Artist Says Auschwitz Arch on Parade Float Was a Mistake

A Halloween parade float made for a Catholic school in Pennsylvania sparked outrage after it featured a replica of the infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" arch from Auschwitz, prompting swift apologies from both the artist behind the project and church officials. Artist Galen Shelly, tasked with creating a float for St. Joseph's School in Hanover, said a last-minute scramble for decorations led him to mistakenly copy an image of the Nazi death camp gateway, complete with the notorious slogan. Shelly tells PennLive he intended only to illustrate the theme that "none of us get out of this life alive," and did not realize his reference was one of history's most recognizable symbols of genocide. "I had no ill intent," Shelly says. "I made a mistake and I am deeply sorry."

Shelly says he searched online for images of cemetery gates after an archway he ordered didn't arrive on time. Images of the float, which appeared in a local parade on October 30, drew a swift backlash after being posted online. The diocese of Harrisburg said it was unaware of the Holocaust imagery, which was not part of the original, approved design. Timothy Senior, the bishop of Harrisburg, apologized on behalf of the church, emphasizing that Catholics "stand firmly against all forms of antisemitism, hatred, and prejudice."

"The inclusion of this image, one that represents the horrific suffering and murder of millions of innocent people, including six million Jews during the Holocaust, is profoundly offensive and unacceptable," the bishop said in a statement. Leaders at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, which operates the school, also apologized, citing a "lack of vigilance" in failing to inspect the float ahead of the parade. The parish canceled youth events over the weekend after a threatening and obscene voicemail was left for the school's principal, the AP reports. A man was later charged with making terroristic threats.

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The bishop promised the diocese would use the incident as an "opportunity for education and reflection" and review its approval processes to prevent similar mistakes. "Arbeit Macht Frei," meaning "work makes you free," was on the gates at Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps. The Guardian describes it as a slogan intended "to mock those who passed through the gates to face brutality and extermination."