REPORT on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma Expert Meeting and Conference on the Genocide of the Roma

REPORT on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma
Expert Meeting and Conference on the Genocide of the Roma
10 – 11 May 2014
Institute of Education (IOE), University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Summary of the Expert Meeting, May 10th 2014
Projects addressing the genocide of the Roma:
1. Giving Memory a Future: The Holocaust and the Rights of Roma in Contemporary Europe.
Sacred Heart Catholic University of Milan (Italy) & USC Shoah Foundation (U.S.A.)
2. The Fate of European Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust, Kanzlei-Internationaler Verein
für Wissenschaft und Kultur (Austria), Anne Frank House (The Netherlands) & Mémorial de la
Shoah (France)
3. International Conference on Teaching Material on the Roma Genocide, Erinnern.at (Austria),
Museum of Romani Culture (Czech Republic) & Anne Frank House (The Netherlands)
4. Requiem for Auschwitz, Gipsy Festival & Foundation Alfa (The Netherlands)
5. Research on Roma Deportations and Mass Killing Sites During the World War II in Eastern
Europe, Yahad In Unum (France) & Dignité Roms (Belgium)
6. School of Remembrance – Producing knowledge about the Roma genocide and how to
prevent anti-Gypsyism, Women’s Space, Nis (Serbia), Forum for Applied History, Belgrade
(Serbia) & Roma Center Göttingen e.V. (Germany)
7. Between Discrimination and Emancipation - History and Culture of Sinti and Roma in
Germany and Europe, Documentation Centre of German Sinti and Roma (Germany)
8. Save from Oblivion.Roma and Sinti Holocaust in testimonies and contemporary discourse -
The Roma People Association in Poland, The Dialog-Pheniben Foundation & Jagiellonian
University (Poland)
Part 2: Summary of the Conference, May 11th 2014
- Keynote: Dr. Slawomir Kapralski, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy
of Sciences in Warsaw.
Historical knowledge and challenges to historians concerning the genocide of the Roma.
- Keynote - Mirjam-Angela Karoly, OSCE’s ODIHR Contact for Roma & Sinti Issues. On the
relationship between past and present issues, the importance of the commemoration of the
genocide of the Roma
- Workshops
Part 3: Recommendations
Appendices:
1. Programme of the Expert Meeting and Participants list
2. Programme of the Conference
3. Summary of the online evaluation survey
This report was compiled by Karen Polak (AFH/Netherlands), Paul Salmons, Rebecca Hale
and Chitro Ghose (IOE Centre for Holocaust Education, University of London)
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Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 3
Introduction
IHRA has supported research and education on the Roma
genocide since 2007. The expert meeting on Saturday 10 May
2014 brought together for the first time a range of colleagues
who had worked on IHRA-funded projects on the Roma
genocide to share their experiences, successes and challenges
in developing and implementing these projects. From 2011
– 2013 IHRA gave financial support to eight projects across
Europe that address this complex and emotionally-challenging
history, most of which have an educational focus. The expert
meeting consisted of 20 people, most of whom were leading
six of the IHRA-funded projects. The meeting was also attended
by several IHRA delegates from the committee on the genocide
of the Roma, enabling them to learn from the exchange and to
consider in what way these projects could inform the work of
the committee.
The conference held on Sunday 11 May 2014 prior to
the IHRA plenary, aimed to inform IHRA delegates and a wider
audience of educators on the results of the IHRA-funded
projects relating to the genocide of the Roma, and to provide
a deeper understanding of this history. 102 people registered
for the conference. Coming from 22 countries, they have very
different professional backgrounds: 40 were IHRA delegates,
over 25 were affiliated to Roma organisations, and British
educators from formal and non-formal education were the third
group in attendance.
The conference opened with a welcome by Professor Chris
Husbands, Director of the Institute of Education and by Sir
Andrew Burns, Chair of IHRA and Head of the UK Delegation,
followed by a powerful statement by Ladislav Balaz, Chair of
the Europe Roma Network who highlighted the deep prejudice
and vicious discrimination across the continent with which Roma
continue to face.
The keynote lectures focused on the challenges faced
by historians in researching and teaching the genocide of
the Roma and on the contemporary situation that Roma face
across Europe, where hate crimes, human rights violations
and discrimination are far too often part of their daily life
reality. At the end of the day a round table discussion dealt
with connecting past and present: how far (if at all) does
teaching about the genocide of the Roma contribute to
greater awareness that prejudice and discrimination need to be
confronted today?
Participants could choose to join two workshops out of
five that all focused on educational projects aimed at making
the genocide of the Roma more widely known, and that created
space for exchange and discussion. Many of the workshops
held on Sunday were given by experts that had met on the
previous day to discuss the projects that they are working on.
The diversity in participants’ backgrounds posed a challenge for
the workshop facilitators but meeting the wide range of actors
involved in the topic and seeing people from all over the world
working for the same goals was a significant learning experience
for many participants. The personal experiences of Roma
participants and the testimonies included in the workshops were
also mentioned in the evaluation as being an important part of
the conference.
This report presents the work done on both days, by giving
an overview of the presentations, lectures and workshops and
also drawing on the debates that took place. On the basis of the
evaluation of both days, recommendations for the future work
of IHRA in the field of research, education and remembrance of
the genocide of the Roma are included at the end of the report.
Ladislav Balaz (© Paul Salmons)
4 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
In preparation for the expert meeting a summary of each
project was shared among the 20 participants, so that the
meeting itself could be far more productive, focusing on
the challenges arising from these experiences rather than
merely description of what had taken place. This part
of the report summarizes the brief presentations on the
challenges and some first responses by the project leaders.
The first six projects in this overview were co-funded
by the IHRA; two other projects were also presented by
participants in the meeting. Later in the day a broader
discussion took place, also summarized in this report,
focusing on themes with a wider relevance to education
on the genocide of the Roma.
1. Project: Giving memory a future
Partners: Sacred Heart Catholic University of Milan (Italy)
& USC Shoah Foundation (U.S.A.)
www.romsintimemory.it and http://sfi.usc.edu/education/
roma-sinti/en/
Presented by: Stefano Pasta, Phd student in education, Sacred
Heart Catholic University of Milan, Italy and Ethel Brooks,
professor in the Departments of Women’s and Gender Studies
and Sociology at Rutgers University, USA.
The main goal of the project is to provide information and
resources to political decision makers and educational policy
makers in order to facilitate better understanding of Sinti
and Roma culture and history; to develop new strategies for
addressing discrimination against Sinti and Roma; and to
promote peaceful coexistence in Europe. To support this goal,
the project pursues the following objectives:
• Produce a multimedia resource incorporating audiovisual,
documentary, legislative, scholarly, and mass media
information related to Sinti and Roma rights and anti-Sinti
and Roma discrimination;
• Inform target groups (political decision makers and
educational policy makers) about the historical mechanisms
that led to discrimination, exclusion, and persecution of
the Roma in the twentieth century through a progressive
erosion of their rights;
• Demonstrate the continuity and the mechanisms driving
exclusion/persecution of Sinti and Roma throughout history
and contemporary Europe.
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
• How to make the large number of testimonies that were
collected useable in schools, and applicable to education
and policy.
• Some resources, for example audio-visual material and
documentaries, needed to be translated, so subtitles had to
be added.
• The team used a variety of resources and had to develop
these into a coherent project.
• Copyright was a challenge – the team could not get
copyright clearance on all resources.
Sustainability: in order to make the project sustainable, the team
identified that they would need to introduce the multimedia
resource in places that are seeing a rise in anti-Roma violence.
They want to disseminate the project across Europe and into the
USA. However, some of the materials will need to be translated
accordingly, which is in itself a challenge for the sustainability of
the project.
Questions:
• How have you cooperated with Roma?
Interviews were conducted with Roma. This was
challenging in the United States as there are few survivors,
but in Italy the team were able to interview Roma survivors
of the genocide.
Part 1: Summary of the Expert Meeting, 10 May 2014
Ethel Brooks (© Paul Salmons)
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 5
• The title of project suggests that memorials to Roma are
important – so should memorialisation be part of the
project, e.g. exhibitions?
The project team thought that memorialisation should be
part of the project. They pointed out that in Italy there are
no memorials of the Roma genocide, but the testimonies
gathered for the website could be considered as a form of
memorialisation.
• What about copyright? If someone died do you get it from
children?
Response: When people gave interviews they gave
permission for the information to be used in public, and
so copyright for the interviews was not an issue, but other
resources require copyright. Another challenge faced by
the team was that Italian and American copyright laws are
very different.
2. Project: The fate of European Roma and Sinti
during the Holocaust
Project Partners: Kanzlei-Internationaler Verein für
Wissenschaft und Kultur (Austria), Anne Frank House (The
Netherlands) & Mémorial de la Shoah (France)
www.romasintigenocide.eu, currently in English, German
and French.
Presented by Gerhard Baumgartner, Kanzlei-Internationaler
Verein für Wissenschaft und Kultur
The project brought together professional historians, Roma
and Sinti representatives and educators in order to develop
a mutually accepted version of instruction and information
materials for teachers, students and other interested persons
concerning the largely forgotten fate of the European Roma and
Sinti during the Holocaust.
The produced homepage – with integrated, downloadable
worksheets for teachers – divides this complex story into five
subchapters and identifies the central issues within them:
i.e. the major events, dates, locations and persons central to
the understanding of this tragedy of the largest European
minority. The presented materials represents the first narrative
of the genocide of the European Roma and Sinti which was
consensually developed by historians and Roma and Sinti
representatives, especially those from Central and Eastern
European countries, whose role in the genocide has been largely
neglected by research and public opinion and where most of the
Roma and Sinti live today.
The more 80 worksheets each take a historical photograph
or document as a starting point for presenting the basic facts
of a single event, drawing attention to its relevance within the
general frame of the whole narrative, while the tasks set for
pupils and interested members of the public ties the historical
fact back to the present, relating it to current events and
developments. Interactive maps on the homepage help to locate
the respective events geographically and an extensive section
of background information offers ample reading material and
links to further information for the respective countries. The
homepage is at present available in German, English and French.
The French version went online in 2014 in cooperation with the
Paris based Memorial de la Shoah.
The materials were first tested with teachers in Austria,
Germany, Sweden and Canada. The material were also the basis
for an implementation project funded by the IHRA. Presentations
for educators are scheduled in several European countries by
national educational authorities or higher education institutions.
The project was instigated by the Austrian Ministry of
Education and the Arts, developed during three expert meetings
in 2011 in Vienna, Amsterdam and Budapest by 23 experts
from 11 countries, and the homepage is hosted by the Austrian
agency for the education of contemporary history, erinnern.
at. The project was co-founded by the Austrian Ministry of
Education and the Arts, the IHRA, the Fondation pour la
Memoire de la Shoah, the Anne Frank House, the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences and erinnern.at, while some countries –
such as Switzerland - have co-funded materials to be developed
by local experts for the background materials presented in the
representative country sections of the homepage. A new project
to develop the materials for Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland
and Croatia is being led by the Milan Simecka Foundation
(Slovakia) and has received funding in 2014.
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
• The project had initially planned to bring together the
involved experts at three major meetings in Vienna,
Amsterdam and Budapest. Due to developments outside
the reach of the project, the meeting in Budapest could
only be realised in a reduced form. Funding limitations also
led to smaller number of participants in Amsterdam.
• At the Vienna meeting it was decided to extend the
project and to integrate the worksheets, which according
to the original proposal were to be published on the
internet by erinnern.at, into a real interactive website. This
necessitated additional work on background materials
and maps. As well as a long process of coordination with
involved partners, clarifying and editing additional materials
outside the scope of the original worksheets.
