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of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. It was read by Dr Grzegorz Berendt, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Poland for Historical Diplomacy.
In Block 13 on the grounds of the former Auschwitz I camp, an exhibition commemorating the genocide of Roma and Sinti is available to visitors. It presents details of the crime committed against Roma in German-occupied Europe. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of this exhibition.
Fifteen years ago, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland established 2 August as the Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of Roma and Sinti.
On the night of 2-3 August 1944, the Germans murdered around 4,300 women, men and children in the gas chambers, the last prisoners of the Roma family camp. This event became
a symbol of the genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Second World War.
The family camp for Roma was established in sector BIIe of Auschwitz II-Birkenau in February 1943. By order of Heinrich Himmler, Roma and Sinti from occupied Europe were deported there. In total, around 23,000 Roma were sent to Auschwitz. Around 21,000 registered prisoners died as a result of hunger, disease, exhaustion, pseudo-medical experiments, or were murdered in the gas chambers. Around 2,000 people were killed without being registered in the camp records.
The Museum has published an academic monograph devoted to the fate of Roma and Sinti in the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Its authors are Piotr Setkiewicz, Sławomir Kapralski and Jerzy Dębski.
The history of the Roma victims of the camp is also presented in the online lesson “Roma in Auschwitz”, one episode of the podcast “On Auschwitz”, and volume 7 of the educational series Voices of Memory. The exhibition “Roma in Auschwitz”, prepared by the Museum, is also available on Google Cultural Institute.