This provocative installation triggered an emergency police operation on Friday morning, March 20. Law enforcement officers promptly dismantled the structure, and the Passau Criminal Police Inspection has already launched a full-scale investigation into incitement to hatred and enmity.
Vor dem Finanzamt Eggenfelden ist von Unbekannten ein Holzgestell mit Bezug zum Nationalsozialismus aufgestellt worden. Es handelt sich um einen Nachbau eines KZ-Tores. Die Kripo Passau hat sich eingeschaltet und sucht nach Zeugen. https://t.co/zoAstn5yYa pic.twitter.com/nJ9qmRvcUS
— R L (@RaimondLueppken) March 21, 2026
According to the Lower Bavaria Police Headquarters, the object is a handcrafted wooden product executed with frightening precision and attention to historical detail. The identity of the person who installed the arch in front of the tax office building remains a mystery. A detailed inspection revealed that the side sections of the gates were skillfully composed of several swastikas.
The perpetrator displayed particular cynicism by reproducing even a specific detail—the upside-down letter B, characteristic of the original gates of the Auschwitz I concentration camp. Such a resemblance indicates a deliberate desire by the author to recreate the atmosphere of one of the most terrifying places in human history right on the street of a modern Bavarian town.
Confusion in Eggenfelden: “It happened completely out of the blue”
Police did not hesitate and dismantled the wooden arch directly at the scene. The object was seized as physical evidence and is now undergoing a thorough forensic examination. As Police Commissar Lisa Gibis from the Straubing headquarters reported, investigators recorded numerous fingerprints on the lacquered surface of the wood and on the metal retaining structures used to secure the gates. These clues could be decisive in establishing the identity of the criminal who decided to declare their beliefs in such a manner.
Following the incident, a heavy atmosphere of confusion prevails in Eggenfelden. Local residents and authorities note that no incidents or activities by radical groups had been recorded in the district recently that could lead to the author of the installation. Mayor Martin Bieber emphasized that what happened was a real shock for the city and occurred literally like a bolt from the blue. At the moment, the city administration and law enforcement have no preliminary suspicions regarding who stands behind this planned action.
Perpetrator faces responsibility for incitement to hatred
An investigation under a serious article on incitement to hatred has been initiated against the guilty party. A legal nuance of the situation is that the phrase Arbeit macht frei (Work sets you free) is not under an absolute ban in Germany, but there are strict legal frameworks for its use. In this case, combined with National Socialist ideology and the swastikas built into the structure, law enforcement sees a clear intent to incite enmity.
Additionally, the case involves suspicion of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations, which significantly increases potential liability.Investigators are counting on the help of concerned citizens and witnesses. Those who noticed anything suspicious in the vicinity of the tax office on Friday night or early morning are asked to contact the police immediately. Every detail, whether a passing car or a random pedestrian with a bulky load, could help catch the person who decided to bring Nazi symbolism back to the streets of Bavaria.
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