Remembering the Victims: Commemorating the Roma Holocaust in Budapest
The Roma community came together in Budapest to commemorate the victims of the Roma Holocaust during World War II on Friday. The event was held at the Holocaust Memorial Centre to honor the thousands of Roma people who fell victim to Nazi ideology on August 2, 1944, 80 years ago.
Attila Sztojka, the government commissioner responsible for Roma minority relations, highlighted the resistance that began at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on May 16, which has been commemorated as Romani Resistance Day since 2007.
“We must learn from historic tragedies and preserve the values of our world. In true normality, there is no distinction between Roma and non-Roma people,” Sztojka emphasized.
Andor Grósz, the head of the board of the Holocaust Museum and leader of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz), noted that over 4,000 people were killed at the Roma camp in Auschwitz on this day. He emphasized that August 2 serves as a symbol to remember all the victims of the Roma Holocaust, regardless of where they were killed.
The Council of Europe officially declared August 2 as Roma Holocaust Memorial Day in 1972, ensuring that the memory of the victims lives on. It is a day to reflect on the atrocities committed against the Roma community and to honor those who lost their lives during one of the darkest periods in history.