• Growing awareness for the website under construction,
results from preliminary testing-phases of the materials
in different countries as well as suggestions by Roma
organisations and education experts resulted in extensive
readjustments, re-editing, re-phrasing and re-arranging
of the topics and illustrations. This procedure fortunately
resulted in a final version that was well received by all
participants in the project.
• The major challenge was to create teaching materials
representing a historical narrative of the genocide of the
European Roma and Sinti which is mutually acceptable to
historical experts, minority representatives and educators
alike.
6 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
• The process of negotiating such a new condensed narrative
of a highly complex story resulted in frequent re-designs
of the individual worksheets and the inner structure and
arrangements of the materials themselves. Terminological
questions such as the use of words like Pharrajimos or
Samurdaripen, conflicting estimates of victim numbers, the
question of how to portray perpetrators and where within
the structure of the website meant that a considerable
amount of work had to be done again (editing, designing).
• The project for the first time gives a very concise overview
over the scope and the major events of the Roma and Sinti
genocide and provides easily accessible teaching materials
for teachers as well as general information for students and
interested members of the public through the homepage in
German and English. Through the dissemination seminars
started in 2012 the materials will get a very wide reception
especially in countries where there is so far very little
comparable material available. Interested institutions are
given free access and translation rights to produce national
variants of the materials.
• Target groups: Secondary school teachers and students,
interested members of the public, journalists and
multipliers were selected as target groups. The material is
presented in a way which makes it understandable without
any prior specific knowledge, offers basic information
units as well as links and materials for further reading on
topics of special interest. Responses of the target groups
ranged from enthusiastic to critical, depending on the
familiarity with the topic. For NGO members and activists
it is often too general for their specific country. However
it was not the aim of the project to make country specific
materials. All appreciated the concise overview, the
clear argumentative stance of the worksheets and the
pedagogical elements which tie historical events back to
the present day situation.
• Interest was voiced by other countries originally outside the
scope of the project, during the process of development the
materials were presented and tested in Canada in 2011 and
2012 and presented to educators in Sweden by invitation.
• The large geographical distribution made cooperation
sometimes very complicated, the three seminars held in
Vienna, Budapest and Amsterdam helped focus the project
a lot. Cooperation between the partners was generally
good and was supported by a mutual interest in realising
this intellectually as well as politically complex project.
• The website did not work as well as anticipated in schools
in the early stages of the project because it wanted to be
two things at same time – a general information website
and an educational website where worksheets can be
downloaded from that website. The team addressed this
by securing more funding to amend worksheets and
include guidance for teachers about how to use them.
The Living History Forum is making the website available
in Swedish and the Milan Simecka Foundation in Slovakia
has obtained IHRA funding to work with partners in six
countries to develop the website in the national languages
and also in Romanes.
• The team had to decide where to draw the line in
relation to what should be included on the website.
They acknowledged that if everything was included,
the website would become overwhelming and a form
of encyclopaedia rather than an effective educational
resource. Consequently, this led to decisions about what to
exclude, as well as what to include.
• The team found differences in the way that students
respond to the testimonies. They found that students
respond better to testimonies from their own countries,
and so it is important that testimonies from countries using
the website are included.
• The biggest challenge for the team was writing the
material. During this process they became overwhelmed
by the volume of material. They noted that, when bringing
together different opinions and deciding what to include,
a compromise is always needed. Within this, they also
noted that if the website had too many elements (to
make it applicable to a broad audience), there was a risk
of the website inadvertently marginalising certain areas.
For example, teachers tended to opt for familiar locations,
and exclude locations that were unknown to them. This
presented a challenge for the team where they had to
consider how specific they should be when developing
resources for a large body of educators.
3. Project: International Conference on teaching
material on the Roma Genocide
November 2012 – November 2013
Partners: Erinnern.at (Austria), Museum of Romani Culture
(Czech Republic) & Anne Frank House (The Netherlands)
www.romasintigenocide.eu
Presented by Maria Ecker, Erinnern.at, Austria.
This project made it possible to bring together people
committed to introducing the genocide of the Roma into
mainstream teaching. This topic is very rarely present in teacher
training. There are a multitude of challenges to face. With the
finalisation of the teaching materials ‘The Fate of the European
Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust’ we have a tool available
to introduce the topic in a very concrete way. There is a growing
awareness among educators that the challenges Europe faces
today, with hate crimes against Roma being alarmingly high in
many countries, are also challenges that need to be addressed
in the schools. The group of experts that met in the two
expert meetings are committed to continue working on this
topic. International exchange, leading to further professional
development of a small but growing group of experts in the
educational field is essential if the genocide of the Roma is
going to be more widely recognized as part of European history.
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 7
There were three target groups represented at the
meetings: 1. Educational experts working at institutes related
to the history of the Holocaust and/or the Roma genocide.
2. Teacher trainers that are working at universities or teacher
training colleges. 3. Educational authorities.
The expertise of these different groups of experts
contributed significantly to the development of the teaching
material and of the implementation process.
The project aimed to create a network of educators
and policy makers from across Europe to generally support
teaching about the genocide of the Roma in the institutions
and countries that are part of the project, and in particular to
further the implementation of the teaching materials ‘The Fate
of the European Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust’ (www.
romasintigenocide.eu).
The teaching materials were discussed by an international
group of educational experts from 13 countries during two
meetings, separated in time by a year.
The first meeting was held in Eisenstadt, Austria, November
2012 in parallel to a conference attended by 150 participants –
amongst them historians, Roma-activists, teachers from Austria
and other European states. During the conference the teaching
materials were introduced to all the participants. During the
expert meeting (33 participants) several aspects of implementing
the materials were discussed but also a lot of time was taken
to look in detail at the materials and suggestions were made
for improvements in content and format. Major challenges in
teaching about the genocide of the Roma and Sinti are: 1)The
lack of basic general knowledge on this topic among teachers;
2) The limitations in teaching time and; 3)The prejudices among
teachers and students concerning Roma and Sinti.
In spring 2013 a small editorial group worked with the
comments from the first meeting to finalize the teaching
materials and prepare a teacher’s guide. The website with
materials was launched in its finalized version (German
and English) early July 2013, with significant pedagogical
improvements in the presentation of the materials and the
assignments for students. Early 2014 the website was also made
available in French.
During the second implementation meeting, at the
Museum of Romani Culture in Brno (CZ), November 2013, 25
experts from 11 countries shared their experiences in working
with the materials, and future plans for working with the
materials were shared. Experts from Roma NGOs from Poland,
Germany, Serbia and Czech republic were able to connect the
project at hand with other efforts to make the history of the
genocide of the Roma and Sinti better known. The participation
of international organisations (OSCE/ODIHR, Erionet and
TernYpe) and of institutions with an international outreach (Yad
Vashem, Living History Forum. Erinnern.at, Anne Frank House)
gave extra input to future international cooperation in this field.
17 experts were able to attend both meetings. 12 experts
sent in a total of 28 reports on their experiences with the
materials in the past year. These experiences formed an important
basis for discussing the continued implementation of the
materials. In total 40 experts were involved in the project, from
14 countries.
An important prerequisite for teachers and teacher trainers
to be able to use the materials is their availability in the language
of the country. During the second meeting plans were discussed
to have translations made, in Sweden, Poland, Croatia and
Hungary. A translation in Romani was also considered important.
Comments on some of the objectives:
1. Introducing the Roma genocide in education through the
potential of the newly developed material for learning and
teaching about the Roma genocide.
Nearly all participants had had the opportunity to present
the materials at teacher training sessions or other meetings
of multipliers; and in some cases to students. Interesting
examples of presentations are: an intensive session held
with pedagogical staff at Yad Vashem were the materials
were discussed at length and a much valued document
with comments was sent to the project leaders; a meeting
at the German Foreign Office where 48 institutions were
introduced to the materials. Most other presentations were
for teachers (28 implementation reports were submitted).
2. Development of a strategy and of methods for
implementation of the new learning and teaching material
into ITF member and non-member states.
In the second expert seminar it became clear that it is not
possible to develop one model for implementation, or one
method of introducing the materials – as each country
had a specific educational framework, and the role that
the contemporary situation of Roma plays in society differs
greatly. However, sharing insights from different countries
was considered very useful by the participants. It was
considered necessary to prepare implementation projects
for several countries and regions.
Maria Ecker (© Swen Rudolph)
8 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
3. Training of a group of experts from several institutions
and countries that will be multipliers in the field of
education and memory of the Roma genocide; experts
that can present the Roma genocide in its relation to
the Holocaust, to the ways this genocide is remembered
by European Roma and non-Roma and against the
contemporary social and cultural situation of European
Roma.
The participants, in varying degrees, are continuing
to work with the materials, in teacher training and in
workshops. Many participants would appreciate further
professional development for themselves and indicated
there would be interest for this from a larger group of
educators in their countries.
4. Developing workshops and teacher development
programmes that allow for further dissemination of
knowledge and expertise after the project.
On the basis of some of the examples given during the
second seminar, it was agreed that it would be useful
to offer examples of lesson plans on the website of the
materials. A model teacher development seminar might
also be offered, however the circumstances in which
seminars are given, vary greatly (time available, prior
knowledge of those attending, place i.e. memorial site, as
part of a longer seminar etc.), which makes it difficult to
suggest and/or develop one model.
Challenges:
1. Some experts were challenged by not having the
materials available in the national language. In Croatia
and Poland some of the participants made working
translations of pages of the materials to work with in
workshops. In other countries (the Netherlands, Hungary)
the audiences (teachers / trainee teachers) were able to
cope with the English language version.
2. Lack of teaching time is considered a general challenge:
1) for the seminar or workshop introducing the materials
2) in the classroom (i.e. the response from teachers is that
they have too little time to work on ‘yet another topic’).
However, several people gave examples of how the
topic can be introduced, without competing with other
topics. Several methodologies included in the teachers’
guide (historical biographies / reading and understanding
photos) can be part of developing historical skills. Some
people indicated that special project days are a better
way of introducing a little known topic. The seminars,
workshops and presentations varied in time between 30
min. (general introduction at a conference) to a full day.
Most common – the two hour workshop at a teachers
training seminar, was considered a challenge due to the
lack of prior basic knowledge of the teachers.
3. General lack of knowledge of educators/teachers on the
history of the genocide of the Roma. With the expert from
OSCE/ODIHR the need to work together with amongst
others the Council of Europe, to make the available materials
more known (for example the fact sheets on Roma history,
see: www.romagenocide.org) was discussed
4. The subject ‘Roma’ is considered political and therefore not
appropriate as a topic in the classroom. There is a conflict in
many European societies concerning the Roma and teachers
don’t want this conflict in the classroom. One approach
brought forward is that Roma should be in the classroom
more often, so that students can engage in a normal way
with Roma, and not have the media (or the attitudes from
home or school) as the sole source of information.
5. Many educators and students have no knowledge of who
Roma and Sinti are. It was suggested that Roma NGOs
should be invited into the classroom more often.
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
a. The team faced problems in relation to translation; in
particular they did not have material in the national language
of all the educators who wanted to deliver it. They found
that the translation process, for example from German to
French, was complex. Furthermore, they realized that the
translator needs to cooperate with an expert in the Roma
genocide otherwise mistranslations are more likely.
b. The team also noted that it is not appropriate to develop
one method/model of implementation for teaching materials
on the Roma genocide because the context of each region
and/or country varies. However, lesson plans that provide
examples of how to teach the material were considered
to be a useful means of guidance for teachers and will be
developed and provided online.
c. Another issue is that teachers can have their own prejudice
towards Roma and/or lack of knowledge about Roma and
the Roma genocide. This presents a barrier for teachers who
are going to be implementing the materials, for example,
they are not confident in their subject knowledge and/or they
convey their own opinions about Roma.
d. The team found that, in general, teachers want further
professional development to equip them to teach about
the Roma genocide, but do not always have the time or
resources for this.
e. Taking all these issues together, it was apparent to the project
team that it was essential that the people who conduct the
professional development workshops are familiar with the
history of the Roma genocide. However, this is an ongoing
challenge as not many people have sufficient knowledge in
this area. Those that do have the required level of expertise
do not have the time to conduct the workshops.
