European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma
Central Council of German Sinti and Roma
On this day, we commemorate the last 4,300 Sinti and Roma who were murdered by the SS in the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau 76 years ago - despite their fierce resistance. Only five years ago, this date was recognised by the European Parliament as European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma.
Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, emphasises the importance of a joint commemoration:
"Today Europe is again facing a new nationalism, antigypsyism and anti-Semitism. In recent times we have witnessed numerous right-wing terrorist assassinations in Germany and other European countries. Historical remembrance is a living obligation for the present and the future. When we remember the crimes of National Socialism and the Holocaust today, we must simultaneously defend democracy and the rule of law.“
Due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and the Association of Roma in Poland, in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, had to make the difficult decision to organize only a small commemoration event in the former concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau this year.
In addition to Mr. Rose, Chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Mr. Kwiatkowski, Chairman of the Association of Roma in Poland and Mr. Cywinski, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dr. Josef Schuster, and the Chairman of the Council of the EKD, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, will also take part in the commemoration event on 2 August.
"Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we would like to commemorate our people with dignity. We therefore invite institutions, memorial sites and civil society in Europe to make the virtual commemoration event visible and to raise awareness of the Holocaust of the Sinti and Roma through its own commemoration and educational events. Together we can strengthen the demand for political recognition of the Holocaust of the Sinti and Roma in all European states", Romani Rose continued.
From 27 July 2020, the new website https://www.roma-sinti-holocaust-memorial-day.eu/
will be available with a wide range of information on the topic oft he Holocaust of Sinti and Roma and will make the multilingual commemoration event accessible to an international public on 2 August 2020. The virtual commemoration will also provide high visibility for local commemoration events throughout Europe.
The virtual commemoration of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma on August 2, 2020. An internationally high-ranking, virtual commemoration event for the 500,000 murdered Sinti and Roma in Nazi-occupied Europe is the focus of this year's activities on the occasion of the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma on 2 August.