On the day of 2nd of August we celbrated another Sinti and Roma Extermination Memorial Day. Seventy years ago, authorities of the KL Auschwitz – Birkenau conducted an extermination of Gypsy family camp in Brzezinka. On the tragic night, between 2nd and 3rd of august, nearly 3 tousand gypsy prisoners lost their lives, including women and children. Those were the last Gypsy prisoners in Auschwitz.
After claiming the government in Germany by national socialist, Gypsies as well as Jews became the topic of racial politics. Nurember laws of 1935 stated their racial foreignness, thus depriving them of citizenship of the Reich. After the war started, the government decided they should be removed from the German country. To do that, they orded a resettlement of the families to the General Governship, where they have been placed in camps and ghettos along with Jews. On the day of 16th of December, Heinrich Himmler stated order of deprotation of Gypsies still staying in Germany, Austria, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and from the occupied zones. Gypsies affected by that order, ended up in camp called Zigeunerfamilienlager, created in the area of Auschwitz II Birkenau.
Number of Gypy prisoners in KL Auschwitz is estimated to be more than twenty three thousand (23 000), of which more than twenty one thousand (21 000) lost their lives here, mostly either starved to death or in the gas chambers. At the time of World War II, thre hndred thousand (300 000) to six hundred thousand (600 000) Gypsies were murdered, which at the time consusted 30% – 60% of the pre-war population i Europe.
In this year celebrations on the ground of National Museum Auschwitz – Birkenau there were present, next to former prisoners, representatives of Gypsies organization, polish government, diplomatic corps, Jewish society, management and workers of National Museum Auschwitz – Birkenau and regional authorites also representatives of our Foundation. Celebrations have been covered by the honorary patronage of President of Poland, mr Bronisław Komorowski. In his letter, adrressed to the participators of the celebrations, president Komorowski noted our duty to remember the victims of Porajmos and to counteract every form of hostility against Gypsies and other minorities, and also acts of racism and xenophobia.