The maintenance of the website presents a particular challenge
to the sustainability of the project. The project has presented
a substantial learning experience for those involved; they had
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 9
no idea that the project would become so big. Consequently,
it is an ongoing concern who will take the lead in managing
the project overall. This becomes increasingly pertinent as the
project expands and more teaching materials are developed
in different languages. This is because if/when errors and
mistakes are found in resources (especially when in formats like
PDF), work to amend the resources has to be outsourced to a
web company which is expensive and time consuming.
In 2014 an International Advisory Board for www.
romasintigenocide.eu was formed consisting of representatives
of the organisations that commissioned the project, the
Austrian Ministry of Education in cooperation with Anne
Frank House and Memorial de la Shoah. Members of the
board are Martina Maschke (BMBF), Karen Polak (AFH), and
Claude Singer (Memorial). They will advise erinnern.at, the
hosting institution, on all aspects of the governance of the
website. The Director of erinnern.at, Werner Dreier, will take
decisions concerning the general running of the website. The
advisory board will be consulted on any major changes and
on a yearly basis (or more often if relevant) and will review
the development of the website (i.e. new language versions).
In specific cases the advisory board may task someone else to
advise on aspects of the website.
Questions:
• This is a narration of Roma history, so who is the owner?
Roma should be supported to go into schools to deliver
the materials. Identity is important in the creation of a
history of a nation or group of people. It is also essential
to address issues in governmental organisations, especially
where Members of Parliament have prejudices towards
Roma, and this has implications on education and policy.
• There are also issues to consider in the classroom.
Firstly, discussions need to take place to identify ways
to engage young people with the material. Secondly,
careful consideration is needed to determine how the
material can be effectively, and sensitively, delivered by
teachers. The team noted that sometimes teaching about
a group can inadvertently exacerbate students’ prejudices
rather than tackling them. Consequently, this is an issue
for teacher professional development to ensure that
educators teach about the genocide of the Roma in a way
that does not perpetuate stereotypes etc. Furthermore,
images of Roma in school books need to be addressed
and challenged. These are complex issues, which
teachers will need a lot of support to tackle. However,
it is difficult to get teaching about the Roma genocide
included in teacher development courses - especially
when the tutors have been delivering standardised
material for a long time. The team noted that changes
are not always welcomed by teachers/schools. Therefore,
close collaboration with Roma NGOs is essential in
order to support teachers. But this is only one means to
address these issues - government support is also vital,
otherwise materials pertaining to the genocide of the
Roma will not get into the school curricular. It is easier to
get government/ policy makers’ support for this in some
countries than in others.
• Finally, the team also noted that Roma students do
not always attend mainstream schools, colleges and
universities. Future research needs to examine how to
access these students and the diverse dialects in Romanes
also need to be taken into consideration.
4. Project: Requiem for Auschwitz
Partners: International Gipsy Festival & Alfa Foundation
(The Netherlands)
www.requiemforauschwitz.eu and www.gipsyfestival.nl/eng
Presented by Suzanne Keurntjes, International Gipsy Festival
Requiem for Auschwitz is a musical monument for all the victims
of Nazi Terror. It is a shared moment for representatives of
the Jewish, Roma, Sinti and other victim groups in the light of
recent developments in Europe. It is a living proof of the power
of culture against discrimination and exclusion.
This event is based on the composition Requiem for
Auschwitz (2009) by the self-educated Dutch Sinto musician
Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb. It was performed by the Roma- und
Sinti Philharmoniker from Frankfurt am Main, conducted by
Rom conductor Riccardo M Sahiti. However, it should become
a monument to all the victims. Specifically, we are aiming to
stimulate a memorial of the Nazi genocide shared by Jewish and
Roma/Sinti organizations, in the European countries in which the
concert took place. The history of the genocide of Roma and Sinti
is hardly known among the public at large. Roma and Sinti are the
largest minority in the European Union and are currently victims of
serious discrimination, deportations, killings, and pogroms in many
countries. The Requiem for Auschwitz is a powerful statement
about human suffering. The general objective to which the project
contributes is raising awareness of the tragedy that has struck the
Roma and Sinti during the Nazi regime. The rationale for this is:
awareness of this ‘forgotten Holocaust’ is essential in combating
current anti-Gypsyism in Europe.
The Requiem premiered on 3 May 2012 at the ‘Nieuwe
Kerk’, a famous church in the heart of Amsterdam. The
following day a TV-registration of the concert was broadcasted
nationwide, along with a documentary about the forgotten
genocide. After the premiere the Requiem travelled through
Europe, visiting partner cities Tilburg (NL), Prague, Budapest,
Frankfurt, Cracow and Berlin. In each country the Requiem was
performed by the Roma- und Sinti Philharmoniker, a local choir
and 4 soloists. On 30 October 2013 the Requiem was officially
concluded with the ‘Final Chord’, attended by the Dutch
former queen princess Beatrix and 450 high school students
(age 12-18). Therefore Final Chord was not just conclusion of
the Requiem for Auschwitz, but also the starting point of an
education project called ‘Requiem for Auschwitz at School’.
10 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
For the school project conductor Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb
visits schools and teaches young students (age 14-25) about the
Requiem for Auschwitz and the forgotten genocide. Roger is a
man from Sinti origin and he knows a lot about the history of his
people. He tells the students about the Sinti and Roma culture,
their history, their travels, their lives today and he explains what
being a Sinto means for him. He also speaks about Auschwitz and
tells the students what he saw there and about what he felt while
walking through the remains if the camp. How it made him feel
hopeless, how it made him cry. He was deeply touched by what he
saw and was very determined to create a musical monument for
all the victims of this terrible crime. By telling his personal story and
playing his accordion Roger explains why he wanted to compose
the Requiem and about the obstacles that he had to overcome.
The need of education and the benefits of and drawbacks
personal stories
The Gipsy Festival has organised several education projects over
the years. The students in most schools know very little about
Gypsy culture. Most know the word ‘Zigeuner’, the German and
Dutch translation of ‘Gypsy’, but are not aware that most Gypsy
people find this term very insulting. Some children know the
word ‘Roma’; most of them have never heard of the word ‘Sinti’.
One or two schools that we visited were located near a Gypsy
settlement. These children were very prejudiced, their parents
told them to stay away from that area, and they saw ‘police cars
driving over there regularly’. Though living less than a mile away,
they had never had an open conversation with neither Sinti nor
Roma until we visited their school. There are some schools have
turned down our projects because they were afraid to get labelled
as a ‘Gypsy school’, which –in their words- could cost them
students in the future. This shows exactly why education about
Gypsy culture is extremely important, especially today.
Most history books used in schools only have two pages
about the Holocaust, focussing mainly on the Jewish, the largest
victim group. Sometimes a few words about other victim groups
– including Gypsies – can be found at the bottom of the second
page. I spoke to several history teachers and most of them admit
to not knowing all that much about the forgotten genocide
themselves. Since teachers can/will not invest time to include new
information in their classes and changing the history books is a
task beyond our possibilities, we focus on a different approach
to break down prejudices, fight racism and teach young people
more about the beautiful Gypsy culture.
We have experienced that personal stories, told first
hand, have a deep impact on pupils (and teachers), so in all our
education projects we invite Sinti and Roma people to tell their
own personal story in class. Most of our teachers combine this
with a form of art (music, dance, storytelling or arts). We believe
that this does not only give an extra dimension to their story, it
also takes away boundaries on both sides and makes dialogue
more accessible. We have experienced that this approach is very
successful; pupils are impressed and remember the stories very
well (weeks later they can still repeat many parts), and, most
importantly, after Roger’s visit teachers declare that they will
include the forgotten genocide in their lessons in the future.
We have a small group of people who have unique stories
and are very skilled to contribute to our projects. They are our
strength, they are the reason our projects are successful. But
people can only be in one place at the time. Roger, for example,
is the only one who can teach the children about the Requiem
first hand. We let him teach small groups of children (max. 30),
so that an exchange is possible. Larger groups create a distance
between the speaker and the class, which we want to avoid.
Since he cannot teach at hundreds of schools in a short period
of time, it makes our project very limited and expensive. We are
currently thinking about more effective ways to teach a larger
group of youngsters about the Requiem for Auschwitz and the
story behind it, at low costs so that schools can afford it. One
good example is the website www.romasinti.eu, telling the story
of six young Gypsy victims of Nazi terror including Zoni Weiss,
who was very much involved in the realisation of the Requiem.
But we’re looking for more ways, thinking about questions as:
how can we reach larger groups of students without losing the
strength of a personal story? How can we use the power of the
Requiem to inspire a young generation to learn more about the
forgotten genocide? But the most important question is: how can
we inspire more teachers all over the world to teach their students
about the forgotten genocide?
The registration of the world premiere of the Requiem for
Auschwitz can be watched on youtube: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=DDn0L6ZXmkk
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
1. Teachers often do not include the Roma genocide because
of other curriculum demands. Consequently, it is vital to
ensure that teachers recognise the importance of teaching
about the Roma genocide so that they are keen to include
it in school curricular – that is, the best means of getting
teachers to include the Roma genocide in teaching is to
ensure that they recognise the value of it.
2. Another challenge that the team faced was that the
Requiem composer can only be in one classroom at a time.
This limits the number of schools that have access to this
project.
3. Although schools/teachers were enthusiastic about the
project, in one school the Board of Parents disliked it (they
did not want the school to be seen as a ‘gypsy school’), and
so the programme was cancelled. Thus, in some schools,
there is the challenge of negative parental attitudes. This
highlights that students’ and/or teachers’ attitudes do not
exist in a vacuum: the inclusion and reception of the Roma
genocide in school curricular is always situated within the
context of broader societal attitudes.
4. The team posed the following questions to highlight
concerns with which they are grappling:
• How can we reach larger groups of students without
losing the strength of personal stories?
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 11
• How can we use the power of Requiem to inspire a
young generation to learn more about this ‘forgotten
genocide’?
• How can we inspire teachers all over the world to teach
about the forgotten genocide?
Questions:
• There was a query about the usage of the term ‘Gypsy’.
Response: the team explained that in different countries,
different terms are acceptable. For example, in the UK many
Roma organisations use the term ‘Gypsy’, but in other
countries it is considered offensive. The International Gipsy
Festival is not only using English as its main language of
communication but also working within the world of music,
where the term ‘Gypsy music’ is commonly used also by
Roma musicians. A note on spelling – we have used the
form ‘Gypsy’ throughout this report except where the name
of an organisation, event or website uses ‘Gipsy’ to describe
itself, in which case we have kept to this spelling.
5. Project: Research on Roma deportations and Mass
Killing Sites during World War II in Eastern Europe
Partners: Yahad In Unum (France) & Dignité Roms (Belgium)
www.yahadinunum.org
Presented by Patrice Bensimon, Director of Yahad - In Unum’s
Research Center, Paris and Costel Nastasie, Director of Dignité
Roms, Brussels
Yahad-in Unum’s research in Eastern Europe has enabled the
association to collect testimonial evidence about the executions of
the Roma people in Nazi-occupied Soviet territories. Eye-witness
accounts are filmed and recorded, and the GPS coordinates of
the shooting sites are identified and indexed. During the research
trips, Yahad was able to collect the testimonies of Roma victims
in Romania who were deported to Transnistria (southern region
of present-day Ukraine) by the Antonescu government. In 2014,
Yahad-in Unum wishes to deepen its research on the persecution
of the Roma during World War II in Romania. The interviews
conducted and collected up until now have helped to reveal the
lack of unity in the persecution of the Roma and a large variety
of ethnic groups with varying historical fates. Yahad-in Unum will
effectuate two research trips to Romania in 2014, in the regions
of Botosani and Suceava. The trips will take place in July and
October-November of 2014.
