The Terminator and the signature that caused the storm:
Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Holocaust Memorial Museum in Poland yesterday (Wednesday), and chose to sign the site's guest book in a way that left many people confused and even angry.
The 75-year-old Hollywood star added next to his signature the words "I'll Be Back", the well-known phrase Schwarzenegger says in the first "Terminator" movie.
After the museum's official Twitter page uploaded a photo of the signature, many wondered what was going through the actor's mind and accused him, perhaps rightly, of frivolity and trivializing the Holocaust - even if he really intended to convey the message that he would return to visit the museum.
"I'll be back."
The inscription of @Schwarzenegger in @AuschwitzMuseum guestbook.
pic.twitter.com/eHGtemwzY5
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) September 28, 2022
Following the criticism, the museum staff hastened to publish a brief clarification in which it was stated that the visit of the former governor of the state of California was extremely short, and therefore he promised that he intended another and longer visit.
The museum even explained that Schwarzenegger visited the memorial site "to honor all the victims of the extermination camp and deepen his historical knowledge, which will help him fight prejudice these days."
It will also be clarified that the actor, who was born in Austria about two years after the end of World War II, visited the museum after receiving the "Fighting Hate" award in June from the Jewish Center Association in the town of Auschwitz, located near the extermination camp.
In his speech accepting the award, Schwarzenegger said at the time that he "stands by the association and its mission to educate and make sure that never again".
Therefore, it is difficult to accuse the actor of any malicious intent, yet - it is possible that his choice of words in the guestbook was not particularly successful, and that a different wording would have been more respectful of the status.
Schwarzenegger hugs a Holocaust survivor after the tour of Auschwitz, photo: AP.
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