EDITORIAL
On August 2, we will commemorate the 74th anniversary of the liquidation of the so-called Zigeunerlager at the German Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. In this issue, we publish an article by historians of the Research Center of the Auschwitz Museum which analyzes the last stage of the existence of the Roma sector.
So far, the number of victims of the liquidation of the Zigeunerlager has been estimated at almost 3,000 people. An in-depth analysis of documents shows that, on the afternoon of August 2, there were approximately 4,200-4,400 Roma in Birkenau: men, women and children. All of them were taken from their barracks and, despite desperate resistance, loaded onto trucks and then taken to the gas chambers of crematoria II and V.
Another important topic is the analysis of testimonies and documents regarding the so-called Roma uprising, which was to take place on May 16, 1944. The case of passive resistance did indeed occur, but at the beginning of April 1944 instead, and the circumstances of this event are far different than has so far been reported.
In July's Memoria, we also summarize the Yad Vashem International Educational Conference; we write about the 'Faces of Auschwitz' project; the activities of the New Zealand Holocaust Center; virtual reality in the Anne Frank House; and an e-guide of the International Tracing Service.
I also encourage all our readers to co-operate with us. We would be grateful to receive information about events, projects, publications, exhibitions, conferences or research that we could write about. We also accept proposals for articles. Please do share information about this magazine with others, particularly via social media.
Our e-mail: [email protected]
Paweł Sawicki, Editor-in-chief