Sinti and Roma have fought for a Holocaust memorial in Germany for decades,
not only because they were victims of genocide, but also because they still
face discrimination today. Their wish has finally been granted.
"When they unveil the memorial now, the tragic thing is that many of the
survivors will not be able to see it," said Silvio Peritore, member of the
Central Council of Roma and Sinti in Germany.
One of these, said Peritore, is 85-year-old Franz Rosenbach, a former
forced laborer and Auschwitz survivor who spoke of his experiences in
schools and campaigned for the memorial. He is now on his deathbed.
The German state has taken a long time to acknowledge the Nazi genocide
against Sinti and Roma – for many, far too long.
A Heidelberg exhibition has systemically covered the genocide of Sinti
and Roma since 1997. Peritore joined the team a year later to work in the
documentation and culture center. "In many memorials, the murder of Sinti
and Roma was just a historical footnote to the Jewish Holocaust, partly
because the study of this issue was neglected, either unconsciously or
consciously," he said.
