Czech PM to attend commemorative ceremony to honor Holocaust victims who are Romani
On Wednesday, 7 March, a commemoration will be held of the 75th anniversary of the first mass transport of Romani people from the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (transported from Brno) to the concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The event will be attended by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Czech Culture Minister Ilja Šmíd, other Government representatives, ambassadors, and representatives of cultural institutions.
The commemoration will be held on 7 March at 14:00 in the lecture hall of the Museum of Romani Culture at Bratislavská 67 in Brno. “The commemorative ceremony is held to mark 7 March 1943, when the Nazis, with the contribution of Protectorate security forces, implemented the first mass transport of Romani people [from Brno] to the concentration camp at Auschwitz,” said historian Dušan Slačka, who works for the Museum.
“Almost 1 000 Romani children, men and women from Moravia were assigned for transport to Auschwitz in freight wagons from Brno. Most of them did not survive,” the historian said.
PROGRAM
14:00 Opening of the ceremony by the Museum director, PhDr. Jana Horváthová
14:10 Historical introduction by Mgr. Dušan Slačka, historian, and a reading of authentic testimonies from Romani eyewitnesses by Jiří Banda
14:20 Laying of flowers and wreaths at the memorial plaque, speeches
15:00 Theatrical performance of “Leperiben – We Will Never Forget” (directed by David Tišer, performed by Romani actors Pavlína Matiová, Marta Balážová, Viliam Didiáš and Tibor Žida)
15:45 Closing
There will then be an opportunity to take a guided tour of the permanent exhibition with a historian and of the hall dedicated to the Holocaust of the Roma. The entire program will include live music performances.
