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Today, August 2, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities commemorates the International Roma Genocide Remembrance Day. This memorial date is devoted to the Roma Genocide (also known as Samudaripen – "Mass killing" in the Romani language), which took place during World War II as a result of the racial purification efforts by Nazi Germany and its Axis Powers allies. On April 15, 2015, the European Parliament adopted a resolution establishing August 2 as the annual international observance of this date.
In November 1935, the Nazi German regime expanded its Nuremberg Laws, enshrining its ideology of racial purity and marking the Sinti and Roma communities as "problematic," "racially inferior," and "enemies" of the Third Reich. Subsequently, these communities faced arbitrary persecution and forced deportation to the so-called "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy Camps") across Nazi-occupied Europe.
While scholars have made strides in comprehending and explaining this tragedy, many details still remain unknown. Estimates suggest that between 500,000 and 1.5 million Roma perished during this period, including tens of thousands at the hands of Nazi military and secret police units in the Soviet Union, and approximately 3,000 who met their end in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Others endured forced labor and perished at camps such as Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.
Originating from central/northern India, Roma groups migrated to Europe in the 14th century. As Europe's largest ethnic minority, Roma people have long endured marginalization, racism, discrimination, and identity-based violence. In recent years, Europe has witnessed a resurgence of anti-Roma sentiment, fueled by scapegoating practices that perpetuate the discrimination that led to the Roma genocide. Preventing and countering the distortion of the Roma genocide has yet to become a priority in policymaking at the national level across Europe.
In recent years, AIPG's Mediterranean Basin Programs (MBP) have continued their Roma-focused efforts in Southeastern Europe through comprehensive research spanning eleven countries. This research culminated in the publication of a research report in 2022 entitled The Roma Holocaust/Roma Genocide in Southeastern Europe. The year-long research project – Countering Distortion of the Genocide of the Roma in Southeastern Europe – A Key Element for Developing Anti-Racism Strategies and Anti-Discrimination Policies and Practices, and the resulting report have contributed to inclusive transnational dialogue and action regarding memorialization, research, and education as tools to prevent anti-Roma discrimination, identity-based violence, mass atrocities, and democratic backsliding.
Today, the Auschwitz Institute stands in solidarity with the Roma people, commemorating the atrocities and honoring the victims of the Second World War. AIPG aligns with those advocating for the full and universal recognition of the Roma Genocide as an integral part of our shared historical record. This recognition is crucial not only for historical accuracy but also for post-conflict education, atrocity prevention, and combating segregation, stigmatization, and marginalization of Roma and Travellers. Universal recognition of this history serves as a bulwark against revisionist and denialist agendas, reinforcing the fundamental processes of truth, justice, and memory essential for resilient societies.
