August 2, 2016 marks the 72nd anniversary of the nearly 3,000 Roma men, women,
and children murdered at Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.
Politicians, Holocaust survivors, and members of the Roma community gathered
in southern Poland on Tuesday to remember the lives lost and continue raising
awareness around human rights issues. Head of Central Council of German Sinti
and Roma, Romani Rose, who lost relatives in the Holocaust, spoke about the
importance of remembering Europe’s dark past. Amidst rising populism, Leszek
Piszewski, of Poland’s Jewish community, suggested the world has failed to
remember the lessons of WW2. Similarly citing global tensions, Roman Kwiatkowski,
leader of Poland’s Roma community, called for solidarity among Roma.
Statements of support and remembrance have been issued by politicians around
the world to highlight the importance in remembering the murder of Roma during
the Holocaust and calling attention to their continued oppression.
The International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust
created a special exhibition through
Google Cultural Institute, titled, „The Roma in Auschwitz“.