In 2014, Yahad-in Unum will also organize three conferences
on the persecution of the Roma during the Second World War.
These events will highlight the results collected during interviews
with Roma survivors by Yahad’s team and give the opportunity to
discuss this information with scholars.
The conferences will take place in Brussels, in partnership
with the Roma Dignity association. Dr. Sylvio Peritore, historian
and member of Yahad’s partner organization the Central Council
of Roma and Sinti will present the first lecture alongside a Roma
survivor on the subject of the ‘History and Remembrance of
the persecution of Roma. Professor Alain Reyniers, professor at
Louvain University (Belgium) will offer an overview of Roma history
in Romania. During both these conferences, Yahad researchers will
shed light on certain aspects of the persecution revealed by the
collected testimonies and in dialogue with the speakers. The third
conference will focus on the fate of a Roma family in Romania
during the 20th century. Costel Nastasie, the Roma Dignity
President will give insight into the fate of the Roma people in
Romania during WWII through the example of one family.
Yahad in Unum plans to conduct its research projects in
Romania using the following methodology:
A. Archives
Access to the following archives (at USHMM) allows for a
thorough preparation of the research trips, to provide a historical
framework necessary to the contextualization of the testimonies:
• The war archives of Oblasts from Odessa and from Nikolayev
(Ukraine). This is a corpus of administrative documents,
police and legal texts, dating from the period of the war
in the current Ukrainian regions of Odessa and Nikolayev,
corresponding to the former region of Transnistria,
administered by the Romanians from 1941 to 1944. It was
to this area that more than 18,000 Roma were deported
between 1942 and 1943. The archives shed light on the
dates of the deportations, on the sanitary conditions of the
camps and villages where the Roma families were detained,
and on the orders for execution.
• The Soviet Extraordinary State Commission. With those
investigations taken place just after the liberation of the
villages by the Red Army, we can know more or less how
and where the Roma were killed.
• The Romanian war archives. These are composed of police
records on the deportation of the Roma, as well as directives
issued by Romanian heads which gives information about
their policy towards the Roma people.
Future research trips to Romania will be prepared by analysing and
translating these materials. The association is working with Martin
Holler, Viorel Achim, Radu Ioanid, Ovidiu Creanga, researchers that
have special expertise of relevance to our research.
B. The collection of testimonies
The planned research trips to Romania follow on earlier trips
when a collection of testimonies of Roma who lived through the
Second World War was made. The fate of the Roma in Romania
differed from one ethnic group to another, even from one village
to another. The goal is also to focus more on the disparity of the
policies of Romanians towards the Roma people and place this
into the broader context of various forms of persecution of the
Roma across Europe during the Second World War.
One of the objectives of Yahad is to be able to present
maps of the deportation of the Roma people and to reconstruct
the history of Roma families. The interviews are conducted in
12 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
the Romani language. The testimonies are recorded and filmed.
The team is composed of a cameraman, a photographer, two
interpreters (Romani language), two investigators, two drivers,
a script-writer writing the report of the testimonies and the
investigation, and a research team leader / interviewer.
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
a. The team found that young Roma do not always know
their family’s history or experiences. This highlights the
importance of involving young Roma in projects.
b. The team found that older Roma often are not comfortable
talking about their experiences.
c. They also found that 90% of Roma people are talking
about their experiences/ being interviewed for the first
time, and this on camera and to a foreign team, and they
give their accounts in their own language.
d. The team noted some logistical challenges, which – though
resolved – highlight the complexity of this project. For
example, they were able to take two Roma people back
to where they had been deported to; however, in order to
do this, they needed to get passports and other relevant
paperwork arranged.
e. The team explained that at present the main focus of their
work is to find eye-witnesses who can help identify the
killing sites. But they are faced with the challenge of having
to keep the sites ‘low profile’ because people dig up the
graves to see if they can find gold etc.
f. So far research has been conducted in seven countries.
More than 70 testimonies had been collected, and through
this 60 killing sites had been identified. Of these, only
three are commemorated and only two mention that the
victims were Roma. This emphasises that there is very little
memorialisation of the genocide of the Roma at the actual
sites of the killing.
g. The team emphasised the importance of having Roma
people on their team. This was twofold: (a) the team
explained that without Roma team members they
cannot access survivors and (b) the team emphasise that
it is essential to get young Roma people involved and
concerned by their own story.
6. Project: School of Remembrance – Producing
knowledge about the Roma genocide and how to
prevent anti-Gypsyism
Partners: Women’s Space, Nis (Serbia), Forum for Applied
History, Belgrade (Serbia) & Roma Center Göttingen e.V.
(Germany)
www.fpi.rs/blog/category/skola-secanja/
Presented by Rena Jeremic, Forum for Applied History, Serbia
In recent years, the Serbian government has recognized the
importance of raising awareness about the extermination of the
Jews during Nazi occupation and in early 2012 organized the
first temporary exhibition on the Holocaust in Serbia 1941-1944.
The history of the Roma genocide in Serbia during the Second
World War, however, is still insufficiently studied and widely
unknown. The lack of a culture of remembrance of these events,
the neglect of the Roma genocide in historical research and its
absence from the curricula of school education have led to the
falling into oblivion of these events in the public.
The only systematic scientific research on the victims and
perpetrators of Roma genocide conducted in the last three
decades in Serbia was focused on the genocide against Serbian
and Roma population in the Jasenovac camp in Croatia. Today
we are faced with the problem that even if there might exist the
wish to inform and educate about persecution and suffering
of the Roma in Serbia, there isn’t enough material available
to work with. Still, one of the main reasons for the lack of
information and education on the persecution of the Roma, lies
in the fact that in Serbia prejudices and racism against the Roma
are part of everyday life.
Our activities aim to raise awareness about how important
it is to work on the historical facts, with regard to the continuity
of discrimination against the Roma. In many parts of Europe the
Roma community is the target of anti-Gypsyism, human rights
violations and systematic discrimination. For example, violent
deportations of Roma refugees from Germany to Serbia and
Kosovo are organized regularly according to the readmission
treaty. But there is also resistance – as for example the initiative
‘alle bleiben’ which fights for the rights of the Roma and against
deportations.
For the above reasons, the two-year project ‘School of
Remembrance’ is designed so that it collects information and
produces knowledge at several levels. While one focus is on
the historical research on the Roma genocide, its causes and
mechanisms, another part of the project deals with anti-
Gypsyism and systematic discrimination against the Roma today
and asks how we can fight it.
The project ‘School of Remembrance’ is supported by three
organizations from Serbia and Germany, the Women’s Space
from Niš, the Forum for Applied History from Belgrade and the
Roma Center Göttingen e.V.
The challenges highlighted by the project team were:
a. A significant challenge for the interviewers (who were
five Roma women) is that discussing the Roma genocide
is very distressing and is not easy to deal with. Therefore,
the project team ensured they had meetings with the
interviewers to discuss their feelings.
b. The team noted they had to think along two channels –
which was problematic. One channel was directed to the
Roma community/audience and one channel was directed
at the non-Roma community/audience.
c. Participation of the Roma community was quite high in
this project, but the barriers between the research team
and Roma participants was easy to see. Especially when
a white/privileged person was conducting the research,
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 13
because they are coming from a different perspective
and this can act as a barrier and/or take time to establish
relationships.
d. The team explained that they needed people from the
Roma community to help transfer knowledge in order for
it to be ‘complete’. However, in order to do this they are
reliant on a very small number of Roma people, which
limits the volume of work they can do.
e. Another challenge is that the team cannot always film the
Roma person who is giving their testimony. Some people
declined to be recorded. The team posed the question if it is
perhaps better not to use video at all. This relates to ethical
issues, as well as methodological issues during research. For
example, people may be guarded when filmed and perhaps
give a slightly different narrative because what they are
saying is being recorded. These people are talking about
traumatic and private experiences, so not all of them will
want it broadcasted to others. Some people might prefer
not to participate in the research at all if it means they have
to be videoed. Their experience would then be excluded,
which not only presents a potential bias but also denies
them the opportunity to tell their story. Ultimately, there is
a tension in wanting to record all the experiences to gain a
record for future generations versus respecting the privacy of
people, but still giving them a voice.
7. Between Discrimination and Emancipation:
History and Culture of Sinti and Roma in Germany
and Europe
Partners: Documentation Centre of German Sinti and
Roma & Bavarian and Federal Agency for Civic Education.
http://www.sintiundroma.de/en/home.html
Presented by Oliver Mengersen
The project consists of putting together a collection of papers,
soon to be published, on the past and present of Sinti and
Roma for teachers, scholars, students, disseminators of civic and
political education.
Textbook research and a survey of teachers’ opinions on Sinti
and Roma revealed a very poor representation of the minority in
educational institutions in Germany. Internet sites of organisations
dealing with civic and political education hardly mention Sinti and
Roma as victims of Nazi genocide. Entering the terms into the
search functions of the websites produced very few hits with Sinti
and Roma. The important Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
(Federal Agency for Civic Education), for example, inserted special
entries into the menu bar referring to ‘Jews’ and ‘Black Prisoners’
under the heading ‘National Socialism’ but the genocide of Sinti
and Roma was just a footnote in one or two papers. Only a small
percentage of teachers who address Sinti and Roma as a subject
in the classroom do so in connection with the Nazi genocide,
although mentioning Sinti and Roma as victims of the Nazis is
more common.
Although there are some examples of textbooks that
offer good information on the Sinti and Roma during the
Nazi period, the majority of the textbooks refer to the topic
as a subsidiary clause, in half sentences such as ‘…and Sinti
and Roma (Zigeuner) were persecuted as well’. The use of the
derogatory term ‘Zigeuner’ in brackets to make sure that the
term ‘Sinti’ is understood is also deeply problematic! In some
cases the information in the textbooks presents an unquestioning
adoption of the documents of the perpetrators and is apt to
reinforce stereotypes and prejudices instead of reducing them.
The virtual absence of information about the past of the minority
(and minorities at all) before the Nazi period as well as after
1945 highlights another problem. Scholars have to rely on their
‘everyday knowledge’ about the minority, which is generally very
biased. It is not enough to present the persecution and genocide
during the Nazi-period to gain a better understanding of the
Sinti and Roma. Sinti and Roma should not only be presented as
victims, but also as citizens of the different European states with
their own contribution to the social and cultural history of Europe.
While organisations of civic education are generally able to
make regular changes to their websites, the editors of textbooks
are very much slower. The proposed collection put together
in this project is supposed not only to increase the availability
of information to deal with the topic ‘Sinti and Roma’ in the
classroom and elsewhere, but to show the life of Sinti and Roma
from the perspective of the interaction with the majority society,
based on historical evidence as well as through the recollections
of members of the minority. The papers are written by academics
as well as non-academics and from both minority as well as
the mainstream society. The collection covers a period from the
early modern times up to the present day. The Nazi genocide
nonetheless is very prominently dealt with, continuity and
changes are made visible, as well as the long lasting legacy of
the genocide of the Roma and the impact on people in post-war
Germany. An analysis of the very vivid anti-Gypsyism is included.
Another article shows the difficulties of shifting identities that
sometimes are still connected to haunting memories.
8. Save from Oblivion – Roma and Sinti Holocaust in
testimonies and contemporary discourse
January 2013 – June 2014
Partners: The Roma People Association in Poland/ The
Dialog-Pheniben Foundation/ Jagiellonian University
(Funded by the European Commission in the framework
of the programme Europe for Citizens – Action 4: Active
European Remembrance.)
www.stowarzyszenie.romowie.net
Presented by: Małgorzata Kołaczek
A main factor that integrates a nation is its common history. In
the case of Roma people the remembrance of the tragic chapter
of the genocide of this nation during the Second World War,
should be preserved. The ignorance and lack of knowledge
14 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
are a source of growing antagonism and they deepen the
marginalization of the group. This is the motivation to set up
the project Save from oblivion – Roma and Sinti Holocaust in
testimonies and contemporary discourse.
