Germany: 80 Nazi swastikas and "AFD" spray-painted in a building where Romani people live
During the late night hours of 3 October 2024 and early morning hours of 4 October 2024, 80 Nazi swastikas and "AFD" (Alternative for Deutschland) were spray-painted on several floors of the Iduna-Zentrum apartment complex in Göttingen, Germany. The building is home to hundreds of Romani people who escaped to Germany from the Balkan wars of the 1990s, as well as to other tenants. A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of committing the crime. Evidence of his having perpetrated the crime was found in his apartment. The investigation is ongoing.
This is not an isolated incident. Attacks on Roma in Germany are being repeated and are newly reviving memories of the trauma of Nazi persecution. Cities such as Hanau, Munich or Solingen are frequently witnessing hate crimes – which, however, are not being brought to the attention of the public.
The inhabitants of Iduna-Zentrum have expressed the fear that they will be targeted for such attacks for years to come. Four years ago, the Romani families from the former Yugoslavia living at Iduna-Zentrum were accused of intentionally spreading COVID-19 and the media called them a “criminal and asocial” group. In Germany, the stigmatization of Romani people has a long history, with migrants and refugees being especially vulnerable.
Over the last 60 years, hundreds of thousands of Romani people have come to Germany as guest workers, as refugees from the wars in Ukraine and Yugoslavia, or as labor migrants from elsewhere in the European Union. Representatives of Romani organizations in Germany are calling for greater solidarity with and greater protection for Romani people, who are still one of the most marginalized groups in society.
The Romani residents of Iduna-Zentrum are not giving up and are sending the message that “We will not be intimidated. We will not be moved.”
