In the face of swift outrage, Amazon has pulled Christmas tree ornaments that featured images of Auschwitz. As shared by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, the former Nazi concentration camp was featured on holiday ornaments and household items including a mouse pad and a bottle opener. It’s estimated that more than one million men, women, and children died there during World War II.
A third-party vendor identified as “Fcheng” listed the items. It’s not clear how long the items had been available for sale.
The Auschwitz Memorial first raised attention by tweeting about the listings with a screenshot.
People on Twitter are understandably horrified.
Some users are speculating on how this might have happened, though no official explanation has been given.
The Auschwitz Memorial gave this update.
In a statement to CNN Business, an Amazon spokesperson said, "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action, including potential removal of their account. The products in question have been removed.”
The Washington Post reports that Fcheng, the seller, still has other products available on the site. Most of the products are Christmas ornaments that feature cities from around the world and historic landmarks.
According to Auschwitz Memorial, it’s happening again at another online retailer.