jewish people who lost relatives
there it is just appalling," said Soloman Zanten who had
read about the exhibit in the local newspaper.
"I was there myself and look, here is my souvenir from
Auschwitz," he said while pointing to the number tattooed
on his arm at the camp.
The 81-year-old was incarcerated for 18 months in
Auschwitz and was the only member of his family to survive
the Holocaust.
Siwek also designed crematorium fridge magnets bearing
the camp gates infamous German inscription Arbeit Macht
Frei (Work Sets You Free) and dolls in concentration camp
uniforms.
Siwek studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Glasgow
and Amsterdam's Rijks Academy. The souvenirs are inspired
by her visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau in her native Poland.
Den Bosch city councillor Anneke Schults visited the
shop and expressed concerns that the products would hurt
feelings.
"I find it appalling if there will be people walking
down the street wearing Auschwitz hats, t-shirts or using
key chains, and unnecessarily hurt other people and inflict
sorrow on them. Besides, I think it is damaging for the
image of our city, it looks as if we support this, but that
is absolutely not true," she said. Shoppers, however,
defended Siwek's project.
"I bought this bag because I think it is very original
and I don't have any meanings with it and it is not like I
am going to walk on the street with it. I just think it is
good that she made it. And it is original, it is art and
Auschwitz is just a city, so why not?" said Lieke van der
Voort after buying a canvas shoulder bag with Auschwitz -
Birkenau printed on it.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
