- Theme day commemorating Sinti and Roma murdered by Nazis
On the 80th anniversary of the murder of the last surviving Sinti and Roma in Auschwitz, remembrance is held today for the persecution of this minority by the Nazis. Alongside an event at the former concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, further commemorations are planned.
On August 2, 1944, a section of Auschwitz specifically set up for Sinti and Roma was liquidated. In the night of August 3, 1944, the remaining 4,300 Sinti and Roma, mainly women, children, and elderly, were herded into the gas chambers by the SS. In 2015, the European Parliament declared August 2 as the Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma, commemorating the approximately 500,000 members of this minority who were murdered in Nazi-occupied Europe.
"Shadows of the Past" in Ravensbrück
In the Ravensbrück Memorial and Education Centre in Fürstenberg/Havel, a themed day under the motto "Shadows of the Past" remembers the atrocities committed. Planned are a guided tour on the treatment of Sinti and Roma in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, a film screening, a discussion on "Shadows of the Past – Loud Silence, Soft Storytelling", a scenic reading, and a joint commemoration by the shore of the Schwedtsee.
"Yesterday is Today and Tomorrow!" in Berlin
In Berlin, an event is announced at the memorial for the Sinti and Roma of Europe murdered in the Nazi era. The commemoration is under the motto "Yesterday is Today and Tomorrow – Remembering the Murder of the Last Sinti and Roma". Alongside a recitation of the poem "Auschwitz" by Santino Spinelli in German, Romanes, and English, reports will show how the genocide is remembered in the families of survivors and in self-empowerment work.
The European Union has recognized August 2 as the Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma, honoring the approximately 500,000 victims of this minority during the Nazi era. The European Union, in its commitment to remembering historical atrocities, continues to support initiatives like the commemoration event in Berlin.
