About the Roma and Sinti genocide during the Holocaust

Photo of an unknown prisoner. One of a few remaining pictures from Gypsy camp in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Archives. Credits: OSCE

An estimated half million Roma and Sinti perished during the Holocaust. Today, the persecution of Roma under the Nazi rule is widely ignored, reflecting the discrimination and exclusion still faced by Roma and Sinti in our societies today.

In 1990 the recognition of the vulnerable position of Roma and Sinti led to promoting their integration into society.

The knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust counters present-day discrimination and racism and promotes tolerance.

« Seventy years after the liquidation of the so-called ‘Zigeunerlager’ (Auschwitz-Birkenau), where some 23,000 Roma and Sinti were murdered, public discourse still perpetuates old negative stereotypes against these people. In a number of countries in the OSCE region Roma are portrayed as criminals or social outsiders». Michael Georg Link, Director of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Sharing experiences

In order to discuss experiences and practices educating about the Roma and Sinti genocide, on 2 June 2014, ODIHR hosted an expert meeting where participants noted a series of gaps in education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. These shortcomings included bias and negative perceptions on the part of educators and students, the absence of information about the Roma and Sinti genocide in the education curricula, a lack of teaching materials and a lack of resources to develop them.

The workshop built on a website launched by ODIHR in 2010, in co-operation with the Council of Europe, dedicated to the Roma and Sinti genocide with the aim of facilitating the exchange of information and activities by OSCE participating States in teaching and raising awareness of the Roma and Sinti genocide.

Commemoration

«The Roma and Sinti genocide demonstrated what can happen when a prejudicial sentiment becomes an integral part of a states’ legal order and, therefore, the most radical and powerful form of racist ideology. Political leaders must learn from this history in order to combat prejudices and racism in society, especially within governmental institutions that maintain and reproduce the exclusion of Roma and Sinti today».  Romani Rose, Chairman of the Council of German Sinti and Roma.