Auschwitz condemns Redbubble for selling pillows, mini skirts with concentration camp photos

The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum in Poland on Tuesday condemned Redbubble, an online marketplace for independent artists, for allowing products including throw pillows and mini skirts featuring images of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp.

“Do you really think that selling such products as pillows, mini skirts or tote bags with the images of Auschwitz – a place of enormous human tragedy where over 1,1 million people were murdered – is acceptable?” the official Auschwitz Museum tweeted. “This is rather disturbing and disrespectful.”{mosads}

The tweet included images of a mini skirt entitled “chimney” available to purchase for 35 Euros as well as a throw pillow featuring the infamous railroad tracks which led millions to their death in Nazi gas chambers. 

.@redbubble Do you really think that selling such products as pillows, mini skirts or tote bags with the images of Auschwitz – a place of enormous human tragedy where over 1,1 million people were murdered – is acceptable? This is rather disturbing and disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/cdPvZGMXC6

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) May 7, 2019

Redbubble responded to the museum by saying the nature of the content is not acceptable or in line with its community guidelines. 

“We are taking immediate action to remove these and similar works available on these product types,” the company wrote in a series of tweets. “Redbubble is the host of an online marketplace where independent users take responsibility for the images they upload. We have onsite reporting functions in place and are grateful to be made aware of these concerns.” 

Redbubble is the host of an online marketplace where independent users take responsibility for the images they upload. We have onsite reporting functions in place and are grateful to be made aware of these concerns. (2/2)

— Redbubble Help (@RedbubbleHelp) May 7, 2019

In a statement to The Hill on Wednesday, Redbubble said it “…takes a strong stance against racism and violence, including the atrocities committed in Nazi concentration camps, and scan specifically for this type of content daily.”

“We have taken immediate action to remove the works identified by The Auschwitz Memorial, and apologize that it was necessary,” a spokesperson for the company said in the statement. “We are continuously working to ensure that we are able to keep offending content of this nature off of Redbubble and will be further adjusting our policies moving forward.”

The Auschwitz account last month told visitors to stop taking photos on the train tracks at the site. 

Public figures such as Parkland, Fla., shooting survivor David Hogg and comedian Kathy Griffin have urged Twitter users to follow the account to help promote Holocaust awareness and education. 

Updated May 8, 8:00 p.m.