The project consists of:
• 15 meetings for 225 young participants from Polish
schools. Each meeting has three parts:
** 1.5 hour visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum
accompanied by a qualified guide who focuses on
the genocide of the Roma genocide with special
recognition of the exposition in Block 13
** A meeting with a witness – a Romani former prisoner
of the Nazi camps
** Workshops on Roma history, culture and
discrimination
• Collecting the testimonies of Roma and Sinti survivors of
Nazi concentration and labour camps from Poland, Czech
Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, which will be an integral
part of a publication following an international conference
at the end of the project.
• Organising ceremonies on 2 August 2013 in Auschwitz-
Birkenau for the commemoration of the genocide of the
Roma and Sinti.
• Preparing a documentary on workshops, the exhibition in
Block 13, interviews with participants and the witnesses
of the extermination, the ceremonies of 2 August 2013.
The film, with English subtitles, will be available on the
website www.stowarzyszenie.romowie.net
• International conference about the history of the
commemoration of Roma and Sinti Holocaust and
contemporary symptoms of discrimination in Europe
(Krakow, 3 December 2013) and the preparation of a
publication in Polish and English.
This project will show that the history of Roma and Sinti
is an integral part of the European history; it will further
demonstrate that Roma and Sinti identify as citizens of Poland
and Europe, and want to share their experiences with their
fellow citizens. It aims to enhance integration and social
cohesion. The project aims to promote intercultural dialogue:
in the workshops and the international conference Roma and
non-Roma will have opportunities to get to know each other,
to exchange experiences and opinions and to build mutual
understanding, respect and tolerance.
Summary of the outcomes of the meeting
During the second part of the meeting a number of themes
that emerged and were common to several projects were
discussed. Identifying clearly the needs of the target groups of
the projects and recognizing the importance of ownership by
Roma played an important role in this exchange of ideas.
Roma involvement
The discussion considered how Roma can and should be
included in research and projects pertaining to the genocide
of the Roma. One example was the question how often Roma
have the opportunity to visit sites like Auschwitz, in a way that
non-Roma do?
It was also emphasised that opportunities to share good
practice between different Roma communities are essential,
for example presenting projects such as those in this expert
meeting with Roma audiences.
Involving Roma of all ages was considered important.
Roma survivors in the projects under discussion were
sometimes sharing their story first time and so the
involvement of Roma in the research or project team, as
translators or interviewers was invaluable. It was felt that
young Roma need to take ownership of their families’ stories
and form an important group as potential spokespersons for
their communities to other young people. In this context is
was noted that teaching about the Roma genocide should not
always rest only with professional educators: a participatory
project which encourages Roma youth to discuss the genocide
of the Roma with their peers could help to build capacity
in transmitting knowledge and understanding in this area.
Given that various projects identified a lack of knowledge of
this history among many Roma youth, it will be important to
make more opportunities available to young Roma to acquire
expertise in this area.
Professional development and teaching
The lack of knowledge and expertise in teaching about the
genocide of the Roma among teachers was highlighted as a
problem that can only be addressed if professional development
opportunities are created. However, due to lack of time to
attend seminars, teachers will only be inclined to take part if
they are first aware of the significance of teaching about this
history. One important way to demonstrate the need to teach
about the genocide is if it is included as a specified subject on
mandated curricular. Some governments have included the
genocide of the Roma in the school curriculum, whilst others do
Małgorzata Kołaczek (© Swen Rudolph)
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 15
not seem open to this idea. Related obstacles include the degree
of flexibility within school curricular and how much time and
freedom teachers have to include the genocide of the Roma in
their programmes of study.
Lack of knowledge about broader Roma history also needs
to be addressed. There is a danger that if this is the only time
that young people encounter Roma in their studies that Roma
will appear on the historical stage only as victims to be killed by
Nazis and their collaborators. In order to see Roma as individuals
with agency rather than as objects of persecution it is essential
that teachers know and are able to teach about the pre-war and
post-war life of the Roma. Young people should also be aware
that the genocide did not appear from nowhere, and that there is
a longer history of European anti-Roma persecution and prejudice
that needs to be acknowledged and confronted. It is recognised
that limitations in curriculum time will make this a challenge, but
this only strengthens the need for governments and educational
authorities to make the genocide of the Roma more of a priority
in school curricular so that this time will be found.
The attitudes and the commitment of the teachers is a
crucial element, but so too is accurate and detailed knowledge,
appropriate resources, and effective pedagogical approaches.
It was suggested that many teachers who are interested in
teaching about the genocide of the Roma people do not
have the knowledge and skills to do this effectively. This is
problematic because if the material is not taught in a sensitive
and accurate manner then there is a risk that teachers can
inadvertently reinforce misconceptions about the genocide and/
or exacerbate anti-Roma stereotypes and prejudices. Additionally
it was noted that educators do not teach in a vacuum – media,
politics etc. all play a role – so educators can only do so much
without the broader support of the society and the government.
The discussion underscored the importance of taking
the school and regional context into account when teaching
about the Roma genocide. One approach, resource or website
that is applicable to all schools, regions and countries is not
possible, and would overlook the complexities and magnitude
of the genocide of the Roma people. Instead, resources that
are specific to different schools / regions / countries should be
developed. However, the teams agreed that exemplar materials
and a framework for good quality resources is valuable and
that educators can also be encouraged to make necessary
amendments for their own school’s context.
A further problem that was discussed was that there are
only a limited number of experts available for the professional
development of teachers. This is related to the broader
problem that there are not enough experts on the genocide of
the Roma people and the need for substantial investment to
develop this field.
Translations and copyrights
It was considered essential to have more resources for educators
and learners in their own languages. Translating resources
into other languages requires specialized historical knowledge
and awareness of key pedagogical principles so as to not, for
example, reproduce the terminology of the Nazis in educational
materials.
The need for resources in Romani languages was also
discussed. This could be either in the semi-standardised
Romanes, used for example in radio programmes that reach
out to all of Europe, or in the different dialects that are spoken
in different regions. Roma are not a homogenous group and it
would be ideal if the different dialects of the communities were
used in resources.
Arranging for the copyright to use photos and documents
is a challenge for many projects. It was discussed whether IHRA
could take a position on this, in some way assisting project
leaders with – for example – a standardized form requesting
copyright, free of charge, for educational purposes.
Sustainability
The final challenge discussed was the sustainability of the
projects. Firstly, the teams recognised that resources / websites
need to be maintained beyond the life of the project, and that
they need to establish how this can be achieved. Additionally,
the projects need a means to track the usage and effectiveness
of these resources. In some projects feedback from teachers was
being collected but systematic tracking of how the websites
/ resources were being used and if indeed they are improving
students’ knowledge and understanding of the genocide of the
Roma is not part of the projects.
Finally, it was noted that there are more NGOs dealing
with Roma genocide than the IHRA Committee members are
aware of so it would be useful to have a list of organisations
working on this topic. Furthermore, the projects could approach
education on the genocide of the Roma more systematically. It
was noted that there seems to be a degree of overlap between
projects, and that it is not always clear what are the overall
aims. Consequently, a platform to bring these projects together
is needed, and going forward it would be pertinent for the IHRA
Committee to summarise the areas that the existing projects
address, to ensure future projects are tapping into new issues/
topics that have not been explored before.
16 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
The conference was announced through several networks,
including the IHRA delegates and IOE educators, as well as
UK and international Roma organisations. The programme
of the day is included in this report as appendix 2. The
diversity in backgrounds of the participants was recognised
as one of the special aspects of the day. Just over 100
people registered for the conference from 22 countries,
including 38 IHRA delegates and 26 people affiliated
with Roma organisations. Forty people completed the
online questionnaire that was sent out shortly after the
conference, giving valuable feedback. An analysis of the
online evaluation survey gives some general information
on the participants and their experience in relation to the
topic of the conference. A summary of the outcomes of
the survey can be found in appendix 3. In the following
section we include the keynote speeches, a description of
the workshops and some comments from participants.
Keynote: Dr. Slawomir Kapralski, Institute of
Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of
Sciences in Warsaw.
The genocide of the Roma: historical knowledge and
challenges to historians
Roma communities emerged from the Holocaust with severe
wounds that threatened their physical, social, and cultural
existence, damaged their social tissue, and had a highly
detrimental impact on the lives of the individual Roma people.
Having been socially discriminated, postwar Roma communities
did not have access to the means of production and reproduction
of historical knowledge, nor was there a space for their experience
in the public memories of European societies. The social and
economic exclusion of the Roma was therefore associated with
the exclusion from the communities of memory sustained by the
societies in which they lived. Furthermore, the genocide not only
put in danger the continuity of Roma collective life, but also broke
the chain of Roma memories. Moreover, the crimes committed
against the Roma by National Socialists and their allies were
not brought to the attention of the world immediately after the
Second World War and have not been condemned in a way similar
to the crimes against Jews.
Until very recently the dominant tendency in the scholarship
has been to see Roma as non-historical people who exist outside of
what we, non-Roma, used to perceive as history. They have been
treated as immune to change, and living in an eternal present.
Their identity has been conceptualized as a mere reproduction
of their cultural idiom. This perception can be interpreted as the
Orientalist estrangement and symbolical marginalization of Roma,
which is responsible for their representation as an antithesis of
Western civilization and thus supporting their social exclusion. In
consequence, when Roma entered the centre of the central event
of human history – the Holocaust – scholars were unable to see it.
The history of Roma was largely the history of their
persecution, exploitation, poverty and disempowerment in which
non-Roma played the role of perpetrators. Denying Roma the
place in the mainstream history can be seen in terms of the
postcolonial theory as the ‘erasure of interconnection’ through
which the non-Roma try to hide their responsibility for the presentday
situation of Roma communities.
This situation is changing now and the question for today
is not exactly how to make Roma genocide visible but how to
spread knowledge about it and work towards the change of the
mainstream approach to Roma history. This task requires, however,
a deeper reflection on the complicated nature of the genocide of
Roma.
The genocide of Roma during the Second World War was
a result of a complex process in which old anti-Roma measures
Part 2: Summary of the Conference, 11 May 2014
Slawomir Kapralski (© Paul Salmons)
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 17
and policies merged with Nazi regulations based on racist
ideology. According to the eminent historian of the genocide
of Roma, Michael Zimmermann, this process was largely
inconsistent, de-centralized, and desynchronized although based
on a general racist consensus among its perpetrators.
In consequence, one must carefully navigate between
intentionalism and functionalism in order to understand the
genesis, course and aftermath of the genocide of Roma.
This means that the Nazi persecution of Roma can be fully
understood as neither a consistent implementation of the
centrally conceived murderous intention nor as a contingent
side-effect of the relations between different sectors of the Nazi
apparatus of power but rather as a multi-layered phenomenon
that had not been governed by a single mechanism.
The decentralization of the crimes against Roma meant
that the decision-making occurred at different levels and was
implemented by various units of the SS, army, and the police, who
each had their own regulations and priorities. The allies of Nazi
Germany performed a much more important role in murdering
Roma than in the annihilation of Jews and they were granted
relative freedom in determining their own policies towards Roma.
The degree and nature of persecution varied depending on a
number of factors such as place, the kind and level of the involved
institutions, the particular constellation of interests, relations
between different agencies, and ideological frames.
