4
3 | 4 | 5 . Roma Holocaust Memorial Day , Roma Memorial Center Uštica | Picture by Veljko Kajtazi ( Flickr )
area began in 2018 , specifically from the perspective of the suffering of people from Hrvatsko Zagorje in Jasenovac . Through the research and analysis of documents from domestic and foreign archives and museums , as well as antifascist associations , insights were gained into this unusual case . Until this book was published , the massacre had been believed to be an SS crime against a Jewish group .
The first commemoration with complete and reliable information on the ethnic origins of the victims was held at the cemetery in Marija Gorica in April 2022 . Veljko Kajtazi , the political representative of the Roma in Croatia , member of the Croatian Parliament , and leader of the commemoration , stressed the importance of honoring the Roma victims of World War II , especially since the public knows very little about these victims of the Ustasha genocidal policy .
“ I am very pleased that the massacre in Hrastina is being presented to the public to draw attention to this tragic event and to rectify the injustice done to the victims . The massacre that took place on this day in 1945 is one of the greatest Ustasha crimes against the Roma committed in the Independent State of Croatia , and it may have been the last mass crime against the Roma and Sinti on occupied European soil during World War II . I sincerely support initiatives like this so that the victims of all affected peoples find their permanent place in our collective memory . Through this commemorative gathering , we aim to introduce the public for the first time to new historical facts and the tragedy of the Roma people during World War II , along with the restoration of the memorial site , with a promise to return here every year to maintain this
Deep VIEW
19