Stolen Nazi 'Work will set you free' gate found in Norway
An iron gate with the infamous slogan "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work will set you free") stolen from the former Nazi concentration camp at Dachau in Germany two years ago has been found in Norway.
The gate was recovered outside Bergen in southwestern Norway this week following an anonymous tip-off, Bergen police spokeswoman Margrethe Myrmehl Gudbrandsen told AAP.
"It was found in the open air," she said. "You can tell that it's been outside but it's in good condition."
Bergen police released several photos of the black gate, one of which showed it leaning against a low wall on a bed of autumnal leaves.
In a statement, it added that the gate would be returned to the German authorities "as soon as possible".
There was no mention of any arrests made in connection with the theft.
Police in the southern German state of Bavaria, where Dachau is located, confirmed the gate had been found.
"From the picture transmitted, police believe it is highly likely that this is the iron gate that was stolen from Dachau," it said in a statement.
The theft of the 100 kilogramme gate was reported on November 2, 2014, sparking an uproar, with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the crime "appalling".
The gate was taken on a Saturday night, between the rounds of security guards watching the site which has no video surveillance system.
Police at the time said they were investigating whether neo-Nazis had committed the crime, and even offered a $14,000 reward for tips that could solve the case.
The Dachau camp, located just a few kilometres from Munich, opened in 1933, less than two months after Adolf Hitler became chancellor.
It was first used to incarcerate political prisoners but during World War II, it became a death camp where more than 41,000 Jews were slaughtered before US troops liberated it on April 29, 1945.
Today some 800,000 visitors from around the world visit the camp each year.