Non-simultaneity of the Nazi persecution of Roma meant
that in different periods of time the intensity and main targets
of oppression varied. In Nazi Germany, a person of Roma
background could be deprived of many of his/her civil rights in
consequence of the application of Nuremberg Laws to Roma,
sent to a concentration camp or sterilized on racist grounds, and
yet (in the case of a man) turn out to be sufficiently good for
the army and drafted in 1940 only to be discharged in 1942 and
sent to Auschwitz. If such person managed to survive two years
then in 1944 s/he could be sent to a forced labour camp and
finally in 1945 (a man again) forced into Waffen SS and made
to fight the approaching Red Army as the last line of defence of
the regime that persecuted him.
Although the Nazis’ conception of ‘Gypsies’ was built upon
racist ideology, on the level of concrete decisions and legal acts
the racial motive was concealed behind labels such as ‘asocial’,
‘work-shy’ or ‘socially unadjusted people.’ The difference drawn
by racial scientists and some Nazi officials between ‘racially
pure Gypsies’ and ‘Gypsies of mixed origin’, along with shifting
policies toward those groups, further contributed to the postwar
misconceptions and silence regarding the nature of the
crimes committed against Roma. Finally, it is not always easy to
reconstruct the chain of decisions that led to the mass murder of
Roma, especially that the fate of Roma was not well documented
by the perpetrators and we do not have rich archival materials
that reveal the full scale of the Roma genocide.
The mass murder took different forms. In Germany, Austria,
Bohemia and Moravia it was better organized and prepared by
many years’ practice of police registration. In successive stages
Roma were further excluded from society, both by means of
legal regulations and by internment in special ‘Gypsy camps’
or imprisonment in concentration camps. From there the road
led frequently through Jewish ghettos in occupied Poland to
the gas chambers of the death camps. On the territory of the
USSR and in German-occupied parts of Yugoslavia Roma died in
mass executions organized by units of the SS, the Wehrmacht
and the local police while in Poland both methods were used. In
the satellite states the situation of the Roma differed greatly: In
Bulgaria for example Roma, in comparison with their kinsmen in
other countries, were practically free of persecution; in Romania
part of the Roma population was deported and died of hunger
and diseases while the other part lived relatively unaffectedly
(also sometimes serving in the army and fighting on the German
side on the Eastern front); in Croatia Roma met their death
in the Jasenovac camp at the hands of criminals armed with
knives. In Western Europe, except Germany, The Netherlands,
and Belgium, Roma were mostly interned in special camps.
Differentiated patterns of persecution and local
particularities partially explain why a comprehensive picture
of the suffering of Roma only recently started to emerge. It
requires a detailed analysis to understand that the persecution
of the Roma had a single meaning, concealed behind divergent
practices of implementation. More importantly, the specific
nature of the Roma genocide made it difficult for the threatened
Roma people to work out efficient strategies of survival during
the Nazi era and it stood in the way of the development of a
consistent and commonly shared memory of that time in the
post-war period.
In terms of the scholarly knowledge, the fate of Roma
allows us to understand that it can also be a case of genocide
when it is difficult to point to a clearly formulated special
intent on the part of the perpetrators and where there exists
no coordinated plan of extermination. The persecution of the
Roma shows that there can be a mass crime even as a result of
loosely coordinated, or inconsistent actions in various fields of
activity (law, medicine, social policy, economics) and at various
levels of the administration: from leaders of the state to local
government officials, policemen on the beat and doctors in
health clinics. This knowledge fits the evolution of Holocaust
studies which strive to go beyond the uniqueness debate and to
move away from the intentionalism of the earlier approaches.
This process involved, first, an expansion of the uniqueness
thesis, to include as unique not only the suffering of Jews but
also of Roma, the handicapped or even Slavs and other victims
and, secondly, the deconstruction of the uniqueness thesis and
presentation of the Holocaust as a part of a historical continuum
of the genocidal persecution of various groups.
In terms of the philosophical reflection, the existence of a
diabolical plan of extermination of a whole category of people
and its consistent implementation appears as something singular
and unrepeatable in its criminality. Something so exceptional
simply cannot happen again. If however we accept that the
wiping out of a significant part of a given population can occur
18 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
as a result of the fairly chaotic interaction of various activities,
undertaken on the basis of a general racist ideology, but at the
same time somehow spontaneous, just because favourable
conditions for it existed, then the sentence ‘never again
Auschwitz’ appears as a magic formula to cast a spell on reality
and our fears connected with it, and not as a well-grounded
conviction that the tragic past cannot repeat itself again.
The past is inseparably related to the contemporary
situation of Roma communities. The memory of the genocide
has been regained as a part of the Roma struggle for
empowerment and constituted an important postulate of the
Roma political movement at least since the First World Roma
Congress held in 1971 in London.
One should mention at least two important stages of
this process: the hunger protest of German Sinti at the former
concentration camp in Dachau in 1980 and the occupation of
the university archives in Tübingen in 1981. Both events indicate
that the struggle for the recognition of Roma history formed an
important part of the Roma political programme. Symbolically,
they can be interpreted as the Roma attempt to take the control
of their own past and to mobilize memory as a resource in their
struggle for just treatment, against present-day discrimination,
and as a part of their new politics of identity.
It is important to note that the memory of the
genocide plays important role in the activities of Roma youth
organizations: commemoration of the genocide which they
organize plays an important role in bringing together young
Roma from different countries and builds ties between them.
In this way, Roma with different ‘communicative memories’
unite in commemoration and together work out a common
‘cultural memory’ of the genocide, supported by public events,
memorials, and acts of recognition by the non-Roma.
Generally speaking, Roma organizations aim to symbolically
link the genocide of Roma with the present-day persecution and
discrimination in order to de-legitimize contemporary forms of
violence against them. The process of regaining control of their
history is in the case of Roma oriented towards the future and
has a pragmatic, political significance.
In conclusion, we may say that the genocide of Roma
creates several challenges that need to be addressed by Roma
and non-Roma, scholars and practitioners, intellectuals and
politicians.
First, we need to break cognitive boundaries built by
stereotypical perceptions to eventually see the history of Roma,
to recognize its importance, and to treat it as a part of the
universal history in which the fate of Roma and non-Roma has
often been tragically intertwined.
Second, we shall avoid the interpretation of the
Roma genocide in terms of a single pattern or an universal,
overarching scenario because such an approach diverges the
attention of scholars from the plurality of Roma histories and
prompts politicians to mythologize the past.
Third, we shall broaden our understanding of genocide
to include inconsistent, decentered persecution carried
out according to a variety of partial plans and by different
institutions, with an important role played by the contingent
local circumstances.
Fourth, we need to understand that reclaiming historical
memory, including the memory of the Holocaust, is a part of
the Roma empowerment in the present and shall be seen in
connection with other areas of Roma activities such as political
representation and recognition, economic betterment and social
inclusion.
As a result we may arrive at the representation of the Roma
genocide that would be on the one hand intellectually sound
and done according to the best professional standards and,
on the other hand, that would fruitfully interact with different
layers of the social memory of various Roma communities and
facilitate the process of Roma enfranchisement.
The key role in this process will be performed by Roma
intellectuals and activists, in a dialogue with non-Roma
scholars and practitioners. Both sides can benefit from such
an encounter. The non-Roma may revise their approaches to
the universal history, including the concept of genocide, and
critically examine the past and present of the discrimination
against Roma. Roma may cultivate their own ways of
representing their past in the broader context of the general
theory of genocide and get a better insight into the complicated
interpenetration of truth and politics, unity and diversity,
memory and history.
On a more general note, we should realize that studying
the history of the genocide of Roma is in fact a study of our
own, non-Roma history. We may thus recommend that the
teaching about the genocide of Roma is in fact the teaching
about us: about how social majorities accept and sometimes
actively participate in murderous policies, how they select
victims, which discourses they use to legitimize their deeds.
Apart of anything else, such an approach could help us to
understand that in certain conditions it may happen that it
would be us selected as the victims of someone else’s politics.
In this way, we may achieve a certain degree of identification
with the Roma victims which is a necessary precondition of
recognizing their tragic history.
Excerpts from the keynote by Mirjam-Angela Karoly,
Senior Adviser on Roma and Sinti Issues at the OSCE
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR), Warsaw
On the relation between the past and the present: The
importance of the commemoration of the genocide of the
Roma and Sinti and its relevance for combating racism
and discrimination against them.
My office deals with the current situation of Roma and Sinti in
Europe and in the wider OSCE region. We do so by assisting
governments in their policy implementation, promoting Roma
and Sinti inclusion, and combating anti-Roma discrimination
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 19
and racism. Already in 1990 the OSCE participating States
recognised the specific problems Roma and Sinti face in
the context of racial and ethnic hatred, xenophobia and
discrimination. This is why in 1994 the Contact Point for Roma
and Sinti Issues was established at the OSCE ODIHR.
The Action Plan to Improve the Situation of Roma and
Sinti in the OSCE Area was adopted by the OSCE in 2003.
With this Action Plan 57 governments committed to improve
the situation of Roma and Sinti in areas such as education,
employment, housing, health and participation and to address
Roma in crises and post-crises situations. Past examples include
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo; a current example is
that of Ukraine. In addition, this Action Plan recommends ‘to
include Roma history and culture in educational texts, with
particular consideration given to the experience of Roma
and Sinti during the Holocaust’ as an effort to promote the
knowledge and dialogue on the Roma and Sinti genocide and
combat current forms of anti-Roma racism and discrimination
against them.
We also monitor the human rights situation and
implementation of policies by the OSCE participating States
and have twice published a Status Report monitoring the
implementation of commitments and persistent trends and
challenges. I would like to share with you some of the key
findings from the last Status Report in 2013 which tracked the
developments in the last five years.
On a positive note we saw that policies addressing
Roma and Sinti have become standardized in many OSCE
participating States and that authorities both on national
and local level are more engaged in implementing policy
measures and projects. This trend goes alongside an increased
awareness about the situation of Roma and Sinti within the
European Union, which is demonstrated by the adoption of
the Framework on National Roma Integration Strategies by the
European Council in 2011, and the European Commission’s
efforts to put Roma and Sinti on the EU agenda.
However, despite these developments, the gap between
the mainstream and Roma and Sinti has deepened in
employment, housing and access to services. It is clear that the
global financial and economic crisis has worsened the already
difficult situation of Roma and Sinti communities. It is also
very likely that the economic insecurity within the majority is
a major contributory factor that has fuelled xenophobia and
anti-Roma sentiment.
In this context, the public discourse targets Roma and
Sinti with anti-Roma statements, perpetuating prejudices
and negative stereotypes. We also see populist politicians
and extreme right parties using current anxieties to mobilize
their supporters against Roma and Sinti. In recent years Roma
were killed in Hungary; walls were erected separating Roma
from their non-Roma neighbours in Slovakia; and regular
marches have targeted Roma neighbourhoods with anti-Roma
statements in the Czech Republic and elsewhere.
Since I was asked to speak about the relationship of past
and present issues, I would like to take a closer look at the
current public discourse on Roma and Sinti in Europe – led by
right wing politicians but not restricted to these circles – and
how these issues are covered by the media.
The current discourse refers to long standing negative
stereotypes against Roma and Sinti either criminalizing them
and portraying them as a threat to internal security or labelling
them as ‘socially inadaptable’ people. This discourse bears
a dangerous potential, deepening racism and serving to
legitimize certain policy actions.
For example, within the discourse on migration, Roma
and Sinti are portrayed as ‘itinerant’, ‘uncontrollable nomads’
or ‘vagabonds’, threatening internal security. We see Roma
portrayed as economic refugees, false asylum seekers, beggars,
thieves, human traffickers or criminals in general. Examples
can be found in many countries in Europe, where Roma and
Sinti are labelled as ‘mobile bandits’, ‘false asylum seekers’ and
actions are taken to repatriate Roma migrants to their country
of origin.
