Czech Republic: Exhibition on Roma genocide travels to Třebíč

A unique traveling exhibition from the Museum of Roma Culture in Brno, “Genocide of the Roma during the Second World War”, will be on view until the end of October in Třebíč. Jana Horáková of the Ambrela community center for children and youth, which is sponsoring the exhibition, told journalists today that while people are often exposed to the concept that the Jews were subjected to genocide during WWII, the genocide perpetrated against the Roma at that time is not much discussed.

“The Jewish people belonged to a wealthier stratum of society than the Roma did. The Jewish community left buildings behind them, but nomadic Romani people left behind no significant constructions or relics,” Horáková said.

The exhibition consists of photographs accompanied by texts about the genocide of the Roma. It starts with the situation in Germany in 1933 and describes the process that was unleashed against the “gypsy race” there and later implemented in all of the territories annexed to Nazi Germany. Special attention is paid to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak state. Other topics include the inclusion of Romani people in the anti-Nazi resistance and the fate of Romani property after Romani people were transported to the concentration camps. A 30-minute film includes interviews with Romani people who survived the concentration camps and the Second World War.

The exhibition is in the community center’s space on Leopold Pokorný street in the Jewish quarter of Třebíč. The center is intended for children and youth aged 6 – 26. It has been in operation for 11 years and predominantly works with Romani children and youth.