A Catholic school in Pennsylvania celebrated Halloween by using a replica of the gates to Auschwitz (5 photos)
Even the inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("Work Makes You Free") was carefully copied. 
In the US, a Catholic diocese was forced to embarrass itself and apologize for its Halloween decorations. A replica of a concentration camp gate appeared on the float for the traditional parade. 
After photos and videos of this design appeared on social media, users sharply condemned the idea of such decoration. One woman wrote on Hanover's Facebook page that such a structure "has no right to be anywhere outside of a death camp." Other commenters admitted they couldn't understand how anyone could find anything funny about it. 
Set designer Galen S. Shelley stated that he was unaware of the symbolism of the image and had no malicious intent. He explained that after the originally planned arch was abandoned, he decided to search online for photos of a gloomy cemetery. Without thinking twice, he copied the gates, unaware of where they were installed. 
Gallen Shelley
Both the Diocese of Harrisburg and the cleaning company whose vehicle was used to transport the platform were forced to apologize. 
Bishop Timothy S. Senior
In an official statement, Harrisburg Bishop Timothy S. Senior noted that the original design approved by St. Joseph Catholic School did not include any gates and admitted he was shocked to see them in the final version. He emphasized that the use of an image associated with the tragedy of the Holocaust and the deaths of millions of people is "deeply offensive and completely unacceptable."