The discourse about ‘inadaptable’ people is nurtured by
old stereotypes about the ‘gypsy’ (Zigeuner) who is unwilling
to work (work-shy – arbeitsscheu); a parasite who is a burden
on society. Roma are portrayed as thieves and people who are
not able and do not want to integrate into society. We can
find examples all over Europe and especially before elections,
when many politicians become increasingly populist and
seek to play on common anxieties, myths and fears. And it
is of great concern that this old mechanism of scapegoating
and stereotyping Roma and Sinti still serves to increase the
popularity of politicians. We can see this in a number of
countries where politicians with an anti-Roma rhetoric have
gained a notable increase in votes.
Mirjam Karoly (© Paul Salmons)
20 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
For an example of anti-Roma rhetoric in the political discourse,
please see: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/
europe/131118/14-unbelievably-racist-things-politicians-saidabout-
roma
Under the National Socialist regime Roma and Sinti were
labelled as ‘asocial’ and according to the extension in 1936 of
the Nuremberg Laws they were defined as ‘racially inferior’.
The Nazi persecution could rely on deeply rooted negative
stereotypes against Roma and Sinti in the mainstream
population as well as on the police experience dealing with
the so-called ‘Gypsy problem’. Already in the 1920s, the
police authorities in Germany and Austria decided to register
Roma to address what they termed the ‘Gypsy plague’. During
National Socialism, Roma and Sinti were arrested under the
pretext of ‘crime prevention’ and murdered in the German
Reich and German occupied territory.
Despite these facts the victims who survived and
returned from concentration camps were again confronted
with prejudices and rejection while the perpetrators of the
genocide were not prosecuted. If we want to understand
today’s situation we have to account for what has happened
in the past under National Socialism but also how post–war
societies dealt with the past and the victims of the Roma and
Sinti genocide.
The experience of Roma and Sinti under the Nazi
regime did not only traumatise the generation who directly
experienced the genocide but also had an impact on the
following generation. Although there is little knowledge
about how the first generation after the war coped with the
experience and traumatization of their parents and relatives,
the few testimonies we have indicate that the survivors hardly
shared their experiences. However, their fear was transmitted
and internalised by the following generation. Symptomatic of
this is that for decades Roma and Sinti did not publicly demand
recognition of their sufferings or even shared in public what
had happened to them. In many countries Roma and Sinti
were ‘second class’ victims, who were denied compensation
claims for the loss of property and imprisonment in the
concentration camps because their experiences were was not
recognised as racial persecution but as a ‘crime preventive
measure’ (following the Nazi jargon), or, because their property
did not have, according to the authorities, a relevant value
for which to be compensated. Only in the late 1970s and
early 1980s, as historians started to research about the Roma
genocide, did Roma survivors speak out in public, giving
testimony about their persecution. In many cases however,
official recognition or official apology as a gesture to the
victims has still not taken place.
The genocide of Roma and Sinti is part of European
history. It is crucial to recognise and teach about it in order
to understand the long tradition of exclusion, racism and
discrimination against Roma and Sinti in Europe and the
persistent challenge to combat the anti-Roma discrimination
that continues to this day. Therefore, raising awareness and
bringing knowledge about the genocide of Roma and Sinti is
vital to combat current forms of discrimination and racism and
to ensure that Roma and Sinti can feel secure in Europe and
that their rights are protected.
In recent years awareness about the genocide of
Roma and Sinti has been promoted by intergovernmental
organisations such as the OSCE ODIHR and the Council of
Europe. The ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues
will further promote the official commemoration of the
genocide and to raise awareness about it. My office will in
particular focus on the teaching about the genocide of Roma
and Sinti genocide and share information on practices in the
OSCE area in order to promote combating discrimination and
racism against Roma and Sinti in the classroom. This year
ODIHR issued a questionnaire to the OSCE participating States
on practices that exist in the OSCE area to teach about the
genocide of Roma and Sinti and its commemoration. Based
on the responses of the OSCE participating States ODIHR will
publish a report and analyse where further work on this is
needed.
In general, in recent years the genocide of Roma and
Sinti has received a lot more attention by various stakeholders
including my office, the ODIHR, the Council of Europe, the
members of the IHRA and by the Roma and Sinti civil society
organisations.
The ‘forgotten Holocaust’ is no longer forgotten, we
could say. But these efforts need to be redoubled so that
knowledge and information is made available through formal
education as well so that societies in Europe and beyond
are more aware about the plight of the Roma and Sinti.
Similarly, while we can see that governments are involved in
the recognition and commemoration of the Roma and Sinti
genocide, still in most countries these commemorations remain
an ‘informal affair’ initiated in most cases by Roma and Sinti
civil society.
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 21
Workshops
During the five workshops, of which several were repeated,
there was time both for presenting materials and methodology
and also for a lively and sometimes heated exchange of ideas,
experiences and points of view. The quotes from participants
have been taken from the (anonymous) online evaluation survey.
Workshop: The Fate of European Roma and Sinti during
the Holocaust
Maria Ecker (Erinnern.at, Austria) and Robert Sigel
(Germany)
These two workshops introduced the project
www.romasintigenocide.eu. This website is based on
approximately 80 ready-to-use educational worksheets that
deal with different aspects of European Roma and Sinti history.
Besides providing an overview of the website’s content, in each
workshop a selected amount of worksheets and assignments
were discussed in more detail. Furthermore, various suggestions
of how to use the worksheets in the classroom were presented.
One workshop was led by Robert Sigel, Bavarian State
centre for civic education (Germany). It presented a model
lesson on how the material in a classroom setting can be used.
In taking part in this lesson participants received an overview of
the website’s material, its content and structure.
A second workshop based on the same project was led
by Maria Ecker, Erinnern.at (Austria). The point of departure
was a close look at one historical photograph taken from the
website, leading to a more general introduction of the website’s
material. The second part of the workshop dealt with a more
specific approach and was dedicated to those worksheets
dealing with life stories of Roma and Sinti. Finally, the worksheet
addressing the fate of the Austrian Roma Ceija Stojka (and some
suggestions how to work with it in the classroom) was looked at
more closely.
Workshop: The power of personal stories and music in
Holocaust education
Suzanne Keurntjes, International Gipsy Festival / Requiem
for Auschwitz (The Netherlands)
In 2012 the International Gipsy Festival produced Requiem
for Auschwitz, a musical monument for all the victims of Nazi
terror and was based on a composition by the self-educated
Dutch Sinto musician Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb. After the
Requiem premiered in Amsterdam it travelled through Europe,
raising awareness of the tragedy that has struck the Roma and
Sinti during the Nazi regime. Today the Requiem lives on in an
education project called ‘Requiem for Auschwitz at School’.
This workshop told the story behind the Requiem through
the personal stories of Zoni Weis, who lost his entire family
during the Second World War, and Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb,
the composer of the requiem. The aim was that participants
would learn more about this forgotten genocide, the power of
sharing personal stories related to this topic, and the impact
the Requiem for Auschwitz has had throughout Europe,
providing websites and other tools to use in the classroom.
Workshop: Giving Memory a Future. Working with Roma
testimony in the classroom.
Prof. Ethel Brooks, Rutgers University (USA) and Stefano
Pasto, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Italy)
This workshop provided an overview of a multimedia project,
including testimony from the genocide of Roma and Sinti;
histories and timelines of Roma and Sinti in Europe; and
information about Roma and Sinti culture in Italy and other
parts of Europe. Participants received first-hand knowledge
of the resource, how it may be used, and its value for the
purposes of education, policymaking and general information
about Roma and Sinti citizens of Europe.
Workshop: A place for Porrajmos in Holocaust
education?
Tom Jackson, Holocaust Educational Trust (UK)
This workshop explored to what extent it is the case that
‘good’ Holocaust education emphasises teaching other victim
groups as part of a Scheme of Work on the Holocaust, and
asked what are the implications for teachers, students and an
understanding of Porrajmos if it is subsumed under teaching
and learning on the Holocaust? It centred on a discussion of
the issues raised, including the possibility of tokenism and
the difficulties of terminology. The Trust’s ‘Mosaic of Victims’
resource was modelled and a conversation followed on the
contemporary relevance of the Roma genocide.
Workshop: ‘Parallel catastrophes?’ Relating the Roma
Genocide to the Shoah in the secondary classroom
Paul Salmons, IOE’s Centre for Holocaust Education,
University of London
This workshop explored how narratives of the Roma genocide
and the Shoah may be related and compared to one another,
attempting to avoid issues of ‘competitive memory’ and
‘hierarchies of suffering’, and instead openly considering how
the similarities and differences between these mass crimes
may together deepen our understanding of the phenomenon
of genocide.
22 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
Regarding the Roma and Sinti genocide,
I was unaware of the extent of discussion
about what to call this historical event
within and outside Roma and Sinti
communities.
I think it was added value to learn
more about IHRA activities and also the
different project[s] they support in this
area. In addition, the key notes and its
following discussion was very useful and
should be continued.
The personal experiences of Roma
delegates and of those whose testimonies
were included in the workshops were
most significant to me; and the teaching
resources that were introduced.
I would like to use the outcomes of some
of the projects that were presented in my
every day work.
I learnt most about the contemporary
situation of Roma and Sinti in Europe, and
the continuities with earlier persecution.
The most significant learning experience
was seeing other people from all over the
world working for the same goals and the
wide range of actors involved in this topic.
The genocide of Roma and Sinti should
be studied as a topic in its own right,
not only in comparison to the Holocaust.
That the claim of ‘ownership’ is a very
ambivalent one in historical studies as
opposed to memory
The most significant learning is the
challenge of naming and interpreting
the Roma genocide, in relation to
the Holocaust and the variety of
interpretations, that are at times
conflicting. There is a wide divide
amongst and between academics,
educators and community activists. The
approaches used in workshops were
interesting but also brought up some of
these conflicts.
I found the interaction and conversation
the best way to learn!
Significant for me: Getting an awareness
of the wider picture in Europe and the rise
of the right and the need to take action
NOW!
Getting knowledge of two excellent
websites, an update on the Museum
of Romani Culture in Brno, and the
possibility of sharing my own research
with people who can carry it on in further
detail was significant.
The session with the timeline exercise,
how to pool historical knowledge in a
group was very interesting, not new, but
I have seldom seen it done so well, and
never tried it in this context.
Prof. Ethel Brooks facilitated an inspiring
discussion about a new resource to
explore Roma History, culture and present
situation.
There is a need for an open dialogue
between Roma and Sinti, Jews and
researchers of history about the
persecution of Roma and Sinti under the
Nazi rule.
At last indifference to Porajmos is giving
way to the need to teach Porajmos; but,
sadly, there is still a general attitude that
the Jewish story is more important. There
is interesting research into the Sinti and
Roma experience but not nearly enough
as yet.
Learning more about how Romani people
approach the Holocaust and the Roma
genocide was important to me.
Most significant for me: the parallels
between today’s situation and 1938-9
It was important for me to learn that
there was no central policy driving the
Roma & Sinti genocide; that the history is
complicated and different across different
parts of Europe; that local perpetrators
played such a big role. I developed a
better understanding that racist views
against Roma have increased and are
increasing in Europe.
Feedback of the participant on the workshops:
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 23
The experts taking part in the expert meeting and the
conference have suggested the following topics as
priorities or practical issues for the IHRA to take into
consideration.
School curricular
In terms of education, it is essential to get the genocide of
the Roma included in school curricular. This needs someone in
government within each country to take this forward.
Sharing good practice
The IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma should seek
to identify examples of good practice and to disseminate them
amongst teachers – both within and between countries.
Research among students
Looking at young people’s knowledge and attitudes before and
after they have engaged with projects’ materials, websites etc.
would be valuable. This would need to be done in collaboration
with universities.
Overview of organisations
It would be very useful for the IHRA and other international
organisations to have an overview of the Roma and non-Roma
NGOs and intergovernmental organisations that are active in the
field of education, research and remembrance of the genocide
of the Roma, also in relation to the issue of discrimination and
hate crimes today.
