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Auschwitz ice cream stand outside of ‘Death Gate’ sparks controversy

Ice cream stand opened just 200 yards away from infamous ‘Death Gate’ at the notorious death camp draws criticism.

By World Israel News Staff

The opening of an ice cream stand near the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp has drawn criticism from Holocaust commemoration experts.

The stand, adorned with a vibrant drawing of an ice cream cone and a pink logo bearing the words “icelove,” “waffles,” and “ice creams,” opened earlier this month just 200 yards outside of the iconic Auschwitz II Historical Gate.

This gate, known as the “Death Gate” in Poland, features double train tracks and an overhead watch post, making the stand clearly visible.

A local official acknowledged that the stand had been set up without proper authorization and said it would be relocated.

A spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum told The Times of Israel that the opening of the stand was “an example not only of aesthetic tastelessness but also of disrespect for a nearby special historical site.”

“The trailer, however, stands outside the boundary of the protection zone of the Memorial designated by law, so unfortunately we have no influence over it. We trust that the relevant authorities will solve this embarrassing problem,” the spokesperson continued.

Dagmar Kopijasz, representing the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving World War II and Holocaust-related sites located near the Auschwitz museum but beyond its jurisdiction, told the Gazeta Krakowska newspaper that residents were disturbed by the stand’s unsightly appearance.