Roma And Sinti Holocaust

International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Sinti and Roma

(Romani (Gypsy) families in the Belzec Death Camp, German-occupied Poland, not realizing that they will soon be gassed. )

August 2 – International Day of Commemoration of the Sinti and the Rome Genocide During the Holocaust, about 500,000 -1.5 million Roma and Sinti were killed, during the victims of the racist policy of persecution of Austrian and German National Socialists and tyrant allies. However, this Genocide still shows little interest today. Rome and Sinti were killed in destruction camps like in Auschwitz and sacrificed to forced labor and gathering camps of everyday disease, violence, and hunger. Many were forcibly deported, exploited, forced to labor, on farms, in workplaces, and in the industry. Rome and Sinti, this genocide means “Porajmos”, “embarrassment”.

Austrian Roma and Sinti’s Persecution

 In addition, the Roma and Sinti in Austria were tortured and systematically killed as “Gypsies” and or “Asozal” in the period of National Socialism. Prior to 1938, 11,000 to 12,000 were in Rome and Sinti in Austria, many were in Burgenland. The National Socialist persecution of Roman started in July 1938 when forced labor for "Gypsies” was initiated.  But even before 1938, the Sinti and Roman groups suffered a great deal of discrimination. Austrian authorities registered Sinti and Roman on a racist basis. This information was used later as the starting point for arrests and exiles by the National Socialists. In Austria, the National Socialists founded the three largest “Gypsy Camps” in Luckenbach in Burgenland where 4,000 people were arrested and keep them in inhuman conditions. After liberation, survivors have not been recognized as victims of the Nazi persecution for many years and have received little or no amount for the lost properties.

Auschwitz and Chelmno as Central Monument Places

A total of 2,900 Austrian Sinti and Roman were forcefully driven to Auschwitz and imprisoned here in the “Gypsy Camp”. Due to inhuman circumstances, death rates were very high, and 70 % of prisoners were died in the gypsy camps, at the end of July 1944, all healthy prisoners were shipped to collection camps. By the time of 2nd to 3rd of August 1944, all the remaining inmates were murdered in the gas chambers. This cruelty is chosen as a memorial day of 500,000 other Sinti and Roman who were killed during National Socialism for the racist cause. By the time 1941, in the National Socialist Cams denied giving drugs to 5000 Austrian Romans patients in the camps. The surviving prisoners were killed in the camps of Chelmno extermination between the times 1941 to January 1942. On 3rd August 2016, a monument stone of the killed Austrian Roma was shown in Chelmno by the Burgenland and Styria presidents who was the chairman of the Austrian Roma Cultural Association.  In addition to the Sinti and Roman minorities from various countries, there was a member of the Polish government and other departments. For this reason, the Genocide Committee of the IHRA and Roma made a unique effort to get together with the Museums and Memorials Working groups by focusing especially on this aspect. The IHRA and OSCE have issued a joint declaration calling on States to take decisive steps to protect the Porajmos monuments in the statement made by the OSCE and the IHRA on the memorial service of last year’s Roma Genocide.

https://www.specialsdays.com/2-august-international-day-of-remembrance-of-the-genocide-of-the-sinti-and-roma/