Expert meetings
The participants of the expert meeting felt it was very useful
to meet in this way and that future opportunities to share
experience with new projects (including but not limited to those
supported by IHRA funding) should be considered.
Capacity building
Two target groups are important to create a greater pool of
people that can contribute to the professional development of
teachers.
• Roma working for NGOs, and Roma youth, should be
given the opportunity to become trainers/educators, but
need to develop their own knowledge and skills first.
Existing organisations, policymakers and funders should
make this development within Roma communities one of
their priorities.
• Within the existing structure of professional development
and teacher training more opportunities to develop
expertise in teaching about the genocide of the Roma
needs to be created.
Part 3: Recommendations
24 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
Panel dicsussion with Yaron Matras (left), Gerhard Baumgartner (chair),
Małgorzata Kołaczek and Michael Stuart (© Paul Salmons)
Yehuda Bauer (© Paul Salmons)
Karolina Mirga and Steven Katz
(© Paul Salmons)
Agnes Daroczi (© Paul Salmons) Oliver Mengersen (© Paul Salmons)
Round table: Connecting past and present - teaching
about the genocide of the Roma and challenging
discrimination today
In the closing session of the conference, Gerhard Baumgartner
(Austria) chaired a panel discussion between Agnes Daroczi
(Hungary), Magorzata Kolaczek (Poland), Yaron Matras (UK),
Oliver Mengersen (Germany) and Michael Stuart (UK). The
exchange of ideas also drew upon discussions initiated in the
keynote lectures and workshops and included rich contributions
from delegates from the floor.
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 25
1. Programme of the Expert
Meeting and Participants list
IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma
Expert Meeting and Conference 10th – 11th May 2014
IOE, 20 Bedford Way, London
Saturday 10th May 2014
Expert Meeting: leaders of projects addressing the
genocide of the Roma
The aim will be to analyse the effectiveness of completed and
current projects; to provide peer consultation on opportunities
and challenges; and to look ahead to future projects.
09.30 Registration
10.00 Opening and Welcome:
Roma Chair of the day: Karen Polak, Anne Frank
House
Brief introduction to the work of the IHRA committee
on the genocide of the
10.30 Brief presentations on the represented projects:
Each project has 15 mins to focus on the main
features the projects and the opportunities/challenges
they faced that can feed the
Please read the project summaries in preparation of
the meeting.
12.15 Lunch
13.15 Exploration of the important outcomes of the projects
and main challenges faced (on the basis of prior
inventory, and on the points raised in the morning).
15.00 Break
15.30 Exchange of strategies and experiences in
implementation of projects
Looking ahead to next steps and possible cooperation
in the future
17.30 End of programme
Projects Represented at the Expert Meeting
The fate of European Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust
Project Expert: Gerhard Baumgartner, Documentation Centre
Austrian Resistance & Oliver Mengersen, Documentation and
Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma, Germany
Giving Memory a Future: The Holocaust and the rights of
Roma in Contemporary Europe, Italy
Project Expert: Ethel Brooks, Rutgers University, U.S.A & Stefano
Pasta, Sacred Heart Catholic University, Milan
International Conference on Teaching Material on the
Roma Genocide
Project Expert: Maria Ecker. Erinnern.at, Austria & Malorzata
Kołaczek Jagiellonian University / Roma People Association/
Requiem for Auschwitz
Project Expert: Susanne Keurntjes
Gipsy Festival/ Foundation Alfa, Netherlands
Research on Roma Deportations and Mass Killing Sites
During the World War II in Eastern Europe
Project Expert: Patrice Bensimon, Yahad in Unum, France &
Costel Nastasie, Dignite Roms, Belgium
School of Remembrance – Producing knowledge about
Roma genocide and how to prevent Antigypsyism
Project Expert: Rena Jeremic, Forum for Applied History, Serbia
Between Discrimination and Emancipation - History and
Culture of Sinti and Roma in Germany and Europe
Project Expert: Oliver Mengersen, Documentation Centre of
German Sinti and Roma Germany
Save from Oblivion. Roma and Sinti Holocaust in
testimonies and contemporary discourse
Project Expert: Małgorzata Kołaczek, The Roma People
Association in Poland, The Dialog-Pheniben Foundation &
Jagiellonian University (Poland)
Appendices
26 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
Participant list Expert Meeting May 10 2014, IOE London
Karen Polak (Chair) Netherlands Anne Frank House / IHRA delegate
Becky Hale (Reporter) U.K. Institute of Education, University of London
Gerhard Baumgartner Austria Doc. Centre Austrian Resistance / IHRA delegate
Felicia Waldman Romania IHRA delegate
Michal Schuster Czech Rep. Museum of Romani Culture / IHRA delegate
Patrice Bensimon France Yahad In Unum / IHRA delegate
Ethel Brooks U.S.A. Rutgers University / IHRA delegate
Agnes Daroczi Hungary Romano Instituto Foundation
Maria Ecker Austria Erinnern.at
Rena Jeremic Serbia Forum for Applied History
Mirjam Karoly OSCE ODIHR Contact for Roma & Sinti Issues
Susanne Keurntjes The Netherlands International Gipsy Festival
Malgorzata Kołaczek Poland Roma People Association
Oliver Mengersen Germany Doc. and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma
Costel Nastasie Belgium Dignité Roms
Andrej Umansky France Yahad In Unum
Stefano Pasta Italy Sacred Heart Catholic University, Milan
Michael Stewart U.K. University College London
Laco Oravec Slovakia Milan Simecka Foundation
Karolina Mirga Czech Rep./Poland TernYpe
Joakim Scheele Sweden Living History Forum
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 27
2. Programme of the
Conference
Conference on the Genocide of the Roma
Sunday 11th May 2014
Institute of Education (IOE), 20 Bedford Way, London
IOE in cooperation with IHRA Committee on the Genocide
of the Roma
09:00 Arrival, registration and sign up to workshops
09:30 Welcome to the Institute of Education (IOE),
University of London
Professor Chris Husbands, Director of the Institute of
Education (IOE)
09:40 Introduction
Sir Andrew Burns, Chair of the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Ladislav Balaz, Chair
of the Europe Roma Network-UK-EU
10:00 Keynote: Historical knowledge and challenges to
historians concerning the genocide of the Roma
Dr. Slawomir Kapralski, Institute of Philosophy and
Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in
Warsaw
Keynote: On the relationship between past
and present issues, the importance of the
commemoration of the genocide of the Roma
Mirjam-Angela Karoly, OSCE’s ODIHR Contact for
Roma & Sinti Issues
Moderator: Karen Polak, Chair of IHRA Committee
on Genocide of the Roma
11.15 Break
11.30 Choice of workshops
‘Parallel catastrophes?’ Relating the Roma
Genocide to the Shoah in the secondary
classroom
Paul Salmons, IOE’s Centre for Holocaust Education,
University of London
The Fate of the European Sinti and Roma during
the Holocaust. Including the history of the
genocide of Roma in lessons on the Holocaust
Maria Ecker (Erinnern.at, Austria) and Robert Sigel
(Germany)
Requiem for Auschwitz in School. Teaching about
the Forgotten Genocide using music
Susanne Keurntjes, Gipsy Festival/ Foundation Alfa,
(Netherlands)
Giving Memory a Future. Working with Roma
testimony in the classroom.
Prof. Ethel Brooks, Rutgers University (USA) and
Stefano Pasto, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
(Italy)
A place for Porrajmos in Holocaust education?
Tom Jackson, Holocaust Educational Trust (UK)
13.00 Lunch break
14.00 Choice of workshops (see list above)
15.30 Break
15.45 Round table: Connecting past to present,
teaching about the genocide of the Roma and
challenging prejudice and discrimination today
Chair: Gerhard Baumgartner, Documentation Centre
of the Austrian Resistance
Agnes Daroczi, Romano Instituto Budapest, Hungary
Magorzata Kolaczek, Roma People Association,
Poland
Yaron Matras, University of Manchester, UK
Oliver Mengersen, Documentation and Cultural
Centre of German Sinti and Roma, Germany
Michael Stewart, University College London, UK
17.00 End of the programme
28 Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014
3. Summary of the online
evaluation survey
We received a good response rate to the evaluation tool,
with 40% of delegates completing the post-seminar online
evaluation survey. Feedback showed a high level of satisfaction
with the conference organisation, venue and facilities and
written comments (a number of which are quoted in the main
body of the report) showed particularly rich engagement with
the keynote lectures and the educational workshops.
In addition, the success of the conference can also be
gauged by the participants’ own self-estimation of their
knowledge before and after the one day seminar on a range of
subject areas, as shown in the following graphs.
Figure 1 Self-assessment of knowledge about the contemporary
situation of Roma and Sinti in Europe, before and after the seminar
Given the professional interests of attendees, it is not
surprising that many delegates before the seminar already
considered themselves to be at least fairly well informed on
the contemporary situation of Roma and Sinti in Europe. So
it is gratifying to note that even among this reasonably well
informed group there was a measurable increase in knowledge
of this crucial theme (figure 1). At the end of the seminar
no one considered themselves to have no knowledge of this
situation, the percentage who considered themselves to have
only low knowledge fell, and those who felt that they had high
knowledge of this situation increased from 33% to 41%.
A similar pattern can also be seen in the level of
knowledge about the contemporary situation of Roma and Sinti
in participants’ own countries (figure 2).
Figure 2 Self-assessment of knowledge about the contemporary
situation of Roma and Sinti in own country, before and after the seminar
Even more dramatic was the increase in knowledge about the
genocide of Roma and Sinti during the Second World War
(figure 3), with a very significant rise of those who considered
themselves to have a high level of knowledge of this area,
from about one third before the seminar to more than half
of attendees following the event. This increase came mainly
from those who before the seminar considered themselves
to have ‘medium’ knowledge of this subject, while those
who considered themselves to have either ‘none’ or ‘low’
knowledge also fell from 13% before the conference to just
7% after. The fact that some still considered themselves to
have ‘low’ knowledge may be a reflection of the level at which
the conference was pitched – given the number of experts in
attendance it may not have been an ideal introduction for those
who were very new to the subject area.
Figure 3 Knowledge about the genocide of Roma and Sinti, before and
after the seminar
While the most significant increase in delegate’s knowledge
was concerning the genocide of the Roma, it is also particularly
noteworthy that knowledge about the genocide of the Jews
also increased significantly as a result of this seminar (figure 4),
as did – to a lesser extent – knowledge about the Second World
War (figure 5).
Report on IOE and IHRA committee on the genocide of the Roma expert meeting and conference 10 - 11 May 2014 29
Figure 4 Knowledge about the genocide of the Jews, before and after
the seminar
Figure 5 Knowledge about the Second World War, before and after the
seminar
The increase in those who considered themselves to be highly
knowledgeable about the genocide of the Jews, from 60%
before the seminar to more than 70% afterwards, is perhaps
an unexpected consequence of the event as this was not the
major theme of the day. However, it may reassure those who
have been concerned that exploring other genocides may
somehow diminish or detract from learning about the Shoah.
While more work would need to be done on this area and
we can draw only tentative conclusions from this data, it may
be that by attracting new audiences to this field we are able
to expose them to information about the Holocaust, and by
taking a serious comparative approach, which seeks to clarify
differences as well as similarities between mass atrocities
without creating ‘hierarchies of suffering’, those who have more
knowledge about the genocide of the Roma have occasion
to deepen their knowledge about the Shoah, and those who
are more knowledgeable about the genocide of the Jews can
deepen their understanding of the Porajmos. In this, we hope
that the forum for exchange between experts in each area may
help to deepen the knowledge of both, and that out of further
such cooperative projects may also emerge more detailed
understanding of the broader concept of genocide and the
phenomenon of mass violence.